To create more breathing room for a new senior apartment complex, the Peachtree City Council agreed Thursday to sell the cul-de-sac and a bit more of the road at the end of Newgate Road.
NorSouth will pay the city $75,000 for the .43-acre parcel and will also pay all other costs associated with the city abandoning the road, according to city staff.
The land was not necessary for the apartment complex, but it will help improve the design by freeing up more greenspace on the site, NorSouth representatives have said.
The 94 apartment units for Hearthside at Peachtree City will be age-restricted with some rooms having just one bedroom and others two bedrooms.
NorSouth will be setting aside at least 80 percent of its units for tenants based on income guidelines, with an eligible tenant making no more than $30,100 a year for a one-bedroom unit and up to $34,400 for a two-bedroom unit.
Other units will be made available at “market rent,” NorSouth has said previously.
The plans include a walking path near the creek that borders the site, and also covered golf cart parking spaces with charging stations.
The exterior of the building will be stone, brick and hardiplank siding.
The three-story building will be served by two different elevators and will have security card access for residents.
NorSouth is securing tax credits through a federal program administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. That program requires the use of a photo identification to establish that each tenant meets the age restrictions of 62 and above, and an audit of that information will be conducted annually.
In the development agreement approved by council, NorSouth is required to provide a copy of that audit each year to the City Manager.
The age restrictions will be easier to enforce because the full-time property manager will hear about violators from other residents, NorSouth representatives said.
The company is also paying an extra expense to relocate trees that need to be removed from the site, instead of just cutting them down. In addition, the building is being designed to be very energy-efficient, NorSouth officials have said.
There were a number of requirements for the property adopted by the City Council when the land was rezoned this year. They require NorSouth to:
• Follow the city’s guidelines for architecture, exterior materials and color selection;
• Provide covered parking for golf carts on the property;
• Make sure all mechanical units are properly screened from view of adjacent properties;
• Provide amenities on-site including a community room, game room, fitness center, hair salon, picnic area with grill and covered pavilion, community gardening center with planting beds and golf cart spaces with recharging stations.
The land was rezoned for the complex in March to resolve a lawsuit NorSouth filed against the city following a June 2010 decision by council to deny the rezoning.
Prior to the rezoning, the site was zoned limited use residential for a 21-unit luxury townhome project that never came to fruition as the economy ground many projects to a halt in 2007 and beyond.
