Councillor welcomes plan to upgrade part of 'challenging' retail area
Totton Developments Ltd has submitted an application to redevelop part of Rumbridge Street, a popular shopping area next to the A35 Totton Bypass.
Its application says the existing buildings "are of low quality and offer no significant value to the street scene".
The site is currently occupied by two commercial units with residential accommodation above, and an outbuilding.
The proposed development comprises a three-storey building containing 12 flats and two shops on the ground floor, plus a two-storey building that would deliver two flats.
An aerial view of the proposed site and the surrounding buildings (Image: PLC Architects)
Totton councillor David Harrison said: "Rumbridge Street has long been something of a challenge in terms of a sustainable retail area.
"It suffers from a poor environment, often with traffic congestion backed up from the train gates in Junction Road, and is out-competed by retail offers north of the railway line.
"This application might well help refresh things whilst also providing much needed housing opportunities, particularly for younger people.
"Longer term, I'm hoping plans to regenerate Totton include making the whole of Rumbridge Street a much more attractive area to both live in and go shopping".
An artist's impression of the proposed development at Rumbridge Street in Totton (Image: PLC)
Totton Developments has submitted its plans to New Forest District Council.
READ MORE: Go-ahead for pan to replace derelict building in Rumbridge Street with seven flats and a shop
A design and access statement that accompanies the application says: "The overall footprint of the proposed development is similar to that of the existing ground floor plans.
"Improvements to the landscaping will include gravel footpaths, a grassed communal area, and newly-planted hedgerows.
"Local amenities are within close proximity to the site. These include an abundance of employment and leisure opportunities for the future occupiers.
"This is a sustainable location where future residents will be able to integrate within the community.
"The applicant will be seeking to provide the necessary infrastructure to enable a fibre connection to be provided to the new development.
"Design features have been carefully considered to provide a development that fits within the context of the neighbouring properties."
A planning statement says one of the existing shops on the site is currently empty.
"The proposed development seeks to maintain and enhance the existing shopping frontage by reinstating two smaller commercial units located at ground floor."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why do Palm Beach Town Hall staff want to limit code-variance requests? Here's the scoop.
In Palm Beach, aging zoning regulations have led to a redevelopment environment in which code-variance requests have become commonplace. A variance is a request to allow a redevelopment project to deviate from the 'literal interpretation' of the zoning code, according to the town's code of ordinances. During the Planning and Zoning Commission's June 26 meeting, Town Hall staff said Palm Beach receives an average of 150 variance requests annually. That's an obvious sign that the code needs to be reworked, the commission was told. As part of that effort, town staff are crafting a new "waiver" system to combat the prevalent use of variances. But why is Town Hall trying to curb variance requests? And why are they often at the center of redevelopment drama? Here's a breakdown. What does a variance allow a property owner to do? Variance requests must be approved by the Town Council, which has the right to approve them with conditions or other safeguards. And while a variance allows a project to deviate from the zoning code, it's not a blank check. The request must 'not be contrary to public interest' and stem from a special condition that would result in 'unnecessary and undue hardship' were the property owner required to follow the code faithfully. The code's criteria for what constitutes an appropriate variance request requires: that the special condition fueling the request must be unique to an applicant's land or building, and not applicable to any other property in the same zoning district; that the hardship was not created by the applicant; that approval of the variance would not grant the applicant special privileges not afforded to others in the same zoning district; that denying the variance would deny the applicant rights afforded by others in the same zoning district; that the variance requested is the minimal deviation possible from the zoning code; and that granting the variance would not create any detrimental impact to the public. In other words, a North End homeowner cannot apply for a variance request to convert part of the property into a commercial business, as that scenario is explicitly prohibited in the area's zoning code. Property owners or their representatives also must request a separate variance for each aspect of a project that deviates from the zoning code. For instance, if a project exceeds limits on building heights and elevation, those deviations would each require a variance request. Who reviews variance requests? While the Town Council has the final say on variance requests, Palm Beach's volunteer design boards — the Architectural Commission and the Landmarks Preservation Commission — get the town's first look at the issues involved. But those commissions cannot approve or deny a variance request. Instead, when either commission votes on a project's design, they also hold a vote on whether to recommend the Town Council greenlight the requested variance or to dissuade the council from approving it. Why do Palm Beach planning staff want to reduce variance requests? Though the Town Council's approval of a variance is meant to be based on the code's criteria, requests are sometimes granted because they are deemed "de mininis," or a small deviation to the code. But making that evaluation can lead to legal trouble, since a true hardship is one of the defining criteria a variance request must satisfy, Peter Henn, an attorney for the town, told the Planning and Zoning Commission in June. Just recently, a group of residents sued Town Hall and the Palm Beach Synagogue after the Town Council voted to approve an expansion project that included nine variance requests. The lawsuit claims the council granted the variances without the synagogue proving they were needed to overcome a significant hardship. Complicating the issue is the fact that a hardship is not defined under the code, staff noted during the June meeting. Town staff is proposing a waiver system for minor projects, historic buildings To curb the number of variance requests, town staff recently proposed rewording the zoning code's definition of a variance, so that any request must highlight a hardship. The new code also will feature a clear definition of a hardship, Town Planner Jennifer Hofmeister-Drew said during the June meeting. But town staff also is proposing the creation of a "waiver request" process to help ensure property owners would still have the flexibility to pursue projects that do not involve a hardship and slightly deviate from the town's zoning code. 