Old Rolling Road Apartments
Originally Published: April 1, 2024
500+ Apartments Planned
Almost 23 acres located at 22835 Old Rolling Road, behind Best Buy, may be developed as a multi-building, 568 unit apartment complex according to documents filed with the county’s Department of Land Use and Growth Management (LUGM). The project shows as active, but the documents are from 2022 and earlier. This concept plan has not yet gone to the Planning Commission for approval, however the commission did approve a water/sewer amendment in 2022 which reclassified the property to receive utility service within 3 years.
LUGM’s May 2022 review letter notes the property owner Gerred Partnership LLLP must purchase 455 Transferable Development Rights (TDR) to achieve the 568 dwelling units proposed. TDRs allow owners of designated land in rural areas to sell their development rights to developers looking to build elsewhere. WIthout this, only 113 dwelling units are allowed for this proposal. This could explain why the concept plan has not moved forward.
Four apartment buildings, with 136 units each, a “Carriage House” with 24 units, and a clubhouse are shown on planning documents. Proposed are 194 one bedroom, 294 two bedroom, and 80 three bedroom units. This would require nearly 1400 parking spaces, but the developer proposes only 902 and would need a parking variance. An estimated 121 elementary, 61 middle, and 88 high school students would add to school capacity, with the bus stop located at the entrance of the development. Around 4K daily trips would be added to the area according to the January 2022 traffic study.
The Planning Commission recently denied Park Place Apartments, just across the street, which would have also utilized the intersection of Route 235/Shady Mile Dr/Old Rolling Rd. During that discussion, the engineer for Park Place mentioned Old Rolling Road Apartments in passing. The potential for Park Place to have been approved without the Planning Commission knowing about or considering Old Rolling Road Apartments, and the combined effects of both projects on the area, is concerning.
Commission members have previously mentioned the lack of available information for them to make informed decisions, like input from the Fire Department or Sheriff’s Office, specific numbers showing how individual school capacity may be affected, and details on already filed development plans in the area. The Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and other relevant county policies governing development should require this information. Until these oversights and loopholes are fixed, developers can and will exploit them to make the most financially profitable investment which is absolutely their right. However, it leaves it up to the government and, more likely, residents, to ensure development is complementary to the area.
