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November 21, 2012

Development project a bad idea

The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — Editor, The Transcript:

Visualize this: Driving north on 36th Avenue SW at Lindsey Street you see all kinds of beautifully landscaped housing additions and commercial establishments until you pass Cascade Estates. There on the west side, you see a three-story apartment building within ten feet of the sidewalk, instead of any landscaping.

To squeeze in a huge apartment complex, the developers are currently asking the city for a variance to build on the city’s right of way. The doors of the apartments would literally open less than 20 feet from 36th street-a heavily traveled, four-lane road.

Homes in Cascade Estates that back up to 36th Street NW, have 20 feet behind their homes to the fence, that is city right away and another ten feet from the fence to the sidewalk. If the city approves the developers’ variance, what you will see is a three-story wall on 36th with windows, doors and balconies. Do we really want to look at this type of construction along 36th? This is Norman, Oklahoma NOT New York City where streets, sidewalks and buildings are next to each other without any grass or landscaping to speak of.

Drive through Cascade Estates and Castlerock and you will see many acres of green space, with well maintained trees, grass, shrubs and flowers. We as a city are known for our trees and green space. Why ruin the looks of one of our main intersections just so a developer can put more apartments on the site?

Cascade Estates and Castlerock along with other neighborhoods in the area have sent the city a protest petition signed by nearly 850 homeowners who are strongly against this project.

I urge every citizen who lives in the City of Norman to let council members and the Mayor know this is not what we want in Norman.

Vincent DiCastro

President Cascade Estates

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