Proposed building shorter by one floor

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 | midnight

Developers of a three-story Silverado office building have redesigned their project by chopping off one floor and giving it a residential-like exterior. But residents in an abutting neighborhood still say they want the building scrapped altogether.

Steelman Properties LLC purchased two acres with a one-story home on it, on the east side of Spencer Street south of Pebble Road, with the intent of developing it in some way, said Ed Garcia, an attorney with Jones Vargas representing the property's owners.

The company paid $600,000 for it in May, according to county records.

Steelman Properties then proposed building a 45-foot-tall steel and glass office building on the site. The plans were rejected by county planners, the Paradise Town Advisory Board and about 85 residents who signed a petition opposed to the project.

Before appearing before the county Planning Commission on Oct. 7, the company presented new plans showing a stucco and Spanish tile-roofed building with a peak reaching 29 feet.

Tom Johnson, who lives four doors down from the proposed building, said an office building is wrong for the location no matter what it looks like.

"They started off with Godzilla and came back with King Kong," he said.

Residents also voiced concerns about how the additional traffic would affect children walking to nearby schools and requested more trees be planted to provide privacy.

The property would need to be rezoned, but leaving it residential was all a handful of neighbors at the meeting said they wanted even if that meant town homes or condos.

The higher density residential projects would likely cause more traffic and have people in them any time of the day or night, unlike a professional office building, which generally operates 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., several commissioners told the neighbors.

Commissioner Will Watson said the offices seemed a better option because of their limited use and because the housing market is oversupplied.

The commission approved the revised plans 6-1, with Clifford Marshall dissenting without saying why he opposed it.

The County Zoning Commission is scheduled to give its decision on the project Nov. 5.

Garcia said his clients would consider meeting with residents before then to try and reach a compromise.

Jeff Pope can be reached at 990-2688 or jeff.pope@hbcpub.com.