SCHENECTADY – Karrie Rutecki worries it will be virtually impossible to park in front of her Irving Street home if a proposal to build a three-story, 25-unit apartment building next door at the former St. Mary's Catholic School is approved.

Better Neighborhoods, a local nonprofit group, is teaming up with Rochester-based Home Leasing on the Renaissance Square project that also consists of a second two-story apartment building of 30 units and two commercial spaces down the street at Eastern Avenue and University Place.

The developers need variances from the city Zoning Board of Appeals related to parking spaces, the density of the project, signs, and building height among others, according to documents submitted to the city development office.

The proposal calls for 27 parking spaces at 104 Irving St. but city zoning law calls for 37, and on the Eastern Avenue site at 817, 819 and 823, for only 37 parking slots even though the city requires 57.

On density, the city requires a 56,192-square-foot lot for the 25-unit apartment building at 104 Irving St. The lot is only 24,829 square-feet.

Better Neighborhoods Executive Director James Flacke said Tuesday they were surprised by the opposition from a handful of vocal people in the community during the zoning board meeting earlier this month because when the company made presentations about plans to the Eastern Avenue Neighborhood Association there was no indication people were against it.

"It wasn't just parking and density. They also raised a number of concerns that had to do with really with the quality of life in the neighborhood," he said of some of the issues neighbors highlighted.

A meeting with residents is planned for July 25, said Flacke.

He said typically with the type of construction Better Neighborhoods wants to do "there are not as many cars as people in the neighborhood as people suspect."

"What we've discovered is that maybe there's one car for every two or three apartments," he said. "Between the two sites, we feel there is adequate parking."

Rutecki, who has lived along the narrow street her entire life, said she and several neighbors, most of whom don't have driveways, would rather see the former St. Mary's Catholic School, which is owned by the city, transformed into a business with set hours.

"It will bring business, but they won't be here 24-7," she added.

She and others along her street say they plan to speak out against the project during Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting at City Hall when the developers will make a preliminary presentation and get feedback from the panel.

The Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to meet at Aug. 1 to vote on the variances.

After that, the developer will have to appear a second time before the Planning Commission for final site plan approval.

Sandra Vardine, who owns Renaissance Restaurant & Banquet Hall inside the former St. Mary's Church at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Irving Street sees the pros and cons in the Renaissance Square development.

"I love what the city is trying to do. However, the project is oversized, and they are not taking into consideration the arts," said Vardine, adding the arts are a crucial component and add vibrancy to an area being redeveloped. "I think it's the wrong project in the wrong place."

Vijay Seadath, owner of Upstate Auto repairs, couldn't disagree more, noting Tuesday that parking is always challenging.

"Everybody looks at the bad but nobody sees the good," which is that an abandoned eyesore is being rehabbed, he said. "It's beautifying the place."