'If the Town Council is going to approve 95% of the variances requested, we would like them to do it in a legal fashion, by calling it a waiver and not a variance, and we want to save (the granting of) a variance for those tough times when it truly is going beyond the guardrails we will set up for the waiver criteria,' Henn told the planning board. Recently, planning staff have tapped the town's Design and Preservation staff and the nonprofit Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach to help draft the criteria for the waiver program. That's because landmarked and historically significant building comprise a large portion of variance requests, said Planning, Zoning and Building Assistant Director James Murphy. "We're really looking for joint collaboration in (this process), so we're very excited about that," he said. But residents will have to wait a while before they get their first look at the new variance and waiver program, Murphy added, because those proposals are not expected to be presented anytime soon. Diego Diaz Lasa is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at dlasa@ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Learn about the divisive zoning request Palm Beach is trying to curb Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
What's the future for Nashville PSC Metals scrapyard? What investors are saying
The days of piled scrap metal lining the banks of the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville may soon be over. After decades of derision by local leaders, the metal recycling "eyesore" on Nashville's East Bank has its first tangible redevelopment momentum. A group of local real estate investors on Aug. 14 finalized a deal to purchase the massive piece of industrial land, which is just steps away from other high profile downtown real estate developments. David Byerley and his business partner Sam Lingo led the effort to buy the property for $245 million. Byerley said the redevelopment plans for the 47-acre parcel will not be finalized anytime soon. But he gave key insights into the investment team's strategy in an exclusive interview with The Tennessean. "I would say it's an obvious mixed-use site," he said. "We're just looking forward to working with all the stakeholders to do something beautiful for the city. We just see a blank canvas. At the end of the day, it's what's left to be developed, and I think it's going to be something that nobody's really dreamed of before." Various potential uses for the land have been floated over the years, including a mixed-use district with apartments, office buildings, hotels and other businesses. Some Nashvillians have even imagined a Major League Baseball stadium on the riverfront land. But Byerley said his team of more than 50 Tennessee-based investors wants to enable a development that is focued on the locals of Nashville. "This should be done by Nashville, for Nashville," he said. "Basically, we love our visitors, but we need more focus on living downtown as well, especially for families. And so, with that in mind, if that's who we believe our audience is, then it should be Nashville families that make this happen after all these decades. I will say that the absolute majority of our investors are locals." Nashville's East Bank overhaul The former PSC Metals site, now operated as SA Recycling, has been industrial land for almost a century. More steps are needed for it to be transformed in the way Byerley described. The land is adjacent to Metro-owned property slated for development by The Fallon Company, the master-developer of publicly owned East Bank land. Other significant developments in the vicinity include the new Nissan Stadium and the future Oracle Corp. headquarters. All of this momentum impacts the future of the metal scrapyard. "You know, if you just go on Google Earth and look down at Nashville's downtown core, it's just visually obvious where development needs to occur the most," Byerley said. The recycling business will need to be moved off the land, which may need some level of environmental remediation before it can be converted to other uses. A rezoning will be needed, which will bring city leaders at the Planning Commission and Metro Council into the conversation. And with such a massive piece of land, a multi-phased development process is likely to span years, if not decades. 'With the land now acquired, our work will be steadfast and meticulous to deliver a generational vision for all stakeholders," real estate investor Sam Lingo said in a news release. "We look forward to sharing more with Nashville as we work with our partners to establish a vibrant district on the East Bank that we all can be proud of.' The comments from Byerley and Lingo are in line with Metro's vision for the East Bank, which encompasses more than 500 acres. City leaders are hoping for a cluster of walkable neighborhoods to be built throughout the area with amenities like a transit center, childcare, affordable housing, bike lanes, greenways and parks. That's in contrast to the bustling downtown entertainment district just across the river. "We have ideas, and it all really centers around family, Byerley said. "I love our entire city, I really do. I love our unique areas and visit all of them frequently. But this is going to be a really special place. It's going to be a beautiful thing and we're just glad to be a part of it." Molly Davis covers growth and development in Nashville. You can email her with comments, questions and tips at mmdavis@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: PSC Metals scrapyard redevelopment: What's next for downtown Nashville
New York Times
17 hours ago
- New York Times
Gregory C. O'Connell, Developer Who Revived Red Hook, Dies at 83
Gregory C. O'Connell, a former decorated New York City police detective who made millions of dollars as a progressive, community-minded developer by reviving a scruffy Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood and a forsaken upstate village, died on Aug. 2 at his home in Geneseo, N.Y. He was 83. The cause was pancreatic cancer, his son Gregory T. O'Connell said. Even before he retired from the police force in 1981, Mr. O'Connell began a single-minded and almost single-handed, building-by-building redevelopment of the Red Hook section of Brooklyn that would make him the largest private property owner there. At one point, he held some $400 million worth of real estate. That once-vibrant waterfront community, later defined by abandoned piers and vacant warehouses dating to the Civil War, was described in 2006 by Daniel L. Doctoroff, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's deputy mayor for economic development, as the city's 'single most complex land-use issue.' That complexity derived from its overlapping potential for housing, retail and manufacturing after shippers abandoned the port because it lacked sufficient waterfront space to handle containerization. Mr. O'Connell's strategy was to forestall gentrification by luring light manufacturing and import-export businesses to Red Hook, rather than building new housing whose new residents, he presumed, would object to congestion from commercial deliveries. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
