Chestnut Crossing is a proposed 28.28-acre, 121-home development between Chestnut and Walnut streets, south of Eljer Park. As part of the project, the developer will be responsible for extending Professional Parkway between the streets. (Graphic submitted)
Marysville City Council got its first look Monday night at a proposed affordable housing project on the city’s south side.
Chestnut Crossing is a proposed 121-lot development that will sit between Chestnut and Walnut streets, south of Eljer Park. The 28.28-acre site would include 121 single family homes, 7.8 acres of green space, a path connection to Eljer Park and its paths, two post box kiosks, sidewalks and several ponds.
At the meeting, council heard a first reading of legislation to rezone the property from medium- and high-density housing to a planned unit development.
Gary Smith of G2 Planning Urban Design was at the meeting to discuss the Ryan Home’s project. He said the affordable housing market is underserved in Marysville. He said the Chestnut Crossing development will meet that need with homes selling for about $200,000.
Marysville City Planner Ashley Gaver said the project is able to keep homes affordable by using a higher density and smaller lots than are usually proposed. Gaver said that despite the differences, the project received unanimous approval from the planning commission.
Smith said getting the homes to the $200,000 was “a pretty tall order.” He said he went through “quite a number of iterations” to create an option where the developer would be able to meet that price point.
Jim Hill of Ryan Homes said the company will offer three styles, with two options each, at Chestnut Crossing. He said homes would range in size from 1,660 to 2,134 square feet.
He explained that “standardization” helps keep costs.
Even so, Smith said the homes are “not the vanilla boxes you saw in the past.”
“They have gone to a lot of effort to make the product appealing,” Smith said.
Council member Henk Berbee asked what the development will look like in 15-30 years. Smith said it will be up to the homeowners and the homeowners’ association, but the homes are built to be low maintenance.
Hill said the plan is to sell at least 50 homes a year.
The developer will be responsible for connecting Professional Parkway from Walnut Street to Chestnut Street.
City officials expressed concern about the number of homes, and curb cuts, that would be on Professional Parkway. Council member Alan Seymour said he likes the idea of the project overall but worries about the 23 homes that will face Professional Parkway and about how they will be able to enter traffic.
“If that carries as much traffic as we anticipate, that is going to be too many curb cuts,” Seymour said.
He asked if the homes could be reconfigured and the layout redrawn so cars could use an alley behind the homes to empty onto a single street that would enter Professional Parkway traffic.
Smith said the homes and the layout are “designed to maximize efficiency.” He said that every lot lost increases the price of all the others.
“At this point, we are real tight on the lot numbers,” said Hill.
City Engineer Jeremy Hoyt said the city does not want traffic going fast on Professional Parkway and is already planning “traffic calming” mechanisms for the roadway.
“Although the driveway spacing is not ideal, it is what it is with this product,” Hoyt said.
Smith said he would be happy to look at other options, but doubts that an alley or rear garages are going to be possible.
Seymour said that he would like to see the drawings and the development layout options to see if there are other options.
“I want this project,” Seymour said. “How do we meet in the middle?”
Smith said the developer has been working to meet in the middle. He explained that in an effort to mitigate airport concerns, four lots on the project’s southeast corner were eliminated.
“The goal is to ultimately transfer that property to the airport,” Smith said.
Additionally, six more lots were eliminated from the plan.
“The airport is on board,” Smith said.
Council member Nevin Taylor asked about a neighboring property owner. The neighbor said he offered to sell his property to Ryan Homes, but the developer did not want to pay his asking price. He said he does not feel the proposed homes match the aesthetic of his home.
“But I know this is something the city wants,” the homeowner said.
The matter will come back before council Monday. That meeting will also include a public hearing on the rezoning legislation.