A proposal for a 126-unit affordable apartment complex in Toano is back in the public eye.
The James City County Planning Commission is slated to vote on the Oakland Pointe Apartments project Wednesday. If approved, the project, proposed for 7581 Richmond Road, will then move to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.
While the vote is set for next week, some residents still have concerns about the project and its potential impacts.
On Wednesday, about two dozen residents met at the James City County Library in Norge to express their concerns and make a plan to attend the Planning Commission meeting. A majority of attendees were residents of Oakland Estates, a neighborhood behind the property where Oakland Pointe is proposed.
“We need low-income housing in the county, but how we do it is so important,” said Patrick McCaffery, an Oakland Estates property owner.
So, ahead of Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting, here’s some background on the project.
The developer
Connelly Development LCC is a South Carolina-based developer that specializes in affordable housing.
Connelly has developed affordable housing complexes in both South Carolina and North Carolina since 2001, according to the builder’s website.
The company is also constructing apartments and housing in Prince George.
For some projects, Connelly Development has sought low-income housing tax credits offered by the federal government.
The tax credit program doesn’t provide housing subsidies, but instead provides tax incentives to encourage developers to build affordable housing. State-run agencies disperse a limited number of tax credits to eligible developers, according to the National Housing Law Project.
After developers receive the tax credits, they sell them to investors, creating cash equity that developers can use to build affordable housing.
Under the tax credit program, developers agree to rent the housing at an “affordable” price below market, and with a certain percentage of tenants below the area median income.
Need for affordable housing
The landowner, Lisa Marston, has said she was inspired to fill a need for affordable housing in the county.
Rents would be between $495 for a two-bedroom, 1½-bath apartment and $940 for a three-bedroom, two-bath unit, Marston told WYDaily in April.
A study from the Virginia Employment Commission showed that 19,000 employees are commuting into James City County because they can’t afford to live in the area.
Local leaders have said service industry workers in Greater Williamsburg cannot afford to live in the area because of high rent and real estate costs.
James City County has also created the Workforce Housing Task Force to address housing issues in the county and suggest initiatives and strategies make improvements.
Opposition
In April, the Marstons, their attorney and the developer had a community information meeting at the Woman’s Club of Toano, which became heated at times.
Some attendees asked questions and made comments in support of the development, reinforcing the need for affordable housing in the area.
Some, like Oakland Estates resident Lee Alexander, are pushing to keep agricultural and forestal land rural in James City County
“I realize the county has to change — nothing stays the same,” Alexander said Wednesday. “But I don’t want to live in Newport News or New York City.”
In April, other attendees raised concerns that affordable housing could mean more crime. During the April meeting, the developer said there are mechanisms in place at other properties to combat crime, such as a thorough vetting process for apartment applicants and an onsite complex manager.
Some residents Wednesday also said they oppose the project because it will clog traffic at the nearby intersection of Croaker and Richmond roads. Planning documents estimate the apartment complex could generate 887 additional vehicle trips in the area each day.
A James City County Planning Department report indicated the apartment complex could have a $463,425 annual negative fiscal impact because of its drain on county resources, such as area schools.
“That’s not just half a million dollars one time, that’s every year,” Alexander said.