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<\/p>\nDevelopers of a proposed 60,000-square-foot indoor youth athletic complex hope buying some city land next to its project will allay traffic concerns of residents near the 104th Street and Milwaukee Avenue project.<\/p>\n
It comes before the City Council twice Tuesday afternoon \u2013 for a second vote on a zoning change and for the sale of three acres of city-owned land.<\/p>\n
The council approved the zoning change unanimously on June 23, but it requires both a first reading and second reading. The council\u2019s first zoning vote followed the Planning and Zoning Commission\u2019s approval, but on a 5-3 vote. That went against a recommendation from city staff against the project.<\/p>\n
The Forge Athletics, under private development by Milwaukee 104 LLC, announced on Facebook the facility is coming in early 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Forge will feature six full-sized basketball courts and nine volleyball courts,\u201d a June 6 social media post said.<\/p>\n
Last week The Forge released an artist rendering of the inside with a message, \u201cWe are working with some amazing people across Lubbock to bring the absolute best to The Forge Athletic Complex! Here is a sneak peek at the inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\tCredit: The Forge Facebook page.<\/p>\n
One of the partners in The Forge, Tyler Gentry, asked for a zoning change. He said the project could have gone without, but Gentry explained to city officials he thought it would make the sports complex better.<\/p>\n
Gentry\u2019s company, Seventeen Services, LLC, applied for the zoning change on behalf of the property owner, Milwaukee 104, LLC.<\/p>\n
LubbockLights.com left a message for Gentry by phone the day before publishing this story. He has not responded.<\/p>\n
The zoning issue<\/p>\n
City staff opposed a zoning change for The Forge at both a June 6 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting and a June 23 City Council meeting.<\/p>\n
City councilwoman Christy Martinez Garcia \u2013 who would later vote in favor of the zoning change \u2013 asked Kristen Sager, director of planning, \u201cKristen, can you please give a little bit more understanding of why staff recommended denial?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sager answered, \u201c\u2026 All of the access is going to be coming and going from 104th Street right in front of those residences.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 15-acre tract for The Forge does not border Milwaukee (for now) but is about 60 feet to the west. That could change as we\u2019ll explain below.<\/p>\n
The location was zoned about a year ago as \u201cneighborhood commercial.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNeighborhood commercial \u2013 we were okay with last year because it is appropriate adjacent to residential. It is smaller-scale retail. That\u2019s typically what you see in Tech Terrace where you have J&B coffee and that small commercial development,\u201d Sager explained to the council.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe proposed zone change is not compatible with the zoning ordinance and not appropriate at the proposed location,\u201d Sager said.<\/p>\n
She cited nearby houses.<\/p>\n
Gentry asked for \u201cauto urban commercial\u201d \u2013 a less restrictive zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re currently planning is an indoor basketball, volleyball, youth athletic complex. \u2026 The height restriction [in neighborhood commercial zoning] is 35 feet. The building \u2013 the preliminary plans we\u2019ve got at this point \u2013 we\u2019re trying to get to 39 or 40 feet for adequate clearance and screening of rooftop equipment,\u201d Gentry said to the P&Z commission.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can work without it. I think it\u2019ll just be a better facility,\u201d Gentry said.<\/p>\n
Commissioners approved the change on a 5-3 vote. However, James Bell, P&Z chair, was among the \u2018no\u2019 votes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to lean heavily on staff, and I know we see lots of stuff coming in and there\u2019s not many times that the city staff is requesting denial of one. I tend to like to give them credit. \u2026 I\u2019m going to listen to that a lot,\u201d Bell said.<\/p>\n
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Credit: The Forge Facebook page.<\/p>\n
One change in the works, one opponent<\/p>\n
Milwaukee 104 made an offer to buy 3.27 acres of city-owned property \u2013 which would the give The Forge direct access to Milwaukee Avenue. The property was appraised at $360,000 according to official city records. But the offer is just above $100,000.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s entire parcel is in the flood zone according to both city records and the FEMA flood zone map.<\/p>\n
P&Z commissioners also made note of the flood zone issue \u2013 saying it\u2019s difficult to develop a portion of land north of 104th and Milwaukee because of the floodplain.<\/p>\n
An image from The Forge on social media showed the building on the highest part of the property. The parking lot was depicted by a FEMA map as being in the flood hazard area.<\/p>\n
Documents related to the city-owned parcel briefly mentioned \u201ccut and fill\u201d \u2013 a technique which is intended to improve drainage and reduce the flood risk before construction begins.<\/p>\n
Kevin Kenny, a homeowner, had an entirely different concern. He asked the council to vote against the zoning change.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am a resident of this area. Our residence is directly north of the proposed change. And I would like, if possible, that we could remain as a neighborhood district instead of an auto urban commercial,\u201d Kenny said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be more in conformity to the neighborhood. People would be happier with that,\u201d Kenny said.<\/p>\n
The council votes on both the zoning and the proposed sale Tuesday. (We\u2019ll update this story after the vote.)<\/p>\n
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