Developer proposes 174 housing units along East Second Street
A proposed development could bring 174 housing units to what is now an open field along East Second Street near Cow Creek.
The project, known as 2nd Street Apartments, seeks to construct apartment and condominium buildings on the roughly 24-acre property. The request is by William MacDonald and Sean Averill, operating as Community Infill Partners, and is set to go before the city planning board on March 21.
The applicant is seeking a zone change and planned-unit development, which overlays zoning and allows for greater flexibility in the design of a project. The site is currently zoned as one-family residential and agriculture. The request seeks to change the zoning to two-family residential and estate residential district.
Cow Creek runs along the western edge of the property. Wild Rose Lane boarders the property and under the proposal would be extended north. Armory Road is intended to be extended through the property as a public road and curve east to a dead end at the adjacent vacant land.
The current home off of Wild Rose Lane is intended to remain intact.
Three condominium buildings are planned along the new section of Armory Road near East Second Street. Apartment buildings are expected mostly in the center of the property from East Second Street running mostly north and also on the northeastern portion of the site.
In the application to the city, the developer acknowledges there is little or no multi-family housing in the immediate vicinity of the proposed project, but says “the size of the property lends itself to the proposed use by providing room to cluster and preserve large areas of open space.”
A buffer along Cow Creek is planned. The PUD plan calls for buildings, roads and parking on about 7 acres or 29 percent of the property. Roughly 17 acres or 71 percent of the property will remain open space. The open space includes the creek drainage, a hay field that is to become grass, and a portion of the current forested area of the property. The plan calls for a community garden, playground and pedestrian trails throughout the property.
The overall density of the development is 7.3 units per acre. There are expected to be 164 apartments made up of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Nine condominium units are included in the plan. A clubhouse is also shown as part of the project.
The permitted density for the site is 117 units. However, a total of 175 units is allowed if affordable housing is provided for as part of the project. The developer is agreeing to provide 17 rent-regulated units to the city housing authority.
The development is expected to take place over six phases. If approved by the city, the first phase is anticipated to begin construction within a year. Then subsequent phases would be completed within four to six months of previous phases.
A traffic study of the proposed development found that the existing roads would be able to handle traffic from the development. The city plans to reconstruct East Second Street at the location of the development next year. However, the study does suggest that a crosswalk should be installed on East Second Street to connect the existing path on the south side of the street with the proposed path in the development.
By comparison, the Monterra at Whitefish development is made up of 162 condominium units.
The request goes before the City-County Planning Board Thursday, March 21 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.