A fourth phase of construction expansion at Ridge45 received the green light from Garfield Township planning commissioners last week, clearing the way for 196 more apartments to be built at the corner of LaFranier and Hammond roads. Meanwhile, an 80-unit affordable housing complex on the corner of Garfield and Hammond roads and a new 26-unit single-family subdivision next to Birmley Hills Estate are headed for township approval votes in August.

Ridge45
The Ridge45 apartment complex could soon boast almost 600 total apartments across 23 buildings after Garfield Township planning commissioners approved a new phase of construction last week that will add 196 units to the development on 21.85 acres of vacant land near the LaFranier/Hammond intersection (pictured, site work underway).

Phase four of Ridge45 will contain seven apartment buildings with 28 units each. The expansion will feature a mixture of studios and one, two, and three-bedroom layouts. The development will include a dog park and new sidewalks, with residents also able to access the existing pool and clubhouse in Ridge45. Developers said phase four will offer an opportunity for amenities including “multi-sport courts, pool additions, and a community gardens expansion.”

The expansion will provide a new access point from Lloyd Lane, providing a third entrance into Ridge45, in addition to the two entrances currently on LaFranier Road. Several conditions were attached to the township’s approval, including a requirement for developers to reconstruct the Ridge Boulevard entry to match the entrance to the Village of LaFranier Woods on the east side of LaFranier Road – a project that’s underway now.

Ridge45 developers will also need to participate in a new crosswalk at Parkside Boulevard and LaFranier Road to provide access to the new BATA transfer station on the east side of LaFranier Road. Township Planning Director John Sych said a meeting was planned this week between all parties involved in the new crosswalk to determine the best approach for completing it.

Developers plan to remove landscaping along Ridge45’s south property line to physically connect phase four with the rest of the neighborhood. “The aim is to connect sidewalks and roadways, create a sense of community among the residents, create visual cohesion between the properties, and serve the practical purpose of connecting amenities for all residents to enjoy (i.e. community center, fitness center, playground, dog park, maintenance buildings, offices, etc.),” the developers wrote. “Residents of Ridge45 phase 1-3 will be able to walk to phase 4 on sidewalks, which is right across from the street from the future BATA transit station, making public transportation all the more readily available. The joined properties in theory/plan will now be joined physically.”

Village at Garfield
A new 80-unit affordable housing complex at the northwest corner of Garfield and Hammond roads is headed to an August 9 township vote. Planning commissioners – who have final approval over the special use permit request – are scheduled to vote at that meeting on the proposal from Outlook Development to build five two-story buildings containing 16 units each on the roughly 13-acre parcel, which fronts both Garfield and Hammond roads surrounding the Marathon gas station.

The complex will contain an even split of two and three-bedroom apartments, developers told planning commissioners at a public hearing last week. They estimated rental rates will range from $600 to $1,000 per month, depending on the unit. Developers said they hope to start construction early next year, adding that the project will feature “a lot of green space” and will be a “high-quality development.” The Village at Garfield, as the development is called, will have one entrance on Garfield Road only – with no driveways on Hammond.

Outlook Development received approval this spring from township trustees for a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement for the property. A PILOT agreement allows developers to pay a percentage of rental income to the township – in this case, four percent – in lieu of traditional taxes to offset costs associated with developing affordable housing and charging below-market rental rates. The PILOT would be in place for 35 years. Construction on the Village at Garfield is estimated at $13 million, according to the PILOT agreement.

Birmley Meadows
Finally, a new 26-unit single-family subdivision is headed to township trustees for approval in August after planning commissioners voted last week to recommend the project to the township board. The neighborhood, called Birmley Meadows, will be located directly north of Birmley Hills Estates and accessed from Birmley Estates Drive and Farmington Drive – both of which are off Birmley Road – via two new private roads. Lot sizes will be between 15,000 and 40,000 square feet, according to the application, with homes anticipated to average 1,800 square feet.

Developer Steve Zakrajsek of T&R Investments recently went through the township approval process to build Birmley Hills, another subdivision with 35 single-family lots next to Birmley Hills Estates. Township Deputy Planning Director Stephen Hannon previously said that Birmley Meadows – the third and newest phase of development – will complete the buildout of the neighborhood and finish the road connections between projects.