The developers behind a controversial project on Hyde Park Square are rescinding their application, according to a spokesperson.
City Council's Budget and Finance Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to reverse a decision that granted the project the status of Planned Development. If Council passes the repeal ordinance in a final vote Thursday, a citizen-led referendum will no longer be on the November ballot.
The repeal ordinance was submitted by Mayor Aftab Pureval and all nine City Council members. A spokesperson for the mayor declined to comment except to say the repeal was submitted at the request of the developer.
Council member Mark Jeffreys said Tuesday the city should have a better process for community engagement.
"It should be pretty clear on any development what the expectation is and how communities are engaged, and what that looks like," Jeffreys said. "And I think that's one of the lessons from this, is we can make it more predictable. I think it's better for all."
Council member Scotty Johnson was one of just two who opposed the original zoning change.
"The citizens of Hyde Park have shown the way when they feel overlooked and disenfranchised and disrespected," Johnson said. "They've shown the way in how to rally to make sure their voices are heard."
A spokesperson for the developer says it will submit a new application for a scaled-down project. Initial plans for a new design include no hotel, a maximum height of 75 feet (reduced from 85.5 feet), fewer parking spaces, and reduced commercial space on the ground floor.
Developers met with the group Save Hyde Park Square last week to negotiate, but the two parties didn't reach an agreement. In a statement released after the meeting, the group says it ended in an impasse: "Despite progress in other areas, the height of the proposed development remains a central obstacle."
The development team sent a letter to Mayor Pureval on Friday indicating their plan to begin a new application process with the updated design plan.
"The revised plan offers a balanced path forward: addressing concerns while still delivering housing and renewed vitality to the Square," the letter says. "A referendum, by contrast, would only divide the community further, delay progress, and drain resources that should be directed toward building a stronger future."
Read the full letter from the development team below, followed by an Aug. 27 letter from Save Hyde Park Square:
Full letter from Save Hyde Park Square, dated Aug. 27:
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