Farmhouse Fraternity Project
Members of the neighborhood, the ECCO Board and the Farmhouse building committee have been meeting over the course of the last several months to work out differences on the project. Details on that work and the results of those meetings have been sent out via the ECCO email listserve, and are being collected on this page.
February 7th, 2017 - Project update email from Jeff Backemeyer (posted 2/20/17)
The middle of January concluded step two of the three step design process. The second step of design is called design development (DD). The primary objective of the design development phase was to define and describe all the important aspects of the project so that all that remains is the formal documentation step of construction contract documents (step 3).
Please click HERE for a PDF of the graphics Leo A Daly developed for the DD package.
Now that DD is completed, FH is entering in to the construction document generation phase of the project. Leo A Daly is working to complete the contract documents so they can be used to enter into a contract with a builder. The intention is to have this phase of the design completed by the end of March.
Leo A Daly is meeting with city code officials to make sure they are following safety and building codes as needed.
FH expects to have a meeting with the historic preservation committee on March 16th.
Anticipated milestone dates associated with the project:
March 30th 2017: Construction Documents issued by Leo A Daly
April 3rd 2017: Plans and Specifications available to contractors for bid
April 28th 2018: Bids from contractors due
May 15th 2017: Demolition/Construction to begin
July 18th 2018: Substantial completion
The middle of January concluded step two of the three step design process. The second step of design is called design development (DD). The primary objective of the design development phase was to define and describe all the important aspects of the project so that all that remains is the formal documentation step of construction contract documents (step 3).
Please click HERE for a PDF of the graphics Leo A Daly developed for the DD package.
Now that DD is completed, FH is entering in to the construction document generation phase of the project. Leo A Daly is working to complete the contract documents so they can be used to enter into a contract with a builder. The intention is to have this phase of the design completed by the end of March.
Leo A Daly is meeting with city code officials to make sure they are following safety and building codes as needed.
FH expects to have a meeting with the historic preservation committee on March 16th.
Anticipated milestone dates associated with the project:
March 30th 2017: Construction Documents issued by Leo A Daly
April 3rd 2017: Plans and Specifications available to contractors for bid
April 28th 2018: Bids from contractors due
May 15th 2017: Demolition/Construction to begin
July 18th 2018: Substantial completion
December 7, 2016 - Project update (posted 1/15/16)
Notes from FarmHouse Building Project Update Meeting
7 pm, Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Leo A Daly Architects- Jeff Monzu & Meagan McColloch
Neighborhood attendees:
Paul Johnson, Richard & Lisa Sutton, Steve & Kirsten Carrell, Tom Madsen, John Hitt, Robert Bienhoff, Danielle Shea
FH Building Committee has engaged a project cost estimator. Also has Olsen & Associates as the Lincoln civil engineering firm for the project. They are familiar with the Lincoln ordinances re: site drainage, etc. Plan to have plans through approval process for March bidding.
Working on 2017-18 housing for fraternity members. No final arrangements made yet.
Some working site & exterior plans & drawings presented. Also some interior sketches to provide visualization of interior layout. Site drawings included slides indicating site slope & drainage and preliminary landscape plans. Drainage drawing showed rain garden type stormwater holding area SW of the building near an activity area.
Presented exterior building views. Gabel roof lines with overhangs, inset wall areas, changes in exterior material to break up building exterior walls. Proposed stone facing veneer or brick on some exterior surfaces and cement siding in other areas for contrast & also to suggest farmhouse-type building.
Special permit has been approved for up to 88 members and 88 parking stalls (current plans include 79 parking places)
City has said they will not grant easement to SE corner of property. Therefore FH plans have shifted parking lot slightly north (closer to their building).
Plans do not include a fence between parking lot and neighboring house to the east. FH is open to input from immediate neighbor. There is 20-25 ft of green space between the edge of the parking lot and the east property line. FH expects to screen parking lot with landscaping, shrubbery and trees; possibly a berm.
