Excavation started Sept. 15 for developer C.J. Ebert's Snapdragon Flats apartment buildings. Rock will be removed from the base of Snapdragon Hill, a two to three week process. The excavation will create a pad for the first triplex on Hill Street, Ebert explained in an email. Construction will start in the spring.

Ebert walked the nearby streets the week of Sept. 12, passing out a flyer. He informed residents of the coming "noise and truck traffic associated with this work," offering his "sincere apologies for the inconvenience" and pledging the work would be finished as quickly as possible."

Ken Stern

"It is expensive and the quicker it is complete the better in terms of cost," he told the Weekly News.

He noted the permitting process with the Town took a full year.

Finalizing permits will take another six months he estimates. Design work is also ongoing.

He is calling this first triplex Snapdragon Hill.

Its twin on the southside of the cliff, Snapdragon Park, does not have a construction start date.

Ebert is building six total units though zoning allows eight. "Six better fits the character of the site," he wrote, and that required parking is onsite.

He also shared that the plat was created in 1890 by Louisa A. Conner.