Apartment project in historic area draws flak

By F.M. Wiggins

PETERSBURG - City Council will likely soon decide on whether to allow the development of a controversial 12-unit apartment building at the west end of High Street.

The upcoming vote on the project - which would be new construction on an existing lot - comes after a March 20 public hearing where numerous residents of the High Street neighborhood said that they wouldn't welcome the development. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.

The project has received mixed opinions from residents, city officials and historic preservationists. Petersburg preservation planner James Sved said that the city's Architectural Review Board has already denied the project three times - most recently on Jan. 25 - despite recommendations from staff for approval.

Sonja Reese, who has lived on High Street for 40 years, said that City Council should listen to the Architectural Review Board and experts from within the city who have provided opinions on the planned development. Reese cited Willie Graham, a noted architectural expert who she said works for Colonial Williamsburg, as having opposed the project.

The developer, Canterbury High Street LLC, plans to build an infill multi-family housing unit of 12 one-bedroom apartments. The developer already owns an adjacent two-story commercial structure with a missing facade. That building has already received a certificate of appropriateness for development as a mixed-use project.

During the March 20 City Council meeting, no architectural renderings were presented for the public to view.

"Why don't you see any renderings for this project," asked Richard Stewart. "Shouldn't we see a rendering?"

Stewart said that High Street is one of the most historic areas in the city and any decision should be carefully evaluated.

Zoning for the property is not an issue as the land for the proposed infill development is currently zoned B2, according to Director of Planning Sharon Williams. However, because it is in an historic district, the development would need a Certificate of Appropriateness, which has been denied by the ARB three times.

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Apartment project in historic area draws flak