Discussion:
Drainage from roof & parking lot will be toward rain garden/detention area. Civil engineers are following new stormwater runoff rules for project. FH is willing to provide additional information & discussion on drainage & project runoff to interested neighorhood residents.
ADA compliance -- project is not required to meet ADA requirements, but elevator is planned for the building and entrance ramps so that project is ADA compliant.
Wall & fence to be along south side of property & along MoPac trail. Suggestion made to work with City for plantings along the trail on both sides of the fence. Landscaping is currently in preliminary planning stage & will be finalized after building plans are complete. FH has a member that is a landscape architect that is involved in the project. They are also willing to work with Richard Sutton on landscape plans.
Approved City special permit allows for 88 parking stalls, but current plans call for only 79 to allow for building flexibility. Planned building has fewer square feet than on the approved permit.
House height - 35 ft maximum permitted, but current plans are lower than that & lower than maximum height of current building.
Notes from FarmHouse Building Project Update Meeting
7 pm, Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Leo A Daly Architects- Jeff Monzu & Meagan McColloch
Neighborhood attendees:
Paul Johnson, Richard & Lisa Sutton, Steve & Kirsten Carrell, Tom Madsen, John Hitt, Robert Bienhoff, Danielle Shea
FH Building Committee has engaged a project cost estimator. Also has Olsen & Associates as the Lincoln civil engineering firm for the project. They are familiar with the Lincoln ordinances re: site drainage, etc. Plan to have plans through approval process for March bidding.
Working on 2017-18 housing for fraternity members. No final arrangements made yet.
Some working site & exterior plans & drawings presented. Also some interior sketches to provide visualization of interior layout. Site drawings included slides indicating site slope & drainage and preliminary landscape plans. Drainage drawing showed rain garden type stormwater holding area SW of the building near an activity area.
Presented exterior building views. Gabel roof lines with overhangs, inset wall areas, changes in exterior material to break up building exterior walls. Proposed stone facing veneer or brick on some exterior surfaces and cement siding in other areas for contrast & also to suggest farmhouse-type building.
Special permit has been approved for up to 88 members and 88 parking stalls (current plans include 79 parking places)
City has said they will not grant easement to SE corner of property. Therefore FH plans have shifted parking lot slightly north (closer to their building).
Plans do not include a fence between parking lot and neighboring house to the east. FH is open to input from immediate neighbor. There is 20-25 ft of green space between the edge of the parking lot and the east property line. FH expects to screen parking lot with landscaping, shrubbery and trees; possibly a berm.
Discussion:
Drainage from roof & parking lot will be toward rain garden/detention area. Civil engineers are following new stormwater runoff rules for project. FH is willing to provide additional information & discussion on drainage & project runoff to interested neighorhood residents.
ADA compliance -- project is not required to meet ADA requirements, but elevator is planned for the building and entrance ramps so that project is ADA compliant.
Wall & fence to be along south side of property & along MoPac trail. Suggestion made to work with City for plantings along the trail on both sides of the fence. Landscaping is currently in preliminary planning stage & will be finalized after building plans are complete. FH has a member that is a landscape architect that is involved in the project. They are also willing to work with Richard Sutton on landscape plans.
Approved City special permit allows for 88 parking stalls, but current plans call for only 79 to allow for building flexibility. Planned building has fewer square feet than on the approved permit.
House height - 35 ft maximum permitted, but current plans are lower than that & lower than maximum height of current building.
September 15, 2016 - Historic Preservation Commission
The FarmHouse Building Project was on the agenda of the Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, September 15th. The object of appearing before the commission was to obtain guidance on whether the house at 3639 Apple St, immediately east of the current FarmHouse property & owned by FH, could be demolished so that the property could be incorporated into the project.
Jeff Monzu, the FH Building committee architect, & Paul Johnson, the President of the ECCO Board, were at the meeting. Jeff presented to the commission the same project information that has been previously presented to ECCO (during the August 10th board meeting). Paul told the commission that FH & ECCO have been working closely to come to an agreement on the various concerning factors of the project and that the neighborhood felt that the advantages of incorporating the property in the project outweighed the disadvantages of losing a neighborhood house.
