From ‘Daily Report’: That imposing wall going up on Perkins? Part of a Sprouts supermarket at Rouzan
If you’ve wondered about the imposing cinder block wall rising from the ground at Rouzan mere feet from Perkins Road, you’re not alone.
Planning Director Frank Duke and Metro Councilwoman Barbara Freiberg also have gotten inquiries about the structure—a new Sprouts Farmers Market under construction in the Traditional Neighborhood Development’s Village Center.
“As I’ve told people, it looks bad right now because it is so big and so close to the road,” Duke says. “But they’re supposed to landscape that area, which should soften it so it won’t look as imposing.”
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While Duke admits he’s had concerns about the aesthetics of the supermarket for months, he’s unapologetic about two changes to local law approved by the Planning Commission that made the development possible. The first change came in 2016 to the Major Street Plan, while the second altered the city-parish’s TND ordinance earlier this year.
“We’ve got little ability to regulate aesthetics,” Duke says. “Contrary to popular belief, I am not a land use god. My job is not to impose my will on the community, but to make sure the will of the community is done through responsible development that follows existing codes.”
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