New townhouse plan for McPherson: Lower-density plan draws quick praise

It's been almost a year to the day since the ambitious plan for The Chancellory at Trinity Park was defeated, with the massive condo complex proposed for the former McPherson Hospital parking lot falling to organized neighbor (and neighborhood) opposition.

So you're a developer with a reportedly sizable investment in a big hunk o' asphalt at the southern end of one of Durham's most desirable neighborhoods. An empty parking lot, of course, not being the highest and best use of four-fifths of an acre of land:

You've previously struck out trying to build 48 units on the plot of land, a density almost four times higher than the 16 dwelling units/acre permitted for the site, which sits nestled just within the downtown overlay district.

So what do you do with an expensive piece of land on which you can't build more than 13 units without going mixed-use? Why, build 13 luxury townhouses, of course:

Trinity Park residents learned late Thursday that developer Lou Goetz has come back with his "let's play two plan for the property, a proposal for townhouses on the parking lot located across the street from a new Marriott hotel property. As shown in the plan above, six units would front Watts St., four would sit along Lamond, with three additional units situated in the southeast corner of the property.

The townhouses average almost 3,300 sq. ft. per unit, in massings that would in all cases but one rise four stories from the ground. (This appears to be the one element not permitted by right for the project, assuming City/County Planning doesn't find any other variations from code during their review.)

Each unit would have a two car garage, with the entrances to same facing to the private drive to the interior of the project -- no garage doors would face onto either Watts or Lamond. The project would open to the street on both Lamond and W. Morgan.

The townhouse design comes from JDavis Architects, a well-known Wake County firm whose projects include The Dawson on Morgan and Park Devereux in downtown Raleigh and the Meadowmont Village Center in Chapel Hill. Durham's Coulter Jewell Thames is working on site plan issues.

Watts St. elevation:

Lamond Ave. elevation:

Reactions to the proposal have to date been very positive, as measured both by informal conversations with several long-time TP residents and -- perhaps more importantly -- by the positive statements coming from last year's The Chancellory opponents, the ad hoc Neighbors for Sustainable Development in Trinity Park. NFSDTP member Kimberly Isley wrote on behalf of the group in a posting to the neighborhood listserv:

We think the 13 apparently large/luxury townhouses shown makes great use of the site and would be compatible with our neighborhood.  The architects have included many desirable features that would contribute to a pleasant and harmonious project that would be integrated into the fabric of our historic and largely residential neighborhood.  The grand facades, gabled roofs, individual covered front stoops and landscaped areas, fenestration details, ornamental balconies and ironwork, among other features give a fine-textured scale to the project that makes us feel this will be a fine addition to the neighborhood.  Additionally, parking is concealed behind the units in rear garages, and the street facades are broken up somewhat to allow views of sky between the units and to reduce the apparent massing of the project.

The project is set to come before the Design District Review Team on Monday, July 21 at 1:30 pm in City Hall. The NFSDTP has already noted its intent to support the project in its present form at that meeting; the Trinity Park Neighborhood Association's urban planning committee chair has expressed positive thoughts about the project on the neighborhood listserv as well.

No word yet on proposed pricing for the units or on the timeframe for construction if approved. We'll replace these digital pics of the blueprints with better renderings when we get a hold of them.

Comments

[RWE]

J Davis was also the architect for the second phase of West Village. They are very talented, and really excel at this type of urban infill development. While I would personally prefer something that is less a simulation of historic architecture, the scale and configuration of this project certainly seems more appropriate for the context of this site than the previous proposal, and I am cautiously optimistic.

[Carey]

JDavis was also the architect for the West Village expansion project and did a great job.

[Carey]

I guess RWE beat me to the punch!

[Jeremy T]

So, I can't keep up with all of this - what's the current plan for the site of the hospital itself?

[anon]

As for the hospital itself, it looks like I should open a butler training school.

[Ted]

Working right next to the two sites in question, I've been very interested in following the proposals. Last I had heard, the former eye hospital site was supposed to be becoming a hotel of some sort.

[Bob the Builder]

I like the scale. I wish they would redesign the roof system to allow for 4th floor indoor/outdoor walkouts, including outdoor patios, perhaps green roofs, etc, and skyline views. That would be an incredible selling point for their target market. I think it could be done without much effect on scale. The hight point would actually be lower than the current ridge, and it would still be shorter than Mike Cole's house to the East.