The commission voted to approve, with the stipulation that FH must appear again before the commission to get approval of the new building plans when they are developed & how the new building will fit into the East Campus Historic area.
The Project will go next to the Planning Commission on September 28, 2016 for approval of the Special Usage Permit application to increase the number of resident members from 80 to 88.
Jeff indicated that his firm has been working on drawings for the new building & will be meeting with the FH Building Committee soon to discuss the plans. He also said that they will be presenting to the FH alumni some updated plans for the building on Homecoming weekend, October 1. The plans that they will be presenting ARE NOT THE FINAL PLANS, but are being presented for additional fundraising during that weekend.
The FarmHouse Building Project was on the agenda of the Historic Preservation Commission Thursday, September 15th. The object of appearing before the commission was to obtain guidance on whether the house at 3639 Apple St, immediately east of the current FarmHouse property & owned by FH, could be demolished so that the property could be incorporated into the project.
Jeff Monzu, the FH Building committee architect, & Paul Johnson, the President of the ECCO Board, were at the meeting. Jeff presented to the commission the same project information that has been previously presented to ECCO (during the August 10th board meeting). Paul told the commission that FH & ECCO have been working closely to come to an agreement on the various concerning factors of the project and that the neighborhood felt that the advantages of incorporating the property in the project outweighed the disadvantages of losing a neighborhood house.
The commission voted to approve, with the stipulation that FH must appear again before the commission to get approval of the new building plans when they are developed & how the new building will fit into the East Campus Historic area.
The Project will go next to the Planning Commission on September 28, 2016 for approval of the Special Usage Permit application to increase the number of resident members from 80 to 88.
Jeff indicated that his firm has been working on drawings for the new building & will be meeting with the FH Building Committee soon to discuss the plans. He also said that they will be presenting to the FH alumni some updated plans for the building on Homecoming weekend, October 1. The plans that they will be presenting ARE NOT THE FINAL PLANS, but are being presented for additional fundraising during that weekend.
August 4, 2016 - Farmhouse Building Project Meeting Notice
For several years, the Farmhouse fraternity (located at Idylwild and Apple Streets) has had a visioning committee to evaluate the housing needs of their members and to plan for the future. That group ultimately decided to construct a new building on their current location rather than renovate the existing building. In October 2014, fraternity representatives met with neighborhood members about their emerging plans. The neighbors and ECCO raised a number of concerns about these early plans. That phase of conversations was tense, and conversation came to an end when the fraternity refocused attention after the tragic death of a member.
In spring 2016, fraternity representatives contacted ECCO board members stating that they would like to start a new set of discussions with the goal of formulating a plan that both the fraternity and the neighborhood could support. The makeup of the new team from the Farmhouse, which included Greg Ibach (Farmhouse alumnus and current Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture) and Steve Gangwish (Farmhouse Alumni President) among other alumni and current fraternity members, was an indication of the importance the fraternity placed on these discussions. Other members of the team included some ECCO board members and nearby neighbors. The working group met twice (4/28/2016 and 6/16/2016) before meeting with the full ECCO board on 7/14/2016.
These new discussions started with all parties developing a clear understanding of each other’s interests and concerns. With a series of frank discussions, the committee worked to find a plan that would meet the objectives of both the fraternity and the neighborhood. By the end of these meetings, all parties were able to agree to the set of principles listed below. We believe these discussions can be the basis of developing a final plan that both the neighborhood and the Farmhouse can support. Below is a summary of the conversations and a description of the next steps for the rebuilding process.
Below is a summary of the team’s conversations.
=Summary
Some of the primary reasons that Farmhouse representatives have chosen rebuilding as their preferred option include the following needs or desires:
- Allow all members to live in the house through their senior year (the initial number proposed was 92),
- Switch to suite-style living and sleeping spaces,
- Address ADA accessibility, energy efficiency, and HVAC infrastructure,
- Improve technology infrastructure,
- Asbestos abatement,
- Provide additional room for storage.
