Planning recommends approval of permit for senior housing project
The New Prague Planning Commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit for a proposed senior apartment complex. The action was taken during the commission’s Wednesday, April 26, meeting.
The 91 unit complex is being proposed by Makado Group, LLC and will be located at 1100 First St. SE, south of State Bank of New Prague.
City Planning Director Ken Ondich explained the senior apartments will have four floors with 31 independent living units, 42 assisted living units and 18 memory care units. The area is zoned RH, high density residential zoning. Ondich noted the property was zoned RH in 2008 for an unrelated senior apartment facility that had been proposed at that time. He said the New Prague City Council has been working on a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district with the Makado Group, LLC for the complex.
Ondich said city staff has been looking at the proposal. While no traffic impact study was required, city staff had recommendations about access to the site. The first was an access to the underground parking along 10th Avenue SE. Ondich said that access should line up with the access to Shopko. The other was that accesses along First Street SE should line up with those to State Bank. Ondich explained staff is concerned the offset accesses would be a hazard to those leaving the sites and to traffic along 10th Avenue SE and First Street SE.
The plan has 102 parking spaces, but 108 are needed on the site. City staff asked for a lighting plan for the parking lot and clarification on how deliveries are to be made. Ondich said the developer is required to extend First Street SE to their east property line. A future extension of the street is to go past Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. When that is completed the church’s access to Main Street (Highway 19) is to be closed, under MnDOT rules.
Ondich said Mark Appelbaum of Makado Group, LLC is having a meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 1, in the basement of State Bank of New Prague. The meeting is open to anyone and will address the complex and answer any questions about it.
Appelbaum addressed the commission and the seven area residents attending the meeting. He noted the....
To see more on this story pick up the May 4, 2017 print edition of The New Prague Times.
