Warrenton will see another block of more than 240 apartments and townhomes develop after the city’s board of aldermen last week approved a project at the corner of North Highway 47 and Hickory …
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Warrenton will see another block of more than 240 apartments and townhomes develop after the city’s board of aldermen last week approved a project at the corner of North Highway 47 and Hickory Lick Road.
The housing complex, which would contain 17 apartment buildings and 13 townhome clusters, is the latest in a growing number of high-density housing projects in the area. Several aldermen raised concerns about the proposed number of homes within the 25-acre property during their Aug. 16 public meeting, leading two aldermen to vote against approving the project.
Developer DC III Properties had initially proposed 250 living units on the property, but encountered resistance from Warrenton’s citizen planning and zoning committee. The committee, which advises Warrenton’s aldermen, recommended approval of the apartment development only under the condition that the housing density be limited to eight homes per acre, for a total of 200 living units.
Ahead of last Tuesday’s vote, Ward 3 Alderman Jeff Jaspering expressed discomfort with the growing number of apartments being proposed in the city. This latest proposal is within Jaspering’s ward.
“How many is too many for apartments in town here? I feel like we’re going down this road where we’re just going to be building apartments everywhere,” Jaspering commented. “We don’t need to be a town full of apartments.”
Jaspering also said he isn’t in favor of the specific location of this apartment project, and that he’s worried about whether the buildings will be kept in good condition a decade or more from now.
Developer and owner Don Collier III pushed back against those concerns, arguing that the Warren County area has a worsening need for affordable housing. He asked aldermen to waive the restriction from the planning board and approve the original 250 unit proposal.
“Some people disagree with me, but with the town growing as quickly as it is, I think there’s a necessity for affordable housing,” Collier said. “Single-family (home prices) have skyrocketed in the last couple years. It’s just out of reach for a lot of folks now.”
Collier said his two-bedroom apartments would rent for $900 to $1,000 per month, while three-bedroom townhomes would rent for $1,400 to $1,500 per month. The development area would also include multiple small parks spread around the complex.
Several aldermen were less firm in their opposition to the apartment development, and sympathetic to the need for more housing, but said they still wanted to see concessions that would make the housing complex less compacted.
“Can we do something closer to 225? Can you guys work with us in some way?” asked Ward 1 Alderman Larry Corder. “We can work together to come up with a better number.”
Ward 2 Alderman Steven Cullom echoed that sentiment, saying he’d like to see more recreation space than what Collier had proposed.
The developer, after consulting with a project engineer, asked if he could eliminate an eight-unit building right at the corner of Highway 47 and Hickory Lick, and turn that into more green space in order to alleviate aldermen’s concerns. Corder and Cullom agreed to that concession, but Jaspering wasn’t impressed.
“Taking away less than 10 units? What’s the point?” he vented.
Aldermen took the matter to a vote and approved the 242 unit complex with a 4-2 vote. Aldermen Corder, Cullom, Jack Crump (Ward 1) and Gary Miller (Ward 2) all voted in favor. Aldermen Jaspering and Scott Schulze (Ward 2) voted against.