In response to a proposal for a new high-rise apartment building on the 2500 block of University Avenue, the Regent Neighborhood Association held a public meeting Wednesday to discuss plans for development guidelines in the area.

Brian Mullins of the Mullins Development Group, however, said the night’s meeting would not affect his project because it lies outside of the area in the RNA’s current proposal.

But Mullins said he does agree with the RNA’s goals. According to Mullins, there have already been two meetings open to the public for discussion of the high-rise proposal. Residents may also participate in the city’s process of approving the project.

“We want neighborhood participation before we submit [the proposal] to the city,” Mullins said.

The RNA is a group of residents of the Regent Street area that, according to RNA president Troy Rost, is currently under pressure by urban developers. Rost said the goal of the RNA is to create very narrowly focused development guidelines for the neighborhood to accompany the city’s general guidelines.

“We’d like to meld the city’s [guidelines] and ours together,” Rost said.

The RNA held meetings earlier this year for citizens to voice their concerns. An advisory committee created by the RNA then hired consultants from the Planning and Design Institute of Milwaukee to come up with a proposal for possible building guidelines. PDI’s proposal was presented Wednesday night to mixed reactions.

John Stockholm, the chairman of the advisory committee, said the proposal focused mainly on building height and building setbacks — the space between a building and the property line. Stockholm blamed a lack of funds for the narrowness of the research.

Mary Lou Krase, a resident of the neighborhood who works for the city, questioned where all the money had gone that the group received from a city grant in 2004. Residents also voiced concern in a sometimes-heated discussion following the presentation that parking and traffic were overlooked entirely in the proposal.

The biggest issue for residents at the meeting Wednesday was the set of height guidelines in the proposal, which would allow for some buildings as tall as 12 stories high. Many residents felt the neighborhood had made clear that it does not want any structure over four stories tall.

Many at the meeting of approximately 40 people felt the neighborhood’s wishes, which were made clear at the earlier meetings, were completely ignored. Some accused the committee of not being transparent enough and not being accountable to the RNA members.

“We’re all just extremely put out by this,” Krase said. “We feel pretty helpless.”

Rost added the plans were just a foundation to work on.

“There is nothing backed by the RNA yet,” Rost said.

Any guidelines passed by the RNA will then have to be passed by the Common Council, according to Ald. Robbie Webber, District 5, who represents the area. Webber said the guidelines will do more than just protect the aesthetic of the neighborhood.

“It will be helpful for developers as a starting point,” Webber said.

The RNA will meet again Nov. 28 at the Inntowner Hotel to discuss the next steps in passing acceptable guidelines.