The neighbors and ECCO representatives had the following concerns about the re-development:
- Number of residents in the house
- Amount of off-street parking
- Footprint of new facility
- Retention of character of neighborhood
- Retention of surrounding property values, including sufficient screening for nearby homes
- Image at end of Idylwild Boulevard
After two meetings of the working group and one meeting with the board, the ECCO board and Farmhouse representatives agreed in principle to the following points.
- The maximum number of residents could increase from 80 to 88.
- The re-development should not attempt to provide on-site parking for 100% of members.
- The house should be located on the west side of property, roughly the location of the current house.
- ECCO would support getting access to easement area in SE corner for parking.
- Removing the house just east of the current parking lot would be necessary to get adequate green space and parking.
Some additional details about the first three of these points of agreement follow.
==== Number of residents
During initial discussions, Farmhouse indicated their interest in increasing the number of members who can live in the house from their current maximum of 80 to 92. After these discussions, they reduced the proposed maximum to 88.
This change would allow fraternity members to live in the house through all four years of college. Most fraternities only house freshmen and sophomores. Having juniors and seniors in house would allow for mentorship of younger students.
The fraternity is currently limited to 80 residents because of a special City of Lincoln zoning permit. Until they were made aware of this restriction in October 2014, there had been 84-88 people in the house in the last few years.
==== Parking
The city requires that fraternities provide .75 parking spots for each 1 resident, which would be 66 spots for a house with 88 residents. The current house property has 55 available parking spaces; the revised plan would include approximately 79 spaces.
Farmhouse has purchased the house to the east of their property and would take it down as part of the development. The fraternity indicated they would be interested in establishing a long-term agreement about the maintenance of the property.
Although having off-street parking would be ideal for both the fraternity and the neighborhood, all agreed that the result of providing off-street parking spaces for all of the residents would reduce the amount of screening that could be placed around the fraternity. In addition, since street parking is used by so many others and because it is unlikely that we could eliminate parking on both sides of Idylwild, there would be cars parked in front of the fraternity with or without the expanded parking lot. The end result would be more parked cars in the area and less green-space and screening.
==== Footprint/location of new facility
In 2014, Farmhouse planned to build the new facility on the current parking lot and have the members live in the house during construction. Many board members and neighbors saw this plan as unacceptable, Farmhouse has reconsidered options and now would plan to put the house on the west side of the property, approximately where the current house is located. This location will help maintain the integrity of the view from Idylwild and take advantage of the slope of the area to reduce the impact of the fraternity building on nearby single family residences.
NEXT STEPS
Farmhouse plans to present their big picture proposal to the city in early September 2016 and continue to develop detailed plans and architectural renderings. Construction would start in May 2017 with students moving in during August 2018.
Though the neighbors on the working group and ECCO board have concerns about some current specifics of the developing plans (e.g., amount of pavement and resulting runoff, loss of mature trees), we are optimistic that the collaborative process will continue and that the concerns will be addressed as fully as possible. The fraternity will keep neighbors informed of their plans through the working group. As noted above, the neighbors on the working group and ECCO board members appreciate and support the changes proposed by the Farmhouse representatives. All are happy that we were able to agree on the principles listed earlier in this summary.
The neighbors and ECCO board members greatly appreciate the willingness of the Farmhouse team to take a step back and a new start to this planning process. We greatly appreciate the new Farmhouse team’s willingness to listen to the concerns of the neighborhood, and to collaborate with the neighborhood to make changes to their original plans to try to meet our concerns.
For several years, the Farmhouse fraternity (located at Idylwild and Apple Streets) has had a visioning committee to evaluate the housing needs of their members and to plan for the future. That group ultimately decided to construct a new building on their current location rather than renovate the existing building. In October 2014, fraternity representatives met with neighborhood members about their emerging plans. The neighbors and ECCO raised a number of concerns about these early plans. That phase of conversations was tense, and conversation came to an end when the fraternity refocused attention after the tragic death of a member.
