Nearly two years since an initial student housing proposal failed amidst outcry from Tech Terrace residents, new developers hope to move forward with a new student housing proposal at the site of the former Godbold building.
Will this one have any luck? Only time will tell as developers met with Tech Terrace residents Thursday evening and plan to bring it to the City of Lubbock’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 6.
Just like the previous proposed development, the new one is proposed for construction where the once historic Godbold building once stood on 19th Street east of Boston Avenue — across from the Texas Tech campus.
Here is what you need to know about the background and issues raised with this rezoning request/new development.
Tech Terrace neighborhood rallies together to oppose first student housing development
Back in September 2022, the Tech Terrace neighborhood started a six-month-long campaign to prevent a then-proposed 700-bed, multi-story student housing development from going where the Godbold once stood.
Developers at the time cited the need for this new development due to Tech’s growing student population size. However, Tech President Lawrence Schovanec recently told the A-J that the university faces an enrollment cliff, with student enrollment expected to drop in the coming years.
It’s worth noting that Tech officials have declined to offer an opinion for or against the proposed zoning change and student housing development.
Dig deeper: Texas Tech president shares plans for future enrollment, research and eyes AAU
Citizens who spoke at the Planning and Zoning Commission and the city council meetings named several issues with the then-proposed development:
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Not enough parking — Residents were afraid of students parking at their houses due to the development not providing a substantial number of parking spaces, even though the development was in compliance with city codes.
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Traffic concerns — Residents were afraid the traffic getting into the parking garage from 19th Street would cause havoc on an already busy street.
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Loss of privacy/degradation in quality of life — Residents were concerned that those living on the higher floors of the development would be able to see into their backyards. There were also concerns about littering of alcohol containers and trash that would lower the residents next to the development’s quality of life.
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Demolishing Lubbock history — At the time of the first proposed student development, the Godbold stood where developers wanted to place the student housing complex. For context, the Godbold was once home to St. Mary’s Hospital — Lubbock’s first hospital — before its merger to form Covenant Hospital. But in February 2022, it was demolished and has sat vacant since.
Residents — including students who rent homes in the neighborhood — pleaded with both governing bodies to vote against the proposal. The commission denied it once and then approved another version of the plan, which the city council later denied.
What are the details about the new student housing development in Tech Terrace?
The developers — Pinecrest Developers based out of Illinois — and Benji Snead, a liaison for the property owner, met with the Tech Terrace UNIT Neighborhood Association on Jan. 16, giving them the following details:
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The development would be five stories with a rooftop pool and a parking garage.
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It’s expected to house 584 individuals with 288 parking spots.
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There will be 53 studio apartments, 35 1-bedroom apartments, 21 2-bedroom apartments, 19 3-bedroom apartments, 68 4-bedroom apartments and 25 5-bedroom apartments.
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There are 2,500 sq. ft. of retail space in the design.
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A surface parking lot will be located on 20th Street for students to use that can only be accessed through 19th Street by going through the parking garage.
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The development will charge residents a separate fee for using the property’s parking area.
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The development will allow students to have non-service animals live in the building with planned dog runs; however, the site plan does not show one.
Developers said they are in the early stages of designing the property, with no set facade or architectural design at this time.
Pinecrest’s portfolio includes completed student housing developments around the nation, with a current project in progress for Texas A&M University students in College Station.
What are concerns with the new student housing development in Lubbock?
Some of the same issues that plagued the first development are being raised for this new proposal, giving residents a sense of déjà vu. Again, the biggest concerns are traffic and parking.
Several residents at the neighborhood meeting were vocal in opposing the development for not being realistic in factoring in the number of cars students would bring to the property, saying this proposal is “worse than the previous proposal” in dealing with parking.
Another resident said Lubbock is not a walkable city, and students need a car to work or do anything essential. Another resident said Lubbock is hours away from any major cities in Texas, creating a need for students to bring cars to travel home.
It’s worth noting that the plan complies with the Unified Development Code parking requirements and exceeds it when comparing parking spaces to the number of apartments. However, residents said that does not reflect the reality of the situation when considering how many people can live in the development.
Other issues include:
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Traffic concerns on 19th Street with pedestrians.
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Potential increase of traffic on 20th Street.
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Noise and quality of life concerns from having over 500 students living in the development.
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Concerns that residents don’t know what it will look like before it heads to the Planning and Zoning meeting.
The developers said they would release more information to the residents in the coming days before any public meetings happen. As of right now, developers will request the zoning change at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Feb. 6.
Mateo Rosiles is the Government & Public Policy reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Residents share concern on student housing development near Texas Tech