In the interest of students and community members, the Urban Design Commission met to sift through various sensitive city-planning issues Tuesday night, including the demolition and replacement of two Mifflin Street houses with a low-income apartment building.

Despite a few calls for change, the dominant dissents led to referral of the proposal. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said major changes will need to be made before initial approval is made by the commission. To the project leaders’ dismay, Verveer predicted the duplex walls will not come down any time soon.

“There just isn’t much support for the current project,” Verveer said. “The plan needs to be totally rethought due to the fact that it is incompatible with Mifflin Street.”

Madison Development Corporation President Frank Staniszewski reviewed the proposal to demolish two duplexes on the 400 block of Mifflin Street and replace them with a 25-unit apartment building marketed almost exclusively to low-income, entry-level workers. This benevolent intention is about all MDC has going for it, according to many of the resident representatives and certain commission members.

“Whatever is done on this site creates an incredible precedent for future development in the neighborhood … and, right now, you’ve got a shoebox on top of a rectangular table,” resident Sheridan Glen said.

The most prominent concern voiced by commission officials and neighborhood residents is that the design is not consistent with the historical character of the neighborhood.

Although architect Colin Godding has made significant efforts to appeal to residents’ demands for historical adaptation, the prevailing controversy is over the garage door and height of the building, which are seen as stylistic “blights” on a historic neighborhood.

Citizen commission member Michael Barrett said it is not only a question of aesthetics, but economic value and prosperity of the block and surrounding area.

“Eventually, it’s going to be a death by a thousand cuts. … The economic value of [historic] neighborhoods have proven to be prosperous, and people are willing to pay to live in [them],” Barrett said.

According to long-time resident Rosemary Lee, 80 percent of Mifflin Street residents are students, which could pose a problem for the neighborhood relations. She argued that a radical mesh of families and students would give rise to a highly adversarial environment and cause unnecessary strain.

After conducting a community-wide informal survey, resident Jim Skrentney said the majority of the neighborhood’s student residents are against the demolition.

“Mifflin Street is a special place for students … [and] this proposal would significantly change the culture,” Skrentney said.

Registered architect and commission member Todd Barnett disagreed, however. He said apartment renters should move into the area with logical expectations that rowdy student nights come with the package. Barnett generally supported the proposal on the grounds that the nature of the neighborhood will inevitably change. However, he said MDC still has “tweaking” to do.

Design professional Lisa Geer also voiced support for the plan because it would be a catalyst for progressive development, eventually moving away from the “absentee landlord” approach currently prevalent on Mifflin Street.

Members also approved Phase II of the Metropolitan Place after slight changes to the roof structure Wednesday, and advised architects on an office building which will be built on Bedford Street.