The Jacksonville City Council on Aug. 25 approved land use and zoning changes for 1.26 acres at Riverside Avenue and Memorial Park Drive for the Riverside Village mixed-use redevelopment.
The 18-0 votes on two bills clear regulatory hurdles for the project that comprises five parcels with four office and residential buildings in the Urban Transition Area of the Riverside/Avondale Zoning Overlay.
The parcels are at 1541 and 1551 Riverside Ave., 1715 and 1721 Memorial Park Drive and 1729 Memorial Park Terrace. No new buildings or expansions are proposed.
The Jacksonville Planning Commission recommended approval during its Aug. 6 meeting.
The property owner is Shiavone Properties Inc., led by Frank Schiavone.
Ordinance 2020-0332 amends the land use from residential-professional-institutional to neighborhood commercial to allow redevelopment with residential and low-intensity commercial retail and service uses.
Companion Ordinance 2020-0333 rezones the property from commercial residential office to planned unit development.
Council member Randy DeFoor introduced a floor amendment Aug. 25 that included language from a Council Land Use and Zoning Committee amendment to the PUD that set a 200-seat maximum for site No. 2 at 1551 Riverside Ave., with 45 of those outdoor seats allowed on the south side of the property.
The amendment also caps site No. 3 on Memorial Park Drive at 60 seats with no outdoor dining.
City Office of General Counsel chief land use attorney Shannon Eller said Aug. 25 that seat numbers are capped at 260 for the PUD.
The plan recommended for approval by the Planning Commission on Aug. 6 included one restaurant with 225 seats, allowing for 25 of those seats outside, and a second restaurant with 120 seats.
A revised restaurant seating plan offered before the meeting proposed 285 seats for the restaurants with 45 of the seats outdoors.
The PUD permits on-site alcohol consumption; limits hours for outside sales and service; and prohibits outside amplified music.
The project also proposes seven apartment units at 1541 Riverside Ave., two apartment units at 1721 Memorial Park Drive and two apartment units at 1729 Memorial Park Terrace.
Nearby homeowners raised concerns Aug. 25 about increased traffic, lack of parking, and pedestrian and bicycle safety around the proposed redevelopment, similar to issues raised during the Aug. 6 Planning Commission meeting.
Despite DeFoor’s floor amendment, neighbors continued to question allowing multifamily units and the number of seats proposed for the two restaurants.
A representative of Riverside/Avondale Preservation said Aug. 25 the organization was supportive of DeFoor’s floor amendment.
The applicant, attorney Paul Harden and associate Alexander Harden, said Aug. 6 the parking meets the required minimum. Paul Harden argued at Council that multifamily is a permissible use in the underlying CRO zoning and there will be limited operating hours and no outside amplified music.
Daily Record Staff Writer Scott Sailer contributed to this report.
