Development and Zoning Review Committee - Regular Meeting

I kind of want to go back to online only. Well, Mr. Chair, we're all here and I believe Mr. Newberry has this recording as well as on YouTube.

All right. Well, in that case, um I'd like to call this uh September 22nd meeting of the Development and Zoning Review Committee to order. Um, and at tonight's meeting, this interested party will introduce and provide a presentation on a development proposal that would be located within the city of Wildwood. Tonight's meeting provides this interested party the opportunity to propose a concept and then hear feedback from this committee which is composed of key city decision makers. It is important to note this concept plan is very pre preliminary and informal stages of the city's review process such as subject to changes if it proceeds to the formal submission process. The committee welcomes the public's attendance tonight via the Zoom webinar platform or streaming on YouTube, but given the preliminary and informal nature of this presentation, public comment is not being sought at this time. If the proposed development does proceed to the formal submission process, members of the public will have numerous opportunities to address the city's planning and zoning commission and city council at regarding it. At that time, the committee would like to thank you for your attendance at tonight's meeting. Uh, roll call of commission members, please. Or

thank you. Council member Alers, here. Council member Galani here. Council member Marshall present. Chair Batty here. Mayor Bolan or excuse me. Oh my word. Mayor Garitano here. Present. I'm sorry about that. That's embar that's incredibly embarrassing. Um thank you. And we'll get the um I was just talking about him earlier today. Apologies. Um we'll get the petitioner um moved into the into the meeting. Okay. Um, does the department of planning and planning have any opening statement any opening comments?

Certainly, Mr. Chair, and thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. In preparation of tonight's discussion, Mr. Newberry and the Department of Planning put together a packet of information for you. The packet u contains the agenda as well as the bylaws associated with the committee in case there are any questions relative to roles responsibilities etc. Beyond that the packet also contains two aerial photographs one at a larger scale and then another at a smaller scale to kind of give you orientation of the site relative to the surrounding area as well as some of the characteristics of the site itself. Along with that is the concept plan that has been provided by the applicant Mr. Trimble and there are a number of sheets associated with the architectural details including the interior uh footprints of the third three floors of the building um architectural renderings of the exterior of the building etc. And finally then there are the items that Mr. Newberry and I typically provide the regulating plan of the town center plan, the permitted uses within the town center itself and then the kind of the design and ar design standards and architectural guideline sheet. All of those items are intended to provide you background relative to the presentation. I would note and then I will conclude after that note. I believe this is the fourth development and zoning review committee meeting that's been held on this site. The first in 2017 by the same applicant that is here tonight presenting one in 2021 that included a different applicant and was a different type of development more of a traditional apartment or multi

multifamily uh proposal. and then a 2024, excuse me, uh 2024 and then now again in 2025. And the 2024 application was again by the same applicant tonight. So this is number four, I believe, um for this site and if there are any questions regarding the previous submitts or any of the conversations, Mr. Newberry and I will do our best to try to explain them. Otherwise, thank you for your attention and Mr. Trimble has been promoted. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Vinich. Uh Mr. Trimble, would you like to to tell us what you have planned here?

Sure. Well, first of all, I want to thank everybody for taking the time here this evening to review our our proposal. Uh as Mr. Boon said, we've looked at the site a couple times with different ideas for senior housing. First one was a full independent assisted memory care. Rather large uh project uh that did not uh seem to meet anybody's uh criteria. We then looked at trying to do villas, town houses. Uh it's a beautiful site for that, but the cost of construction and other things just made that one uh not feasible. So what we have here tonight is a 77 unit threetory active adult which basically is senior independent living. So there's no assisted there's no memory care that um active adult is kind of a growing area in the senior field. The project will include uh housekeeping. It will be a kind of a dining room, dining facility and other amenities for the seniors that live here. Uh the site itself absolutely beautiful. Uh you know you got the wooded area. It's close to the retail close to downtown. Always thought this was a fabulous site for senior housing. Um I did mention in an email to Mr. Newberry that uh one of our plans is the Route 66 which is shown as the yellow piece going across the site from Zia. That is the existing Route 66. In fact, if you get down in there, walk it, the actual highway is still there. It's in incredible shape actually. Um our plans are to donate that to the city as well as the land west of there down to the uh church property line. Uh the topography there is kind of difficult to build on. We've looked at other options. So um I know one of the concerns from the city I've heard over the years is you know reszoning this to some type of housing means a loss for the current zoning. So in this case, you'd still have a

