GREENFIELD — An Indianapolis developer wants to build 50 new apartments for the city’s growing workforce, but he won’t know until early next year whether he’ll have the funds to do so.
Gratus Development is pursuing the project on a wooded parcel of just more than two acres at 861 N. Swope St., just east of Hancock Regional Hospital. Three buildings make up the proposal — two that would be three stories and one that would be two stories. All apartments would have two bedrooms and one bathroom. The buildings’ facades would be made up of brick and fiber cement.
Funding for the project will be applied for under the Workforce Housing category for tax credits from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. The competitive program will announce awards in January 2021. It allows developments to provide affordable housing to those earning up to 80% of area median income at the county level.
Jonathan Ehlke, principal and owner of Gratus Development, said at a Greenfield Board of Zoning Appeals meeting earlier this month that the complex would serve individuals earning up to $45,920 a year.
“Which is a tremendous amount of the population,” he added. “Anybody from a teacher, staff that works at the hospital across the street, people that are working in the service industry downtown, restaurant managers, store managers, it goes on and on.
“The market study’s already been completed, and it shows tremendous demand for workforce housing,” Ehlke continued. “It’s only going to go up with all the blue collar jobs coming to the county, with Amazon and Yamaha and all the things coming down Mt. Comfort Road. I think this will appeal to folks like that.”
At 71 parking spaces, the proposal is just shy of the 1.5 spaces per unit as required by local rules. However, the bike racks that would be part of the development allow for a reduction in parking spaces. Gratus Development also plans to provide loaner bicycles to be stored in amenity space for use by residents.
Ehlke said the apartments would be smoke-free and equipped with Wi-Fi as well.
Several Greenfield residents expressed concerns about the project during the board of zoning appeals meeting.
Linda White and her husband own the 23-acre property with the pond to the east of the proposed development. She said she’s concerned about what effect the project would have on drainage and traffic in the area. White added the pond could be attractive to children who live in the apartments and might wander over to it.
Jenna Wertman, Greenfield senior planner, said the development couldn’t legally worsen drainage in the area.
Another resident, Larry McGuire said the project would come with negative impacts.
“The proposed apartment complex is not conducive to maintaining a safe, secure, low-traffic environment currently established in the neighborhood,” he said. “It would not be visually attractive no matter what the facades may be. The apartments would add increased noise and traffic and disrupt the tranquility of the neighborhood.”
McGuire added he feels the development would cause surrounding property values to decrease, and that if anything should go on the lot, it should be single-story, high-end condominiums to provide needed housing for the area’s aging population.
The Greenfield Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-1 to approve a conditional use for the proposal in a residential urban district of the city. Joe Lonnemann, Dan Theobald and Mike Terry voted in favor while Leo Davis voted against. Paulette Richardson was absent.
A formal technical review would be completed if the project receives state funding.
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Proposed apartment complex
- 861 N. Swope St., Greenfield
- Three buildings
- 50 units
- Two bedrooms, one bathroom
- Dependent on Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority tax credit funding
Sources: City of Greenfield, Gratus Development
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