Council approves Club Villa Cottages phase II and III

A public hearing was held at the April 7 meeting of Perry Mayor and council for a special exception application. According to Perry Community Development Director, Bryan Wood, applicant Rob Ballard had requested approval for multiple exceptions in the development of phase II (plans which had already been approved in the mid 2000s) and phase III of Club Villa Cottages. It was proposed that the development be allowed to consist of 25 four-unit buildings, which would consist of two and three-bedroom units, totaling 100 units in phase II—where 191 units would be allowed—and 10 six-unit buildings which would consist of one-bedroom units in phase III, which would total 60 units where 48 units would be allowed. The applicant requested that the two land parcels for the phases be considered as one, which would put the total number of units at 160 where 239 would be allowed.

Wood also informed that the applicant also asked that the phase III buildings be allowed to have 80 parking spaces in total—where 90 would be required—and that the phase II development be supplied with 200. Wood said that under current ordinance, multifamily dwellings are required to have one and one-half parking spaces per unit, and noted that one-bedroom units tend to have fewer vehicles. Wood shared that the phases would total 280 parking spaces where the maximum of 330 would be allowed, if the parcels of land were to be considered one.

It was also requested that the applicant be allowed to modify the lot width of phase III to 60 feet, where ordinance requires a minimum of 85 feet. Wood pointed out that both phase I and II of the development were previously approved to have a lot width of 75 feet. The reasoning for the request of 60 feet for Phase III stems from an agreement between Saint Patrick Catholic Church and the developer to allow the church access to Chevron Drive—allowing the church two access points to Highway 127—via a driveway to be built by the church.

Wood also added that the surrounding land parcels are defined as commercial property and that they provide a buffer between any single family residences. Staff, as well as Planning and Zoning, recommended that the application be approved under the following conditions: phase II is not to exceed 100 two- to three-bedroom units and will be equipped with 200 parking spaces, phase III will not exceed 60 one-bedroom units and will be equipped with 80 parking spaces, and that the development of the phases should comply with the previously approved layout of phase II as well as the presented layout of phase III.

Councilman Riley Hunt brought forward the question of storm water drainage. Applicant Rob Ballard shared with council that there is a master detention pond designed to service the entire area already in place that would accommodate the added phases as well as the existing properties in the area.

The application was later unanimously approved as presented, and subject to the conditions earlier outlined by Wood.

In other business, council voted to appoint Dan Bass as the interim chief building official until which time as the city was ready to fill the position, after the departure of the previous holder of that office. Gilmour explained that the appointment of an interim official was a need for the city as there were documents waiting to be signed that required the signature of the chief building official. Gilmour shared that Bass—who is currently employed with the city—is the most experienced building inspector that the city has, and has been employed for at least 20 years.

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