City planner: Welcome Home Ohio near purchase of Red Cross site; construction and ADA units planned

Megan Jennings, Athens City Planner, told the Affordable Housing Commission that the Welcome Home Ohio project is in its final stages of purchasing the Red Cross property and that a draft site plan is under review.

"We are in the final stages of purchasing the Red Cross property," Jennings said, adding that the commission will schedule a community meeting with the neighborhood once the site plan is finalized. She said the project team has connected several interested prospective buyers with developer Joe Rechie; two applicants are described as pre‑qualified for the program’s purchase qualifications.

Jennings said the program aims to begin construction in the summer, with most units built above a ground‑level garage footprint so living space sits above the floodplain. "We are looking to do one or two fully ADA compliant units," she said, explaining those units will be raised above the base flood elevation to meet accessibility and floodplain regulations.

Commissioners asked about access and parking for ADA units; Jennings described a ground‑level driveway with a ramp to the front door and explained that the major portions of the east side of Athens fall within the updated 100‑year floodplain, affecting site design and elevation decisions.

Alan, a city council member, told the commission the project will come before the city council planning and development committee next Monday and could be scheduled for first reading on the council’s first meeting in April. He said the planning commission unanimously passed a related zoning change on Dair Lane and that, depending on committee action, council votes would follow.

Jennings also flagged related city planning work, including conversations about sober‑living residences and regional planning for age‑friendly design and a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) for unincorporated county areas. She said the planning commission lacked quorum this week and that discussions will continue when meetings resume.

Next steps: finalize the draft site plan, hold a community meeting, continue coordination with the planning commission and council for required reviews, and communicate qualification information to prospective buyers through the developer and city planner’s office.