Update: Thoughts from the Fern Hill "Community" Meeting

Last week, Alderman Hopkins held what is likely the final public meeting regarding the proposed tower at Wells and North. Below is a letter we sent to Alderman Hopkins today outlining our ongoing concerns, questions, and requests.

During the meeting, Alderman Hopkins mentioned that he is nearing a decision on whether to support this massive tower. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to write to the Alderman and share your thoughts, fears, and objections to this project.

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01/15/2025

Dear Alderman,

Thank you for hosting the community meeting last week. As you are aware, the residents of Old Town are more united than ever in our opposition to the proposed development by Nick Anderson and Fern Hill. The community remains firm in our belief that Fern Hill’s plans would be detrimental to our neighborhood, and they continue to ignore the community’s concerns and input.

I would like to raise two key concerns: Compromise and Traffic.

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Compromise

It was deeply disheartening to hear Mr. Anderson express his outright refusal to entertain any form of compromise. It has become increasingly evident that any modifications to the project that would benefit the community are off the table.

I want to remind you that we have consistently expressed our support for responsible development. On May 14, 2024, we proposed the following compromise to Mr. Nick Anderson, and we continue to stand by these points:

1. Building Height and Design: The building should be consistent with the recent, similar developments in Old Town, with a height no greater than eight stories.
2. Traffic and Congestion: We ask that the development team work with both the community and CDOT to ensure that the project does not exacerbate traffic congestion, including reviewing elements such as the location of the garage entrance.
3. Grocery Store Commitment: We request a written agreement that the space previously occupied by Treasure Island be used exclusively for a grocery store.
4. Gas Station Closure: We request a firm, binding agreement regarding the closure and removal of the gas stations on the site by a specified date.
5. Business Community Engagement: We urge the developer to engage with the local business community in a transparent and cooperative manner, to discuss potential disruptions during construction and reach reasonable, mutually beneficial agreements.

If Mr. Anderson is unwilling to engage in meaningful compromise, I trust that this will make your decision-making process easier to side with the community. Mr. Anderson’s high dollar thresholds for the project have resulted in a loss of credibility for him and his company, a waste of valuable time, and, we hope, the loss of your support.
 

We kindly request that our organization “get a seat at the table” as you seek a meaningful compromise. While OTTA and OTMRA share similar concerns, many of our over 2,000 members do not belong to either organization, yet they are deeply concerned about the impact of this project and want their views to be presented.
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Traffic Study

As you know, the community remains unconvinced that the traffic study conducted for this project was thorough or accurately reflects the potential impact on Old Town. We are in the process of raising funds to commission an independent traffic study, and we respectfully request a commitment from your office to withhold any decision on the project until our study has been completed and its findings reviewed by your office and CDOT.

Some of the key issues we intend to address in our traffic study include:

• Data Accuracy: Our study will be conducted on multiple longer days to ensure a comprehensive data set. In addition, it will include the summer neighborhood peak months.
• Traffic Flow on Wells and Eugenie: We anticipate a significant increase in traffic along Wells and Eugenie, as vehicles must turn onto LaSalle to access the parking garage. We believe the data and proposed mitigation strategies presented thus far do not fully account for this increased traffic on these two small streets.
• Green Arrow and LaSalle/North Avenue Intersection: The proposed green arrow for turning from LaSalle to North Avenue is unlikely to alleviate traffic, as there is already a constant flow of vehicles turning right at this intersection. We believe this additional signal will have little effect on the overall traffic flow.
• Impact of Bump-Outs: While we appreciate that bump-outs can improve pedestrian safety, they will also slow traffic significantly. One expert at the meeting referred to bump-outs as a tool to "calm down" drivers. While some bump-outs may be beneficial, we would like to further study if all 18 proposed bump-outs are necessary and if removing certain ones could improve traffic flow.
• Unaccounted Traffic from the Garage: The traffic generated by the parking garage remains uncertain. We understand that Moody will be renting spaces to Latin School teachers and possibly offering hourly parking. We do not believe any of the Moody 300 spot traffic has been factored into the existing traffic analysis, and it could result in an additional 100-300 cars per day attempting to turn into an already congested right-turn lane. In addition, we remain very concerned about the proximity of the parking garage entrance to the intersection.

The community remains committed to a positive and constructive dialogue, and we hope that through collaboration, we can achieve a development that respects the needs of Old Town while accommodating growth.

Thank you for your attention to these matters. I look forward to hearing from you and continuing to work together to ensure that this development is in the best interest of our neighborhood. 

Respectfully,

Jordan Matyas