Zoning Board to hear request to waive design standards for College Town 

The City of Rochester's Zoning Board will hear an application this week to waive certain design standards for Mount Hope College Town, a University of Rochester-initiated project which will be built on 16 acres on the west side of Mount Hope between Elmwood Avenue and Crittenden Boulevard. | The major concerns associated with the application have to do with the project's planned hotel and the grocery store. As it stands, the hotel would have six out of 10 of its ground-floor windows along Elmwood Avenue blacked out. The grocery would also have blacked-out windows along the street. | A city zoning official explained earlier this week that although those requests are part of the application, the developer knows getting through the Zoning Board would be difficult and is making changes. | In fact, a report (appears below) signed by Marcia Barry, director of planning and zoning for the city, recommends against granting the variances. | The developer may present changes and-or options at this week's meeting, the zoning official said. | The meeting is at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 21, in City Council chambers at City Hall, 30 Church Street.

Collegetown Preliminary Findings