Hearing nears for Diamond Street housing project
Set to take place in early February is the long-delayed hearing before the city's planning commission about a controversial market-rate housing project proposed for the hillside at the intersection of Diamond Heights Boulevard and Diamond Street.
In recent weeks an agreement was reached to allow for it to come up for review at the oversight panel between the project proponent and several neighborhood leaders who had opposed it.Developer On Diamond LLC is seeking approval to build 24 new luxury homes and intends to pay close to $3 million to the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development so it doesn't have to set aside some as affordable housing.
Nearby residents had argued that the entire project should be affordable and voiced criticisms about its impact to the trees on site and views afforded by the hilly property.The planning commission was initially set to weigh in on the project in August.
But in light of the controversy surrounding the development, city planning staff postponed the hearing to give the developer and neighbors more time to work out a compromise.
