Commission recommends rezoning, site plan for Northland Enclave to add 82 rental units and storefronts

The Troy Planning Commission voted to recommend City Council grant a conditional rezoning and to support a site plan that would repurpose an underused office property at 5455 Corporate Drive into a mixed community business and multifamily development called Northland Enclave.

Why it matters: The site, about 8.2 acres in North Troy, is currently office‑zoned but surrounded by a range of zoning and land uses. Planning staff said the North Troy Special Area Plan encourages repurposing underperforming office buildings for retail and residential infill to support walkable, mixed‑use redevelopment of transitional parcels.

What was proposed: The applicant proposes to rezone the front portion of the parcel to CB (Community Business) and the rear to MF (Multifamily). The site plan shows a one‑story retail building of roughly 5,800 square feet with five tenant bays facing Corporate Drive and ten multifamily buildings behind that deliver a total of 82 units (two‑ and three‑bedroom layouts; roughly 77,000 square feet of residential), a central courtyard with amenity space and two 3‑story buildings at the rear. Parking in the plan includes 196 residential spaces (64 in garages, 32 guest surface spaces) and 24 retail spaces; the applicant addressed one drive‑through stacking space deficiency in revised drawings submitted before the meeting.

Applicant representatives Aria Nicola (Neweycutt Development) and Jim Butler (PA Group) presented updated plans and noted the property will be largely cleared and redeveloped into a product the developer believes will be more attainable for first‑time buyers than new single‑family construction. Nicola told the commission contractors are lined up for demolition late summer and construction would follow as soon as engineering approvals are complete.

Planning staff recommended approval with required adjustments; staff’s checklist included increasing one stacking space for the retail drive‑through, screening residential mechanical units, reducing lighting spill between the retail and the residences and providing color renderings of side and rear garage elevations.

The Planning Commission’s resolution added several site design recommendations and tied the site plan to the conditional rezoning: the motion asked the applicant to increase stacking by one space, provide mechanical screening, reduce lighting to 0.1 foot‑candles at retail/residential boundaries, provide updated color elevations of the garages, widen walkups to seven feet, add public benches in the courtyard, redesign the rear of the commercial building to echo the front façade and make the approved site plan a condition of the rezoning agreement for city council consideration.

Outcome: The Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the conditional rezoning from O (Office) to CB and MF and supported the site plan subject to the conditions above. Motion by Mister Fox; second by Mister Beakner. Roll call showed unanimous support by commissioners present; outcome: recommendation to City Council for approval.

Context and next steps: Planning staff said the North Troy plan encourages mixed‑use transitions in this area and identified the property as appropriate for the proposed duplex of retail at the street and multifamily behind. The commission’s recommendations will be forwarded to City Council along with the conditional rezoning agreement; council will consider the rezoning and associated binding conditions. Developers plan demolition and site work this summer pending final engineering and permit approvals.

Speakers and participants are listed in the speaker list below. Ending: With the commission’s recommendation, the rezoning and site plan move to City Council, where the conditional rezoning agreement will be finalized.