In spring 2016, fraternity representatives contacted ECCO board members stating that they would like to start a new set of discussions with the goal of formulating a plan that both the fraternity and the neighborhood could support. The makeup of the new team from the Farmhouse, which included Greg Ibach (Farmhouse alumnus and current Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture) and Steve Gangwish (Farmhouse Alumni President) among other alumni and current fraternity members, was an indication of the importance the fraternity placed on these discussions. Other members of the team included some ECCO board members and nearby neighbors. The working group met twice (4/28/2016 and 6/16/2016) before meeting with the full ECCO board on 7/14/2016.
These new discussions started with all parties developing a clear understanding of each other’s interests and concerns. With a series of frank discussions, the committee worked to find a plan that would meet the objectives of both the fraternity and the neighborhood. By the end of these meetings, all parties were able to agree to the set of principles listed below. We believe these discussions can be the basis of developing a final plan that both the neighborhood and the Farmhouse can support. Below is a summary of the conversations and a description of the next steps for the rebuilding process.
Below is a summary of the team’s conversations.
=Summary
Some of the primary reasons that Farmhouse representatives have chosen rebuilding as their preferred option include the following needs or desires:
- Allow all members to live in the house through their senior year (the initial number proposed was 92),
- Switch to suite-style living and sleeping spaces,
- Address ADA accessibility, energy efficiency, and HVAC infrastructure,
- Improve technology infrastructure,
- Asbestos abatement,
- Provide additional room for storage.
The neighbors and ECCO representatives had the following concerns about the re-development:
- Number of residents in the house
- Amount of off-street parking
- Footprint of new facility
- Retention of character of neighborhood
- Retention of surrounding property values, including sufficient screening for nearby homes
- Image at end of Idylwild Boulevard
After two meetings of the working group and one meeting with the board, the ECCO board and Farmhouse representatives agreed in principle to the following points.
- The maximum number of residents could increase from 80 to 88.
- The re-development should not attempt to provide on-site parking for 100% of members.
- The house should be located on the west side of property, roughly the location of the current house.
- ECCO would support getting access to easement area in SE corner for parking.
- Removing the house just east of the current parking lot would be necessary to get adequate green space and parking.
Some additional details about the first three of these points of agreement follow.
==== Number of residents
During initial discussions, Farmhouse indicated their interest in increasing the number of members who can live in the house from their current maximum of 80 to 92. After these discussions, they reduced the proposed maximum to 88.
This change would allow fraternity members to live in the house through all four years of college. Most fraternities only house freshmen and sophomores. Having juniors and seniors in house would allow for mentorship of younger students.
The fraternity is currently limited to 80 residents because of a special City of Lincoln zoning permit. Until they were made aware of this restriction in October 2014, there had been 84-88 people in the house in the last few years.
==== Parking
The city requires that fraternities provide .75 parking spots for each 1 resident, which would be 66 spots for a house with 88 residents. The current house property has 55 available parking spaces; the revised plan would include approximately 79 spaces.
Farmhouse has purchased the house to the east of their property and would take it down as part of the development. The fraternity indicated they would be interested in establishing a long-term agreement about the maintenance of the property.
Although having off-street parking would be ideal for both the fraternity and the neighborhood, all agreed that the result of providing off-street parking spaces for all of the residents would reduce the amount of screening that could be placed around the fraternity. In addition, since street parking is used by so many others and because it is unlikely that we could eliminate parking on both sides of Idylwild, there would be cars parked in front of the fraternity with or without the expanded parking lot. The end result would be more parked cars in the area and less green-space and screening.
==== Footprint/location of new facility
In 2014, Farmhouse planned to build the new facility on the current parking lot and have the members live in the house during construction. Many board members and neighbors saw this plan as unacceptable, Farmhouse has reconsidered options and now would plan to put the house on the west side of the property, approximately where the current house is located. This location will help maintain the integrity of the view from Idylwild and take advantage of the slope of the area to reduce the impact of the fraternity building on nearby single family residences.