substantial piece of the property left at the zoning that is currently in place. Um, so we're obly asking the city to walk work with us to go through the process for I think it's a reasonzoning comp plan change uh and get to the point where we can put the project in in the ground. Um, so uh I guess with that maybe I'll just leave it or open up the questions and see what what people are interested in or what can I answer for you. Thank you. Um, are there any questions from the commission? Mr. Chair, if I may. Yes, sir.

I know Mr. Trimble has pres prepared some at least exterior elevations of the building. Maybe if Mr. Newberry could bring those up for you so you at least could see them. I was going to ask I'm sorry. Yeah, go ahead, Councilman Galani. Yeah, I was just going to say, are these um are you going to sell these units um or are these going to be monthly like rental um for the folks that are in there to where they can move out or finish their term when they're done or do they have to then sell it to somebody else?

Yeah. No, this is purely rental. So, a lot of times what you see is people who have their home and don't want the upkeep and those kind of things, but they still want, you know, beautiful place to live. they like some services that there at their fingertips that they want. Um, so it that's why I say it's an active adult, it's a rental. Um, the one thing I would say we tried to indicate on our on our rendering here and again this is just a concept for you know a place to start in the conversation is want that grand sense of entry as you come off of Manchester and you come up to the building. So we're trying to create sort of a a nice drive up feel as you come up and you go around and pull up to the building. And what's the do you have an expected price point that you're considering for the different one, two, and threebedroom?

Yeah, we've got one, two, three. Um, if you are aware, Creek Valley is a very similar project to this in Ellisville, much larger. Sits right on the on the main road there. Um, so our units are planned to be bigger than theirs. Uh, we have one bedroom all the way to three 750 ft up to,500 ft². Uh we're targeting rents at 4,500 to about 7,000. So it it's going to be a luxury project. Our construction budget right now is 28 million, which is almost a little over $360,000 per apartment to build, just construction alone. So we want to do it well and we want to do it right.

Okay. Thank you. Mhm. And I notice you have underground parking planned for this, it appears. Yep. Yeah. So, the residents will be able to, you know, park underground, stay out of the weather and the elements, and then we still have surface parking for visitors and, uh, folks coming and going. Okay. Yeah, I like the underground parking idea. Yeah. Uh, Mayor Gitano.

Yeah. Thank you. I, uh, thanks. I appreciate you coming to present this before us, but I have to admit when I saw this plan, uh, it reminded me very much of the plan when we reviewed it back in August 7th, 2017. Uh, very similar and still continues to bring some of the same concerns that I have for that location there with types of plans like this. So I feel like you didn't take our uh you know our feedback into consideration. Uh you uh last time you came back with a proposal where you were moving in the right direction with the villas and that is a housing need that we continue to hear tremendously from our residents that we don't have and that was a plan that actually seemed to be like something that we would consider. But I oppose this plan the way it is that what you have here. I mean, this is bringing back exactly but what's with changes what you did back in 2017 and this is starting to become a broken record with you. So, I don't know why we keep coming back to this. I feel like you're starting to waste our time and insult us by not listening to our feedback. And so, uh, I'm sorry, but I'm getting tired of having to go through this and you're not, you know, going in the direction that you're coming to seek our advice and guidance here. The same concerns that we brought back up in 2017 with the intersection over there, you know, not providing another way to get in. I mean, the type of structure, you're not looking at the residences on the other side of Manchester Road, which are over $1 million. And so I anticipate that this is going to hurt the value of

those properties for those homeowners located right across the road. Um so I have nothing else to say. I I'm just disgusted and I am uh I will probably be dropping off at this point.

