Council reviews Branchville Crossing plan for 87 affordable senior units; parking cap emerges as key hurdle
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Summary
Staff and the applicant presented a detailed site plan for Branchville Crossing, an 87‑unit affordable senior housing project financed with 4% LIHTC. Staff recommended council forward a recommendation of approval, subject to conditions; the applicant said county zoning caps parking at 36 spaces and intends to pursue relief to allow the proposed 54 spaces.
City planning staff and the applicant presented the Branchville Crossing detailed site plan at the Jan. 13 work session: a four‑story, 47‑foot, 87‑unit multifamily building at 4810 Branchville Road intended for seniors and residents with physical disabilities, financed with 4% low‑income housing tax credits.
Senior planner Carlos Nunez told the council the project would provide 87 income‑restricted units under the LIHTC program, a unit mix dominated by one‑bedroom apartments and a small number of two‑bedroom units. Nunez said the 4% tax credit serves as the financial engine for the deal and that the program requires tenant services and carries long‑term affordability covenants.
Staff recommended that the city council provide a recommendation of approval to the county planning board, subject to technical conditions (landscaping, invasive species removal recommended, compliance with the landscape manual, final TCP 2 revisions, enhanced signage for emergency access, and a required phase‑2 noise study). Nunez said open space on the site would be approximately 53 percent, well above the RMF‑48 minimum of 20 percent.
Applicant counsel Matthew Tedesco told council staff and the development team has worked closely with staff and the community. The applicant proposes 54 surface parking spaces for 87 units, added after neighborhood feedback. Tedesco and the applicant said county zoning caps maximum parking at 36 spaces because the ordinance ties maximums to a group‑living minimum, and that the applicant will seek legislative relief or a departure so the higher parking count can be permitted.
Tedesco also said the project will set aside units required by the LIHTC program to be UFAs (uniform federal accessibility standards) and units for hearing and vision impairment. He estimated rents would be income‑restricted at roughly 60 percent of AMI and said a phase‑2 noise study would be completed and submitted to staff by Friday.
What’s next: Staff and the applicant will continue technical revisions and coordinate on a declaration of covenants; the application is scheduled for action at the Jan. 27 council meeting where the council may forward a recommendation to the planning board and flag potential zoning text amendments to address parking table inconsistencies.