NEXT STEPS
Farmhouse plans to present their big picture proposal to the city in early September 2016 and continue to develop detailed plans and architectural renderings. Construction would start in May 2017 with students moving in during August 2018.
Though the neighbors on the working group and ECCO board have concerns about some current specifics of the developing plans (e.g., amount of pavement and resulting runoff, loss of mature trees), we are optimistic that the collaborative process will continue and that the concerns will be addressed as fully as possible. The fraternity will keep neighbors informed of their plans through the working group. As noted above, the neighbors on the working group and ECCO board members appreciate and support the changes proposed by the Farmhouse representatives. All are happy that we were able to agree on the principles listed earlier in this summary.
The neighbors and ECCO board members greatly appreciate the willingness of the Farmhouse team to take a step back and a new start to this planning process. We greatly appreciate the new Farmhouse team’s willingness to listen to the concerns of the neighborhood, and to collaborate with the neighborhood to make changes to their original plans to try to meet our concerns.
April 28, 2016 - Farmhouse Building Project Update
The FarmHouse Fraternity building project is again in the planning stages.
FarmHouse would like to finalize their plans by the end of summer & begin construction in May 2017.
A small group from ECCO consisting of Richard Sutton, Rebecca Carr, Kirsten and Steve Carrell, Bob Rokeby, and Ann Bleed met with Steve Gangwish, President of the Farmhouse Alumni Association, who drove in from Kearney for the meeting, and other alumni Greg Ibach, Jeff Monzu, Cora Lee Scritzmeier, the House Mother, and Jon Freese, President of the Farmhouse chapter. The two groups met April 28, 2016 to talk about plans for the rebuilding of the Farmhouse fraternity house.
All in all, we had a good meeting.
Greg Ibach reviewed the fraternity’s objectives:
- Provide for a suite‐like living space rather than the sleep‐dorm type of space
- Provide parking for all members on the property
- Provide for new technical needs such as increased use of computers etc.
- Provide Asbestos abatement
- Provide more storage room
- Keep the noisy activities of the fraternity away from residential housing
- Maintain the character of the neighborhood
- Provide new heating and air conditioning equipment
- Increase the number of members living in the fraternity house.
We were also told that the building committee was taking a step back and reconsidering the building plans. The committee is now willing to consider several different sight plans and is anxious to work with ECCO to achieve a win‐win plan that ECCO can support when the fraternity applies to change their special permit before the Planning Commission. They are also looking for housing and parking for the FH residents off‐site during the building period.
The group from ECCO said they too would like to find a site plan that ECCO could support, but that we had concerns about the number of students living in the house, the site plan and landscaping of the fraternity footprint, protecting the nearby residences from the impact of the fraternity, the visual impact of the fraternity on the immediate area, and traffic. They stated fund raising has gone well so they are in a good financial condition.
A major focus of the discussion was the number of fraternity members who would live in the house. Farmhouse is aware that they are only permitted to have 80 residents in the house, but in fact they have had up to 86 residents in the house in recent years. They would really like to be able to house 92 residents and are willing to spend extra money to prevent adverse impacts on the neighborhood. The ECCO residents made it very clear that we thought the neighborhood would strongly object to a permit that would allow 92 residents in the house. We discussed this topic at length and agreed that we would try to find a compromise we could be accept. The other major topic was how the house would be situated on the property. ECCO stated they would like to have the house itself situated on the west end of the property.
Farmhouse would like to reach an agreement with ECCO on their site plans by Aug 1 so that they could obtain their permit from the Planning Commission, start building by May 2017, and have students move in in August of 2018.
The ECCO working group will meet again with representatives from Farmhouse in the near future and will then plan for a meeting with ECCO as a whole in June or July. If you have any concerns you would like us to consider please contact Paul Johnson at ECCOpres@EastCampus.org, Ann Bleed at ann.s.bleed@gmail.com, or Rebecca Carr at rebecca.e.carr@gmail.com
The FarmHouse Fraternity building project is again in the planning stages.
