Champion gets preliminary plan approval

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Sunbury Pointe Apartments, a 148-unit complex that Champion Real Estate Services plans to build at the intersection of South Miller Drive and Fairland Avenue, received a preliminary plan approval during last week’s Sunbury Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.

During the July zoning meeting, Champion CEO Brian Yaeger and Chief Investment Officer Dan Hunter were told to go back to the drawing board and bring a more detailed plan to zoning.

“We’ve made a lot of headway on your main points of concern,” Yeager said Aug. 24. “Hopefully we have final design plan your group feels comfortable with to put before Village Council. We hope we can move forward; we want to build a first-class product here in Sunbury.”

Hunter said the Champion design team worked through the lack of detail that zoning commission members objected to in July. Sidewalks were added, setbacks were changed and the landscape plan was updated.

Hunter said the apartment complex — across the street from General Rosecrans Elementary School in Sunbury — would connect to Fox Trail Drive, but bollards would be placed in the road to prohibit vehicular traffic while allowing pedestrian access; and the apartment complex sidewalk would align with, and connect to, the Fox Trail sidewalk.

“We’ve added some sidewalks to make Sunbury Pointe more walkable and connect to Fairland Drive and the garden units to streets,” Hunter said. “There will be cultured stone around the dumpster, signage and clubhouse; and the townhouses facing Miller Drive will be brick and stone on the front, with stone on the sides.”

Sunbury’s consulting engineer. Wes Hall of CT Consultants, said each unit would have a separate building permit that will specify materials; and the Fox Trail bollards would be anchored and aesthetically pleasing, and would allow pedestrians and bikes to move between the complex and nearby neighborhoods.

“The parking is good, it exceeds zoning requirements,” Hall said. “We have a fire department letter stating that emergency access is adequate. The final landscape approval is given with the final engineering approval; the same with lighting. It’s a nice mix of stone, brick and upgraded vinyl. They fully complied with everything we’ve asked for. We recommend approval based on final engineering and legal.”

Zoning commission members approved the Sunbury Pointe preliminary plan; that plan now goes to Sunbury Village Council for three readings and a vote.

Yeager said he would like to turn first dirt later this year, and that the project would be completed in three six-month phases with an 18-month build-out.

Phase 1 would include the installation of the site’s retention pond, a clubhouse and 50 units along South Miller Drive; Phase 2 would include 48 garden units; and Phase 3 will be townhouses.

By Lenny C. Lepola

For The Gazette

Lenny C. Lepola can be reached at 614-266-6093. Email: [email protected].

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