The developer of the proposed 858-bed apartment building near Richland Avenue is seeking city and state permits to build a small bridge in the road connecting the building to Richland, Athens City Council members said during Monday's committee meetings.
Edwards Communities, the developer of the apartment building known as the Summit at Coates Run, need a building permit for a small bridge to span a stream on the hillside above the Ohio University Inn, said Councilwoman Nancy Bain, D-3rd Ward.
Edwards Communities has asked the city for a revocable license for the bridge construction. This revocable license is problematic for the developer and Summit residents because the bridge will be reviewed every 10 years and could be removed, said Councilwoman Debbie Phillips, D-4th Ward.
Edwards Communities also has filed a permit with the state that could get the designs approved for the bridge without going through City Council, said Service-Safety Director Ray Hazlett.
Council members said they assumed the developer would use whichever approval route gave it permission to build first. No representatives for the developer attended the meeting.
The concrete culvert planned to confine the stream under the bridge would make it easier for debris to get stick under the bridge and could cause flooding that would affect nearby businesses and homes, Bain said
Councilman Jim Sands, D-at large, said he would like to see the city engineers talk with those of Edwards Communities so they can work out some compromise.
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