Jefferson City's Planning and Zoning Commission passed a bill during Thursday's meeting to allow a 40-unit multi-family residential complex in Westview Heights.
The measure was approved on a 7-1 vote.
Private developer Lohman Investments LLC had requested the rezoning of the 1200 and 1300 block of Trade Center Parkway for a planned unit development (PUD). The rezoning will allow construction of the residential complex.
The residential complex will contain three two-story residential buildings and a community center on the south side of Old Lohman Road. The residential buildings will contain 28 two-bedroom apartments and 12 three-bedroom apartments.
Pete Ramsel, a consultant from CRA Investments who is representing Lohman Investments, said he thought there was a need for the complex in that area. The residences will be marketed as "workforce housing," he said, which is a tax credit program. The tax credit program can make the rent affordable, but it does have income restrictions.
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the median income in Cole County is $64,200. The income restrictions are based per person, and while most of the apartments will be for people who make less than 60 percent of the median income, eight apartments will be for people making less than 80 percent of the median income.
Ramsel said anyone who makes more than that will not be eligible for the housing unit. If an individual lives in the apartment complex and goes above the income restrictions, the resident will still be able to live there.
The rent for a two-bedroom apartment will range from $465-$520. A three-bedroom apartment will be $550-$650.
Workforce housing also was built in Lake Ozark, and it has been successful, Ramsel said. He added he thinks the apartment complex in Westview will have the same success.
Ramsel estimates the cost to build the complex will be about $6.5 million.
Jefferson City's Senior Planner Eric Barron said a PUD plan allows the neighbors to see what is being planned for the area and to give comment. The development plan is also presented in front of the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council. Under standard zoning districts, property owners do not have to submit their development plans to the commission or council.
Not everyone was excited about the new complex. At the meeting, several Westview Heights residents spoke in opposition of the bill. A few did not think there was a need for the extra housing and thought it would not be safe because of a lack of sidewalks. Another concern was building a complex could lead to future expansion.
Angela Boyer, who lives on Grandview Drive near the property, said she and several other residents were not told about the apartment complex. P&Z notices were sent to property owners living within 185 feet of the property, but the city is not required to send notices to residences outside of that.
Boyer said while she understood the need for affordable housing, she thought the apartment complex would take away from the neighborhood.
"If you're going to put apartment complexes behind us and tell us rent is going to be $400, $500, $600. Those homes in Westview are renting for a lot more than that, so you'll be taking away from the actual neighborhood and putting it into the apartment complex," she said.
Boyer said she hopes people will speak in opposition of the bill at the July 17 City Council meeting. Since the development plan is preliminary, if approved by the council, Lohman Investments will have to submit a final concept plan to Planning and Zoning at a later date.
City staff recommended the commission approve the PUD plan and noted addition of the complex was "appropriate" because of the nearby single-family residential subdivision, apartments and duplexes.
Gary Oberkrom, owner of Lohman Investments, said the property was purchased in 2009 and was originally going to be marketed for small industrial businesses. He said he thought Jefferson City needed more of those businesses.
"We've been sitting patiently, waiting and marketing this, but we haven't been successful," he said.
Oberkrom met with city staff and discussed rezoning the property, and even though rezoning was a risk, he thought it would be "a good use of the land."
Planning and Zoning Commission member Jack Deeken was the only member to vote against the bill. He said he did not think the city needed more workforce housing.
"I think it's disruptive for the neighborhood," he said. "I don't think this is a good fit for right in their backyards."
There will be a buffer yard of about 50 feet on the western property line, helping to separate the single-family and multi-family developments.