The Madison City Council wrestled with a number of zoning issues at its Aug. 8 meeting, with one Planned Residential Development (PRD) getting the go ahead and the other withdrawn at the last minute.
Council approved a zoning change from Estate Residential to PRD for a 15-acre parcel fronting Carmichael Road that will be home to a 60-unit townhome development managed by the Woda Cooper Company that has brought two similar projects to the city in the past.
Denny Blackburn, senior vice president for Woda Cooper said the Carmichael Commons said the development fills a huge need for affordable workforce housing in Madison.
The plan calls for eight one-bedroom units, 32 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom units with eight units per two story townhome building.
Blackburn said Woda Cooper is investing $16.9 million in the project and $281,000 per unit.
The development will also bring a four-acre park and new sidewalks to the area. The proposed plan includes a gym, computer lab and laundry facility. The grounds will include a picnic/grill area, playground, gardening beds, and a dog park.
According to city documents, “the property is applying for a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). It has been selected from several competing projects to receive the support from the Housing Opportunity Commission. Woda Cooper has two other LIHTC projects in the city, Canaan Crossing and Silver Lakes. Silver Lakes is a 55 and over development that has been at full occupancy since it was completed. Canaan Crossing is nearly complete, but applications are no longer being accepted as the demand has exceeded the number of units and the waiting list.”
Documents also say rents will be based on median income (AMI – Annual Median Income) for Morgan County (which varies based on household size). “For example a fireman making $31,400 would be eligible for a 60% unit with a rent of $530.”
Joan Simon, a resident of Silver Lakes, spoke out in favor of the zoning change.
“We could not afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere but Silver Lakes,” Simon said. “Management there is simply great. Anytime we’ve had an issue we’ve gotten the help that we need. So, I’m very happy to hear there’s plans in the making for others to have affordable housing.”
Opponents said they supported the idea of affordable housing but complained about the density of the development and traffic issues it could potentially create.
Jaeck the zoning Carmichael Commons is seeking allows flexibility concerning density and the number of housing units with council left to determine the development’s suitability for the community.
Mayor Fred Perriman pointed out that when the comprehensive plan was being considered earlier this year, the committee reviewing it placed a priority on bringing affordable housing to Madison for teachers, law enforcement, retail employees and others.
The other PRD has apparently been sent back to the drawing board.
Council appeared ready to deny a zoning change from P2 (Professional Limited Commercial) to PRD that could have paved the way for a 52-unit apartment complex to be built on property currently owned by the Downtown Development Authority in the West Washington Gateway area.
However, developer Mike Torino withdrew the application when it appeared a denial was imminent.
According to Madison City Planner Bryce Jaeck, the developer of the property had agreed to create green space for public access, public art space and an easement for connecting existing and proposed trail networks in the city and may have offered to help with the cost of a bridge across One Mile Branch leading to the Madison cemeteries.
Madison’s zoning ordinances limit apartment buildings to two floors, but Jaeck said that since the ground floor will be devoted to parking it doesn’t violate the what the framers of the ordinance had in mind. The development also has a small surface parking area.
The Madison Planning and Zoning Commission had voted in favor of the zoning change.
Celia Murray of the Madison Historical Coalition, a prominent opponent of a PRD proposed for a Foster Street development several years ago, said the group she represents opposed the zoning change because the Historic Preservation Commission has not reviewed the change and what impact it will have on Madison’s historic district.
The coalition also objected to the elimination of a proposed parking deck in the area and questioned whether or not the ground floor parking underneath the complex would even be enough for residents, causing even more parking problems in the downtown area for merchants, Murray said.
She questioned whether or not apartment the complex would have a detrimental impact on cemetery expansion and the existing trail network and suggested using TSPLOST funds to build the parking deck and improved roadways instead.
Avery Jackson said he opposed the development because some aspects of it violate zoning laws already on the books.
“This is just another example of the DDA acting as the real estate arm of the city of Madison,” Jackson said.
Jaeck said the HPC would review the building elevations and designs when the developer completes engineering work on the complex.
“One of the conditions was they had to have a COA (Certificate of Appropriateness) [from the HPC] within two years of approval and they had to have a development agreement a year before that,” Jaeck said.
Jaeck also said approval of the zoning change would not free the developer from getting HPC approval before the units could be built.
Jaeck said the units would be rented at a market rate and not considered workforce or affordable housing and could rent for in the neighborhood of $1,800 a month.
Senior City Planner Monica Callahan said the DDA laid out its intentions in the Urban Renewal Plan for a parking deck or a 30,000foot apartment building as part of its wish list for the area several years ago.
She also said a parking deck was part of the original proposal submitted for Silver Lakes, which also has one section that is three floors.
A city parking area in the Gateway is not to be used for residents of the apartment complex, Callahan said.
Councilman Eric Joyce made the motion to deny the zoning change based on the density of the development and the parking situation.
“It seems like we’re breaking so many of the rules that were put in place to protect our zoning and, through that tool, to protect all our citizens,” Joyce said.
Councilman Ed Latham recused himself from the discussion.
Council also approved a text amendment to change the maximum height in the Interstate Commercial District (C4) from 35 feet to 50 feet.
Jaeck said the Fire Department would have the final say on any proposed building design above 35 feet. Since Madison now has a ladder truck, Fire Marshal Gene Porter said the 50-foot height was not posed an undue problem for firefighters. One benefit of allowing the greater height would be in attracting hotels.
Callahan said staff is starting to see more hotels considering a Madison location, but the Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Bureau have advised that flagship hotels such as Mariott need four stories.