The Meadville Tribune
By Jean Shanley Special to The Tribune
Friday, December 11, 2015
CONNEAUT LAKE — Borough Council granted a special conditional use permit for a senior citizens housing project at Conneaut Lake.
The permit was the final approval needed for the project to move forward.
No objections were heard from the public during the special hearing, which preceded the monthly meeting of council.
The decisions came after a nearly half-hour presentation by Kelley Coey, project developer for the Hudson Property Management Group, which plans to construct the three-story housing complex at the southeast corner of North Fifth and Line streets in the borough.
The next step is for the developer to apply for funding through the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, which provides funding for such projects. The Hudson group did not make the cut for funding in 2015. The group is expected to receive the approval when the July 2016 funding is determined, Coey said.
The group plans to build a $10 million high-rise apartment complex to be known as Evans Square. It will have 40 units (36 with one bedroom and four with two bedrooms) for senior citizens on property owned by Alan Moss.
If approval is received in July, the project would move forward with completion expected by the end of 2017, Coey said.
Her presentation included information regarding how the project complies with all the requirements for a permit, including setbacks, height and landscaping. She said the complex would include 36 parking spaces for residents.
The plan calls for a complex manager and support staff to work at the complex daily but not overnight. It would have a security system with some type of either a swipe card or key that residents would be required to use to gain entry to the facility.
Four of the units would be handicapped accessible and the others would be constructed so those with disabilities could visit. Plans are for the complex to connect to public water and sewage systems, she said.
The housing is for those 62 years old and older and although younger people may visit overnight, no one younger than 62 would be allowed to reside there, Coey said. Grandchildren could not come to live with their grandparents, for example, she said.
Although it is a low-income housing project, it is not a Section Eight project, meaning no government subsidies will be used to help pay the rent, she said. Rent would be based on 20, 50 or 60 percent of a person’s income. Two units would be for those paying 20 percent; 19 would be available for those paying 50 percent and the remaining 19 for those paying 60 percent of their income.
Rentals could range from $213 to $256 a month for those with 20 percent income used for rent; $520 to $541 a month for those paying 50 percent and $560 to $643 a month for those paying 60 percent.
Coey was excited to report that Thiel College and Allegheny College have said they would offer programs to residents. The Primary Health Network also will provide health coaches and health and wellness opportunities for the residents, she said.
Applications will be not received for rental until 120 days before completion of the construction, she said.
Council also voted to write a letter of support for the project. The letter was requested by the Hudson group as part of the application process for the state.