Well, with all due respect, Mayor, and I appreciate your feedback. Our original plan, I think, was 180 units. This now is 77 that had assisted living and memory care. We don't have any of that. So there's no ambulances and the concerns. The number of parking traffic is all substantially diminished. We did try to and you're and you're correct. We did look at various things. We did try to put some builders in and we actually tried to put the building on the other side of uh Route 66. the topography over there is extremely difficult and the construction costs got astronomical with dealing with the site and the topography and retaining walls and all kinds of things. So that's kind of what brought us back over here. Our hope was that smaller building, no services, uh you know, and it still fit in there and and that we could, you know, come to some compromise that would make it work. So uh I'm sorry if you feel that it doesn't meet what you were looking for. I think it's the best we can do for the site given what we we've looked at various options. There's really no way to make it work other than this.

Well, I still don't agree with it. Therefore, I I am going to be dropping off from this meeting and I feel like my time is wasted.

Before you drop out, Mr. Trimble, just so you're aware, the development and zoning review committee is an opportunity to get initial feedback. the process relative to the regulating plan change that's necessary as well as the reasonzoning is still available. You're not denied that by a let's say less than favorable review by the committee members. That is still open to you. Obviously, if you proceed forward without the support of the development and zoning review committee, you're aware of the potential outcome, but I do want to emphasize that it's still there. Thank you.

Yep. No, I I I appreciate the honest feedback. I think that's the only way we you know, you wind up doing something that's a good good for the community, good for the development, and uh you know, we want we want to be outstanding members of Wildwood at the end of the day. And uh if our concept looks like it works, we're going to roll up our sleeves and make it happen. So,

yeah, I think I was going to say again and to following up on kind of what Mayor Garano said. Um, you know, one of the big things I know we talked about previously that was a major sticking point for residents in the area, especially in uh Cherry Hills and the reserve over there is, you know, having the a major entrance for a a development like that that would be sitting directly across from the entrance at Old Fairway, which is a pretty large neighborhood with a lot of traffic coming in and out. And then with Shnooks on the one side and then Deerberg's just down the road in Town Center, there's a fair bit of traffic coming up and down Old Manchester already. So to put a grand entrance of a major development right there directly across was something that I know a lot of residents are are very heavily opposed to.

Yep. We we at one time we had a right in right out. Um, we were kind of given input coming back from staff that they prefer to line up with the road across the way. Uh, there's even been talk about, you know, can you put a roundabout, something like that, and we're happy to happy to cooperate, you know, if that's the solution. Um, so we put our entrance there, you know, given guidance and some input we received from years past. We did have a right in right out. So, you came in down on the to the far right there, came in up and you came out down below by the uh the Route 66 path. And Mr. Galani, Mr. Trimble is correct. Typically, our Department of Public Works and the Department of Planning like to align access points on arterial roads. It's a much safer arrangement. I know it creates concerns for some of the subdivisions in the vicinity, but that's typically what we do. and Mr. Brown is in attendance if he wants to provide any greater detail. Thank you.

You know, the other comment I would make is as currently zoned, if commercial, retail, and some other things go in here, you're going to have much more traffic concerns than you ever would with a senior facility built here.

Thank you. Any other questions or comments or anything else I can answer or address for you? I'm good right now. Thank you. Oh, thank you. I'm good. All right. Um, if there's nothing else from the committee, um, can I get a motion to adjurnn? So moved. All right. Motion to adjurnn by Councilman Marshall. Is there second? Seconded by Councilman Galani. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Any abstain? All right. Thank you everyone. Yes. Thank you all. We appreciate it.