Developers of the McCallie Commons student housing at McCallie and Central are wanting to expand the project, but it would involve tearing down three old homes on Oak Street.
The proposal from developer David Hudson would be an expansion of the four-story apartment building and separate parking garage with 300 parking spaces proposed that was approved earlier.
The original proposal primarily fronted Central Avenue and McCallie Avenue with only 146 linear feet (roughly 37 percent of the 1,000 block of Oak Street’s frontage).
The request indicates the removal of three out of the five remaining housing along the south side of Oak Street, to accommodate the expanded apartment development.
Members of the Regional Planning Agency staff are recommending denial.
The staff said, "The concern is how this new development will fit with the single family detached housing across the street.
"The proposal is not consistent with the existing form and scale of lower density urban residential development on the block.
"The proposed residential density is not compatible with the surrounding density found on Oak Street that serves as a neighborhood residential street.
"The proposed expansion along Oak Street does raise concerns regarding location, lighting, access, and height due to the single family residential structures found in the area.
"The proposal would be an extension of an existing zone.
"The proposal would set a precedent for future requests and may encourage continued encroachment into the single-family residential district that exists along O’Neal Street and east of Central Avenue."
The case goes before the Planning Commission next Monday at 1 p.m. at the County Courthouse.