More Zest (11)

(11th in a series of posts on 306 S. New St.)

In the last post in this thread Gadfly described himself as a “slow methodical thinker.”

Some might say plodding.

For he likes a timeline.

And the timeline in this case is important.

It will help us learn some things.

So let’s review the timeline, a timeline leaner but broader than the version in post 3.

(Information gathered from review of Morning Call files, City documents online, and City documents obtained via Right-to-Know law.)

• 2013: a building at 306 is a gleam in the developer’s eye
• Nov. 18, 2013: City Council approves sale of community garden adjacent to 306 to developer
• Dec. 30, 2013: 306 is approved in the new CRIZ program, an incentive for development
• March 17, 2014: HCC approves a 7-story building at 4^th and Vine by the same developer
• April 1, 2014: City Council approves the 4^th and Vine plan
• Nov. 5, 2014: City Council approves a revised plan for a 9-story building at 4^th and Vine
• April 13, 2015: the developer submits application to HCC for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for demolition of existing buildings and erection of a 7-story building at 306
• April 27, 2015: HCC discusses the 306 COA without decision
• May 26, 2015: a Judge dismisses a suit over the 9-story height at 4^th and Vine
• Dec. 21, 2015: a now 6-story building at 306 with recessed 6^th fl. is approved by the HCC
• Jan. 19, 2016: City Council approves the 306 COA
• Aug. 15, 2016: 3^rd version of plans for 306 approved by HCC
• Sept. 6, 2016: City Council approves this final 306 COA
• 2017-2018: in this period construction occurs, and the building is completed at 306
• Jan. 2018: Zest signs lease for the 6^th fl. at 306
• Aug. 20, 2018: Zest architect submits design plans to the City
• Oct. 15, 2018 (Monday): City approves design plan, construction of Zest can begin
• Oct. 29, 2018 (Monday): City advises contractor that exterior changes in progress at Zest require HCC approval
• Oct. 29-Dec. 4: somewhere in this period CMs Waldron and Callahan separately view the Zest site
• Nov. 12, 2018, and Nov. 19, 2018, weeks of: crane known to be in operation from 3rd street to the 6^th fl. (might have been before and after as well)
• Nov. 19, 2018: HCC hears the appeal to approve the exterior work and denies it 8-0
• Dec. 4, 2018: City Council reverses the denial 5-2, with assurance that City will review and correct its authorization procedures
• Dec. 20, 2018: Zest has soft opening

Some important points to note for elaboration later:

• 306 had 3 discussion/approvals by HCC/City Council — building height a discussion point each time
• the same developer had a property at 4^th and Vine go to court precisely over the issue of height during the same time period
• The error at 306 was discovered two weeks to the day from the first day construction could have begun (though when construction actually began is not known)
• 3 weeks elapsed between discovery of the error and the HCC meeting; 5 weeks elapsed between the discovery of the error and the City Council meeting
• 2 weeks elapsed between City Council approval and the soft opening
• No work should have been done on the exterior between Oct. 29 and Dec. 5, though no “stop work” order was issued by the City, and cranes, perhaps but not certainly indicating outside work, blocked a travel lane on 3^rd St. at least the weeks of Nov. 12 and Nov. 19, if not longer.

Ha! Is this set-up plodding enough for you?

Plod on to the next post!