Pictured is an apartment plan approved by the Marysville Design Review Board Wednesday night. The building, to be located on Professional Parkway near Walnut Street, will be geared toward low-income seniors. Board member Tim Schacht had concerns about the size of the building, which he said is too large.
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The Marysville Design Review Board approved a new apartment building on Professional Parkway, but not without dissention from one member.
The building is a 48-unit apartment geared toward low-income seniors. The site includes a park to the west of the building and a utility shed to the south of the site that features a garden for residents to tend.
Of the five members present, board member Tim Schacht was the only dissenting vote. He expressed concerns with the size of the building, which he said is “massive.” He said it would be one of the larger buildings in that area of town.
Schacht provided a sketch he made that illustrated what he wanted to see. Schacht said when the application also came to planning commission, on which he also serves, members had discussed having a more L-shaped structure.
“I think that would be something that would break the mass of that building up,” he said.
Tony Eufinger, who was representing the applicant, noted the tenants of the structure will have capped income levels. He said rent could be as low as $389 per month or $745 per month for a single-bedroom unit.
“Their rents are limited, they’re deliberately kept low so that they can be affordable senior housing, something that we desperately need in this community,” he said.
He noted since the Windsor Apartments burned down four years ago, there’s been an increased need for this type of housing. He said for every 100 apartments in Marysville, only two will be vacant.
Schacht said he understands the need and the developer is working on a budget, but quality of life for residents should come first.
“Just because we have this need, we have to be able to have something good for the residents who will be living in it,” he said.
He said having a long building like the one proposed would also affect the quality of life for residents surrounding the property.
“(Just because) this is in front of us right now doesn’t mean this is how it’s going to look,” he said.
He said there are projects everywhere that blend good design and good use.
“I don’t see why it’s any different here in Marysville,” he said.
Ryan Gross, of City Architecture in Cleveland, said the L-shape would only increase the amount of the building visible from the street. Schacht said it would break the building up and make it appear smaller.
Other members were more accepting of the building’s size. Ed Mickelson praised the plan’s landscape design, and noted trees would cover much of the building anyway within a few years.
“You actually put quite a few trees in there,” Mickelson said.
Board member Virginia Golan said she agrees with Schacht’s views to a point, but also sees the need for affordable senior housing. She asked if there was any way to know how much the cost difference would be if the developer shifted the building’s shape.
Gross replied there’s no way to know that immediately.
Eufinger asked if there was anything else the developer could do to improve the building and keep with its current form. Schacht replied the basic shape of the building is what bothers him. The developer would need to go from the ground up.
“You can put as much lipstick on a pig as you want,” Schacht said. “There’s nothing that I see that can be done.”