From: Beth Olshansky Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2017 7:28 AM To: Michael Behrendt; Karen Edwards Subject: Please forward to PB re: The Mill Plaza Dear Members of the Durham Planning Board, I am out of town and thus submit a few comments in writing regarding the latest rendition of the Mill Plaza Redevelopment Plan. While moving the Rite Aid is a great improvement in that it allows more student apartments to be moved closer to Main Street and further away from the neighborhoods, I find fault with the plan for the following reasons: The proposed plan is supposed to be the result of a negotiated settlement. That means both parties came together to come up with a compromise solution. Both parties gave something in order to avoid lengthy and expensive court proceedings. I would like to see The Plaza present a plan that lives up to their end of the Agreement. What does that mean? It means honoring the buffer along the brook that was clearly established in the Agreement. It means honoring our Town’s zoning regulations, including height restrictions. In essence, it means providing us with a plan that does not require any variances. Doesn’t going to the ZBA for variances mean that The Plaza is not living up to its end of the Agreement? The height of the buildings should be no greater than 3 stories, not only because of our dimensional standards but also because of our Architectural Design Regulations that state that height variation in adjacent buildings should be no greater than 1-1˝ stories max. Even with a false front on the Hannaford, we end up with at minimum a 2 story height difference, and that is assuming the false front is an entire second story, which is unlikely. There are reasons why Durham has height restrictions and Architectural Standards in place. They need to be honored. The Settlement Agreement requires 80,000-90,000 square feet of commercial space. We are getting the minimum—80,000 sq. ft. There is no minimum set for the number of beds, only a maximum. Why is it that the Town gets the minimum and The Plaza insists on getting the maximum? If the building heights need to be reduced to meet our ZO without variances, then that may mean fewer beds. So be it. We are under no obligation to approve the maximum number of beds unless it all fits within our ZO. One final note, I repeat my earlier concern that those small buildings along Mill Road take away much of our meagre green space and several of the very few mature trees on the site in return for not much commercial space. The trees along Mill Road serve to soften the entrance to our commercial core and The Plaza. I believe many members of the community already feel “imposed upon” by the prospect of jamming so many large, tall buildings into a relatively small parking lot. As some members of the Planning Board have already pointed out, the space is too densely packed. The plan basically proposes to build a very urban environment immediately adjacent to two family neighborhoods. Please leave us our mature trees along Mill Road to soften the enormous hardscape that is proposed. Sincerely, Beth Olshansky 122 Packers Falls Road