FarmHouse would like to finalize their plans by the end of summer & begin construction in May 2017.
A small group from ECCO consisting of Richard Sutton, Rebecca Carr, Kirsten and Steve Carrell, Bob Rokeby, and Ann Bleed met with Steve Gangwish, President of the Farmhouse Alumni Association, who drove in from Kearney for the meeting, and other alumni Greg Ibach, Jeff Monzu, Cora Lee Scritzmeier, the House Mother, and Jon Freese, President of the Farmhouse chapter. The two groups met April 28, 2016 to talk about plans for the rebuilding of the Farmhouse fraternity house.
All in all, we had a good meeting.
Greg Ibach reviewed the fraternity’s objectives:
- Provide for a suite‐like living space rather than the sleep‐dorm type of space
- Provide parking for all members on the property
- Provide for new technical needs such as increased use of computers etc.
- Provide Asbestos abatement
- Provide more storage room
- Keep the noisy activities of the fraternity away from residential housing
- Maintain the character of the neighborhood
- Provide new heating and air conditioning equipment
- Increase the number of members living in the fraternity house.
We were also told that the building committee was taking a step back and reconsidering the building plans. The committee is now willing to consider several different sight plans and is anxious to work with ECCO to achieve a win‐win plan that ECCO can support when the fraternity applies to change their special permit before the Planning Commission. They are also looking for housing and parking for the FH residents off‐site during the building period.
The group from ECCO said they too would like to find a site plan that ECCO could support, but that we had concerns about the number of students living in the house, the site plan and landscaping of the fraternity footprint, protecting the nearby residences from the impact of the fraternity, the visual impact of the fraternity on the immediate area, and traffic. They stated fund raising has gone well so they are in a good financial condition.
A major focus of the discussion was the number of fraternity members who would live in the house. Farmhouse is aware that they are only permitted to have 80 residents in the house, but in fact they have had up to 86 residents in the house in recent years. They would really like to be able to house 92 residents and are willing to spend extra money to prevent adverse impacts on the neighborhood. The ECCO residents made it very clear that we thought the neighborhood would strongly object to a permit that would allow 92 residents in the house. We discussed this topic at length and agreed that we would try to find a compromise we could be accept. The other major topic was how the house would be situated on the property. ECCO stated they would like to have the house itself situated on the west end of the property.
Farmhouse would like to reach an agreement with ECCO on their site plans by Aug 1 so that they could obtain their permit from the Planning Commission, start building by May 2017, and have students move in in August of 2018.
The ECCO working group will meet again with representatives from Farmhouse in the near future and will then plan for a meeting with ECCO as a whole in June or July. If you have any concerns you would like us to consider please contact Paul Johnson at ECCOpres@EastCampus.org, Ann Bleed at ann.s.bleed@gmail.com, or Rebecca Carr at rebecca.e.carr@gmail.com
October 2014
Hello to Our ECCO Neighbors,
I wanted to provide notes from our progress the past few weeks, with regard to the Farmhouse Fraternity project. We have discussed as many questions and answers as we possibly could – and include a great deal of that information here for your review.
We are most grateful for the time, effort, and good advice and answers provided by Planning Department members Marvin Kraut and Paul Barnes. We are indeed lucky to have such caring members of our City government – they have given us a great deal of their time this past week, and have clearly listened to our concerns – and heard our voices! We all appreciate it very much! It was good to hear that the requests we’ve made so far, and the concerns we have raised, seem reasonable to the Planning Department.
The “next step” is to review the revised plan from the Farmhouse representatives, as soon as we have received it. We remain concerned about the potential adverse effects on the East Campus neighborhood as a result of Farmhouse fraternity’s announcement of proposed changes, yet optimistic that we will reach resolution. It is critical to us to protect the character of our neighborhood, including property values of our ECCO residents, while working with Farmhouse to develop a plan that benefits all parties concerned. As indicated earlier, we will know more, once we see the next iteration of the Farmhouse plan. The information we’ve learned so far has been crucial to helping us understand our options.
