Land Use on Mississippi Avenue Still the Talk of the Street

The lot at 4008 Mississippi Avenue

Someone standing on Mississippi Avenue years ago must have heard the message: “If you build it, they will come,” similar to the voice Kevin Costner heard in the movie Field of Dreams, as it’s now a bustling neighborhood teeming with both businesses and residences.

A section of privately owned land located at 4008 Mississippi Avenue has been the source of conversation for many neighbors, as it is one of the last undeveloped pieces of land in the area.

Chris Rogers of Phase Two Development proposes to build 35 apartments on top of 3,500 square feet of retail space, a structure that may become more familiar to the neighborhood, as covered in an earlier story, “Neighbors Oppose Potential Development on Mississippi Ave.”

Some neighbors don’t want development there at all. Others hope that, when it is built, it follows guidelines to preserve the livability and usability of the neighborhood surrounding it.

Lupin Morgan, land use chair for the Boise Neighborhood Association, says, “I will do everything in my power as a neighbor, not as the land use chair, to stop another disaster like the one I’m sitting here looking at in my backyard right now. “

The disaster she speaks of is the Mississippi Avenue Lofts located at 4216 Mississippi Ave., which she says does not follow certain building standards for the area.

She appealed the Mississippi Avenue Loft project in 2006, contending that it failed to blend into the neighborhood, a requirement by Community Standard Guideline D7, failed to meet specifications set by the historic review code, and obstructed the use of the alleyway.

Neighbors can appeal a proposed development, as Morgan did here, if the developers aren’t building to meet guidelines, such as those for conservation and historic importance. Morgan says failure to meet these guidelines compromises the usability and safety of the neighborhood.

Ellen Cusick, previous land use chair for the Boise Neighborhood Association, who lives within close proximity to the potential retail and living spaces, attended a meeting in March for the proposed development at 4008 Mississippi Ave. She says, “When we had our meeting back in March with Chris Rogers, who is the developer, we called a special land use meeting, and nobody was opposed to that development except for the people that live in the Co-op and there were probably 12 people there. Of the people who were there and were neighbors, [those who opposed the development] were in the minority.”

Those who aren’t completely against development may still have concerns. A street exploding with business and residents requires parking, an issue that many neighbors felt strongly about when the development was proposed. Cusick says, “Parking was the biggest issue that anyone spoke about. Parking was huge.” Rogers was sensitive to these concerns in the meeting, she says.

As a compromise for a building proposed at a height too tall to fit within conservation district guidelines for the area, Cusick says she would like to see Rogers compensate in other areas in order to make it a more attractive addition to the neighborhood. But ultimately, she says, “If [Chris Rogers] chooses to buy it and build something, it’s perfectly within his rights.”