A reader gave us the heads up that at Tuesday’s Bella Vista Town Watch meeting, there would be a presentation for a ridiculous new building at 712-14 S. 8th St., currently a rental parking lot. According to the meeting announcement, developers are planning a seventy-foot-tall six-story building for this 3,500 sqft lot with ten apartments and two parking spots.

The lot

Closer look

To try to gain an understanding of exactly how ridiculous the proposal was going to be and because we can’t get enough of community meetings, we decided to attend last night. At the meeting were several dozen neighbors, irate at the idea of what they believed to be an overuse at this location and a building that wouldn’t fit in with the surrounding neighborhood.

The strange thing about the presentation was that the representative for the developer seemed to agree with them. Attorney Vern Anastasio suggested that the developer reached out to him over the last couple of weeks, asking for help to try to develop a project that the neighborhood might support. Anastasio indicated that the project would be withdrawn and that he would work with the developer and the neighbors to come up with a project that worked for all parties.

From what we understand, two triplexes fronting 8th Street and two single family homes fronting Mildred Street would be allowed by right at this location, provided they have the required rear yard space and are only 38′ tall. Such a project would seem extremely appropriate for this location, and would definitely be an improvement over a surface parking lot. As for what will eventually land here, we’ll know better by next month, and will letcha know when we hear any news.