Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves parking reduction and height variance for Allen's Place senior housing
Summary
Clarksville's BZA approved two variances for Allen's Place, a proposed senior multifamily development at 2412 Admore Lane: a reduction to 1.5 parking spaces per unit (225 spaces total) and a height variance to 52'2" to allow a pitched roof for HVAC screening and cost savings.
The Clarksville Board of Zoning Appeals voted May 27 to grant two zoning variances requested for Allen's Place, a proposed senior-oriented multifamily development at 2412 Admore Lane.
Planning staff summarized the request as two separate variances: a reduction in required parking from two spaces per unit to 1.5 spaces per unit (reducing required spaces from 300 to 225) and a height variance to allow a building that peaks at 52 feet, 2 inches in an R-3 zone that caps height at 40 feet. Staff pointed to precedent—eight of the last ten multifamily approvals in Clarksville requested parking reductions—and said the proposed pitched roof accounts for much of the additional height but aids screening of rooftop equipment.
Doug Sellers, the applicant’s representative, and Josh Hooper, vice president of development for Beacon Properties, told the board the parking reduction is standard for senior housing because many residents have one car or do not drive. "Most senior couples only have one car or some don't drive at all," Hooper said, arguing the reduced parking would allow more green space and amenities. Hooper also told the board that the pitched roof reduces construction costs and helps keep rents affordable: "The only way that we're getting to a balanced budget is with the pitched roof," he said.
Board members questioned whether the pitched roof was an aesthetic preference or a technical necessity to screen HVAC units in a way consistent with Clarksville's zoning definition of height (which measures to the highest point). Staff and the applicant said the pitch both screens equipment and affects the project's viability. After discussing alternatives—lowering the pitch or adding more screening—the board found the ordinance's strict application would create a practical difficulty for the proposed design.
A motion to approve the height variance, made by a board member and seconded, passed by voice vote. The board then approved the parking reduction by voice vote after members cited local precedent and the ordinance's unit-based parking standard as creating a practical difficulty for multifamily development.
The approvals are conditioned on the development plan and any required building permits; the applicant also must address final landscaping, drainage/detention, and HVAC screening details in required site plans and building permits.
The board did not record roll-call tallies in the public record; minutes state the motions carried by voice vote.
