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Seniors apartments are expected to open Jan. 2008
The project, located behind the Thomasville Mart will feature 32 one and two bedroom units and will be available to tenants 55 years old and older. Judy Van Dyke, developer with Bennett & Company, the project's builders, said she expected the apartment homes to be available by January of 2008. Van Dyke said the apartments will have cottage styling and colors, with front and back porches. Country Club Cottages is a "tax-credit" development, Van Dyke said. Income restrictions will limit the availability of apartments to tenant making less than 60 percent of the median household income for this area. The project will feature 12 one bedroom units and 20 twobedroom units with a community building. There will be a security package installed at the development and all units will have an emergency pull cord in them, Van Dyke said. The building permit was approved by the city council in December of 2006, listing an approximate value of $3 mil- lion. Country Club Cottages will sit in the middle of an expected single-family development overseen by SmokeWood LLC. "We're working closely with Smokewood to make sure our developments are complimentary to each other in terms of landscaping and exterior finishes," Van Dyke said. Bennett & Company could be joining SmokeWood in developing the single family housing project. That project will not be income-restricted and the homes are expected to be sold at the market rate. Country Club Cottages has not gone without controversy. In 2005, residents of Country Club Estates appeared en masse in city hall at a planning and subdivision board meeting. There, the group heard answers to questions it had about Country Club Cottages. Mayor Sheldon Day presided over the meeting and read aloud each question, with answers provided by the project developers, Bennett & Co. and city officials. The residents were opposed to the development because proposed access roads to the new development would include existing roads within Country Club Estates. That access still exists. The questions sought answers to who was financing the development, what the city would do about traffic and noise and what the city has approved, if anything. The questionnaire also sought explanations for why access would not be gained through a connection with Griffin Ave. instead. "This issue and others have created a new sense of urgency regarding zoning," Day said. "Because of the nature of this development, nothing has come before this board." The owners of the property, Kevin Smoker and Rex Wood sent a letter to be read at the meeting, declining to attend. "Due to the uncertainty that the property will actually be developed for this purpose, and due to the contentious nature of the questions submitted and the conduct to date of the leadership/ spokespersons of the Country Club Group, we see no constructive communication possible at this time." Day also said the major entrance for the development was planned to come off Hwy. 43 by Thomasville Mart. "This has been the original intent all along," Day said.
The final question presented asked about the process for impeachment of the mayor and city council. "I'm disappointed in that question," Day said. "I don't think there's anyone on the council that deserves that consideration. We have a track record of being consensusbuilders and reaching out. Have we made mistakes? Yes, but we've done our best to make this city better, and I think we have."
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