We will keep everyone posted as new developments continue – we’ve made a solid start in asking and answering the necessary questions, and establishing all of the facts that we can, in order to understand the situation and determine the best course of action. The ECCO Board will stay on top of this issue, and will continue to work with the Farmhouse representatives, as advised by the Planning Department
Two documents are below:
· Planning Commission Summary Document – includes questions from our October 13 meeting collected by Ann Bleed and forwarded to the Planning Department. This document formed the basis for our October 16 meeting, and was reviewed in detail by all present, with Marvin’s and Paul’s additional input and information.
· Meeting with ECCO Board, neighbors, and Planning Department representative Marvin Kraut and Paul Barnes – includes notes from our October 16 meeting
Thanks to our Board and the many neighbors who have given us their input, concerns, and contributions. This is indeed a thorny issue, with old zoning and special permit issues pre-dating – and affecting – the current proposal from Farmhouse. There will no doubt be upcoming public meetings – we will let everyone know the dates and times. If you have any questions at all, we remain committed to helping in any way that we can. We appreciate the input of so many – that way, we can be certain that all options and perspectives are heard, weighed, and perhaps incorporated to make a better plan. The goal is to help formulate a plan we can all support. Stay tuned…..
Mary Eisenhart
ECCO Board President, 10/19/2014
Hello to Our ECCO Neighbors,
I wanted to provide notes from our progress the past few weeks, with regard to the Farmhouse Fraternity project. We have discussed as many questions and answers as we possibly could – and include a great deal of that information here for your review.
We are most grateful for the time, effort, and good advice and answers provided by Planning Department members Marvin Kraut and Paul Barnes. We are indeed lucky to have such caring members of our City government – they have given us a great deal of their time this past week, and have clearly listened to our concerns – and heard our voices! We all appreciate it very much! It was good to hear that the requests we’ve made so far, and the concerns we have raised, seem reasonable to the Planning Department.
The “next step” is to review the revised plan from the Farmhouse representatives, as soon as we have received it. We remain concerned about the potential adverse effects on the East Campus neighborhood as a result of Farmhouse fraternity’s announcement of proposed changes, yet optimistic that we will reach resolution. It is critical to us to protect the character of our neighborhood, including property values of our ECCO residents, while working with Farmhouse to develop a plan that benefits all parties concerned. As indicated earlier, we will know more, once we see the next iteration of the Farmhouse plan. The information we’ve learned so far has been crucial to helping us understand our options.
We will keep everyone posted as new developments continue – we’ve made a solid start in asking and answering the necessary questions, and establishing all of the facts that we can, in order to understand the situation and determine the best course of action. The ECCO Board will stay on top of this issue, and will continue to work with the Farmhouse representatives, as advised by the Planning Department
Two documents are below:
· Planning Commission Summary Document – includes questions from our October 13 meeting collected by Ann Bleed and forwarded to the Planning Department. This document formed the basis for our October 16 meeting, and was reviewed in detail by all present, with Marvin’s and Paul’s additional input and information.
· Meeting with ECCO Board, neighbors, and Planning Department representative Marvin Kraut and Paul Barnes – includes notes from our October 16 meeting
Thanks to our Board and the many neighbors who have given us their input, concerns, and contributions. This is indeed a thorny issue, with old zoning and special permit issues pre-dating – and affecting – the current proposal from Farmhouse. There will no doubt be upcoming public meetings – we will let everyone know the dates and times. If you have any questions at all, we remain committed to helping in any way that we can. We appreciate the input of so many – that way, we can be certain that all options and perspectives are heard, weighed, and perhaps incorporated to make a better plan. The goal is to help formulate a plan we can all support. Stay tuned…..
Mary Eisenhart
ECCO Board President, 10/19/2014
| planning_commission_meeting_-_10-16-2014-1.pdf |
| planning_commission_summary_document_-_10-16-2014.pdf |