The original proposal for the Campus Edge Apartment Complex has been redesigned in an effort to gain approval from Athens City Council and Athens Planning Commission.
The new design involves decreasing the size, relocating the buildings and changing the entrance of the complex, said Stephen Klee, vice president of development for PRS Company.
The company plans to go back to the planning commission Feb. 5, Klee said.
One of the major changes of the design includes a reduction in the number of beds. The original proposal had 896 beds, but the new proposal would have 600 beds, he said.
Council members had voiced concern over the original size of the complex, and some thought that it might be better to cut down the number of units, said Councilwoman Sarah Sexton, D-at-Large.
The new design also includes the main entrance off Richland Avenue as opposed to Dairy Lane. A Dairy Lane entrance would be used only for emergency vehicle access, Klee said.
The new proposal also includes a 50-foot buffer zone between the complex and the Greenbriar Subdivision, a neighboring housing development. The zone would reduce traffic and student noise, he said.
Council members also voiced concerns over the environmental effects of the new complex.
We want good
quality housing but we want to protect the environment at the same time said Councilwoman Nancy Bain, D-3rd Ward.
In addition, council members were concerned about extra flooding the new complex might create.
In hopes of gaining council approval, the revamped proposal includes building a new retaining wall to hold the earth to prevent slides. The location of the buildings also was changed to better work with the topography of the land, Klee said.
Klee said he is hopeful for a second approval because the planning commission approved the original design.
There is no reason why we wouldn't be approved for the second time he said.
The prices of the new complex, if approved, would be comparable to University Courtyard, which range from $490 to $620 a month with a 12-month lease for two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. Those prices include utilities, as would the Campus Edge complex, Klee said.
The complex would be gated and would include amenities such as a pool, fitness center and tennis courts, he said.
If the project is approved, the building will start sometime in the spring, Klee said.
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200401261663midsize.jpg
An artist's rendering of a building in the proposed Campus Edge apartment complex.
