How much growth and change can fit in 45 acres? The city of Truesdale may be on the verge of finding out.
Developers have proposed constructing 20 apartment buildings, 26 retirement villas and …
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How much growth and change can fit in 45 acres? The city of Truesdale may be on the verge of finding out.
Developers have proposed constructing 20 apartment buildings, 26 retirement villas and 51 single-family houses in a new, 45-acre subdivision along Veterans Memorial Parkway, just west of Faith Christian Family Church.
Developers estimate 800 to 1,000 new residents would live in the new housing, which would almost double the city of Truesdale’s current population.
Developer David Meyers said the houses would be larger homes valued at $250,000 to $320,000. The apartments would specifically exclude any government-funded, low-income housing.
Meyers and several collaborators proposed their development project to the Truesdale Board of Aldermen Feb. 12. Fellow developer KC Bright said their objective is to provide higher-end housing.
“(We want) people that are going to come here, spend money here, and grow Truesdale and build their families here. Not come here just so they can get the benefit of government assistance,” Bright elaborated.
Each of the apartment buildings would have 12 units that rent for $950 to $1,250 per month, Meyers said. He said green spaces, walking paths, and a clubhouse with a pool are all part of the development plans.
The project would also include a small commercial area along the Parkway.
Financer Michael Holloran said once the initial groundwork is laid for the property, apartment builings would be constructed three at a time.
“We want to make sure that (the apartments) are filled. So we’ll be doing three and make sure there’s some response. Then we’ll knock out the next three,” Holloran said.
Truesdale aldermen expressed a cautious optimism toward the proposal, but said there are some challenges that would come with it. Primarily, Truesdale would have to add police staff to adequately patrol the area, and would eventually assume the cost of maintaining streets, lights and utilities.
Mayor Chris Watson expects the city’s staff might double in size along with the town’s population. He’s hopeful that city hall would have time to adjust as the development progresses.
“This is going to be in phases. It’s not like they’re going to have all these done within the first year,” Watson commented. “They’re looking at probably a three- to five-year process to fill this. With additional real estate and property tax income (from the project), it’s going to open up opportunities for the city to hire more personnel.”
Watson said the city’s other concern is how the development will affect homeowners in the Heritage Hills subdivision, which is directly adjacent to the west side of the development area.
For that reason, the city is seeking input from residents before giving final approval to the project. A date hasn’t but the board of aldermen plans to hold a town hall meeting for residents to ask questions and express any concerns.
The large population influx will inevitably include many school-age children, Watson added, so he also hopes to have input from the Warren County R-III School District.
Unless presented with a major concern, Watson predicted the board of aldermen is likely to approve the development.
“We are substantially growing year after year. It’s amazing,” Watson commented. “The biggest issues that we run into are growing pains. It’s things we run into that we’ve never dealt with before. It’s a day-by-day learning experience.”
The next step for the developers is to secure sewer service from the city of Warrenton. Once that’s done, Watson said Truesdale will schedule a town hall meeting. A final decision from the board of aldermen would come after that.
