Council reviews Campus Realty proposal to demolish and rebuild Hudson apartments into larger student housing complex; questions on beds, parking and off-campus/

Campus Realty presented a rezoning proposal to demolish the existing Hudson apartments and rebuild a larger, campus-oriented housing complex. Staff characterized the project as a complete rebuild of the existing site with increased unit and bed counts to accommodate student housing demand from Kennesaw State UniversityMarietta campus.

Staff and the developer said the project would replace the existing development (about 120 units/205 beds reported in materials) with a new project of roughly 240 units and approximately 665 beds (the applicant's materials described beds and units by different measures). Planning staff said the developer proposed access improvements and a secondary pedestrian/emergency access easement that would tie to the KSU Marietta campus; the applicant indicated units would be rental, furnished and intended primarily for student occupancy.

Council members raised parking and density concerns and asked whether the beds-to-units ratio, parking supply and campus demand justified the scale. Staff said KSU Marietta representatives previously indicated unmet demand for student housing and that campus capacity and off-campus supply remain constrained. Council members also noted the difference between apartment rules and single-family occupancy rules (single-family zoning limits unrelated-occupant households) and discussed fair-housing implications of marketing specifically to students. The item will return to the council and planning commission process with additional details and stipulations.