Rendering of proposed project at the Good Shepherd Community Church site on 46th near Spruce. The building on the left is the new nine-unit structure.

The Garden Court Community Association (GCCA) zoning committee will support a contentious proposal to turn the Good Shepherd Community Church on 46th Street near Spruce into apartments and build a second, 9-unit building in the church’s garden.

Hightop Development, which originally planned to demolish the church building, has agreed to several conditions requested by the GCCA zoning committee, including the addition of two “affordable” apartments, stipulations on trash storage, landscaping and building materials (see list below). The GCCA zoning committee’s support is contingent on a signed “memorandum of understanding” with Hightop that lays out the conditions. 

“The committee felt the design of the new construction would complement and enrich the built character of our neighborhood,” announcement on the GCCA website reads.

The decision comes a few weeks after a packed and sometimes contentious community meeting on the plan for 314-316 S. 46th St. In a vote at the end of that meeting, 36 people supported the project and 33 opposed it, according to the GCCA.

During the meeting, several nearby residents argued that the plan would exacerbate parking.

The proposal calls for converting the 1930s stone church building into 20 studio and one-bedroom apartments ranging in price from $900 to $1,500 per month and building the new, nine-unit structure.

The GCCA zoning committee decision is non-binding and the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment could still oppose the plan. The ZBA hearing, which is open to the public, has not been scheduled yet.

Here are the conditions spelled out in the agreement between Hightop Development and the GCCA.

• Trash will be stored inside the building and collected by private hauler, never before 8 a.m. Owner expects to have an on-site porter to keep things tidy.

• Electrical meters will be inside, not street-facing.

• To reduce likelihood of tenants with cars, promotional material will highlight proximity of transit and the owner will make clear that apartments do not come with parking.

• 12 interior bicycle parking spaces will be provided (tenants may also keep bikes in apartments).

• Two “affordable” apartments will be set aside for people with income at 60% of Area Median Income ($37,860 in 2019).

• Front setback of the new structure will be pulled back from the street to allow for garden space and better sight lines of the church structure (total unit count of the project reduced from 32 to 28).

• Owner will engage a local greening organization (like Green City Works, UC Green, Greensgrow, etc) to create/maintain the front garden spaces. This gives us higher confidence in the landscape design and supports local jobs.

•Stormwater will be captured onsite (including green infrastructure on the side and rear yards) to reduce overflow into the combined sewer.

• Existing street trees will be preserved and two more will be planted, either at the property or in another location in collaboration with GCCA.

• Cheap materials like stucco, EIFS, and vinyl will not be used. Materials under consideration at the stage of design include thermally modified wood, high density fiber cement, and warm-toned metals like zinc, steel, or corten.