The barricade marks what will be the west entry to the Hickory Hollow apartments.
A Salem company has filed a site plan application for “Hickory Hollow,” a 48-unit apartment complex off Hickory Street N.W., the first of its kind in North Albany. The filing follows a meeting in January, when neighbors voiced their concerns.
Multi/Tech Engineering Services of Salem submitted the site plan for city review and approval on behalf of the developer, identified as ORREO LLC. According to the secretary of state’s online records, Charles James Weathers, who listed an address in southeast Salem, organized the limited liability company in 2014 for the purpose of real estate investment.
Melissa Anderson, a planner in the Albany Community Development Department, says a notice of the filing will be sent to surrounding property owners “in the near future.” The zoning of the 2.25-acre site at 720 Hickory N.W. allows apartments. All that is needed is a review by the planning staff to see that the project meets requirements of the development code.
At the January meeting, attended by about two dozen neighbors, residents worried about the effect of the project on traffic, schools, privacy and the value of their homes.
The site plan calls for four three-story buildings containing 12 apartments each. Twelve of the units will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, 24 will have two bedrooms and one bathroom, and 12 will have one bedroom with one bathroom.
The plan shows 92 parking spaces, 50 of them of standard size, 37 for compacts, and five designated as handicapped spaces. There will be 12 bicycle spaces, six of them covered. A six-foot wooden fence is shown between the project and adjacent properties. The plan shows about 40 feet of open space between the apartment blocks and houses on the south side.
The project is west of North Albany Road near the Bonaventure retirement housing complex, which opened last year. Meanwhile, on the east side of North Albany Road near the North Albany Village shopping center, the city planning commission is considering a zone change on property where apartment-style housing also is being proposed. (hh)
The layout of the Hickory Hollow apartment project as submitted to the city.
My biggest concern is the amount of traffic trying to get over our bridges.
Some nights the line up on Hwy 20 is quite long.
Once the zoning requirements are met there is little or nothing the average schlubs can do to throw sand in the “wheels of progress.” Business owners grease the wheels. Zoning changes occur. Your new neighbor is a monstrous apartment filled with screaming kids and balconies filled with junk.
It would be nice to see some townhouse or condos. The apartments will probably rent for as much as a house payment.
The incoming grocer and lite “hardware” store will need these two high density housing projects. I do wonder (and echo comments) about the roadways handling the increased autos.
Proposed bike path may need a bridge lane to downtown!
I would imagine these people are going to drive to Winco to shop.
“Not in my back yard.” Once somebody moves into a neighborhood, they often will oppose any further development. Check out zoning and consider future growth BEFORE moving in.