A plan to build affordable housing for veterans has been discharged due to a bad parking design.
That was one decision made by the Board of Zoning Appeals during their latest meeting Tuesday night.
The group took final votes on a number of projects referred back to them by the City Plan Commission, including a pitch by The National Veterans Council For Legal Redress to turn an empty sliver lot at 252 Davenport Ave. into affordable homes for those who served in the military.
It’s back to the drafting table for the nonprofit, which said they would redesign the development after the board expressed concerns about allowing front yard parking that would’ve seen veterans backing directly over the sidewalk into the public right of way to get where they’re going.
Read more about that here.
The board approved two other projects which are next slated for site plan review by the City Plan Commission: The Broken Umbrella Theatre Company’s pitch to build a stage on Blake Street as well as a nursing home company’s intent to move from Fair Haven into the Hill. Read more about those here and here.
The relocation of the nursing home makes sense for the patients, and illustrates the inanity of the relevant parking requirement. But I am afraid the existing nursing home will be an eyesore for Fair Haven for an extended period. It apparently does not make economic sense to rehabilitate the building, and tearing it down will be costly.