Lebanon approves townhome project in downtown area

Lebanon has agreed to sell some land it has owned since the mid-1990s to a developer to build new owner-occupied townhomes and single-family residential housing.

City Manager Scott Brunka said officials have entertained multiple development proposals in the past few years for the 1.35 acres that is located along North Mechanic and New streets. The property is zoned Central Business District.

“The project is consistent with the Downtown Master Plan as people are looking for new housing in the Central Business District,” Brunka said.

He said the owner-occupied products will help enhance the economic vitality of the downtown district.

Lebanon City Council agreed to sell the land to the developer, JDH Building Group, for $100,000. The project is named “Legacy Landing,” according to the developer.

Brunka said deed restrictions will be put in place that require the buildings to remain owner-occupied.

Brunka said JDH Building Group brought forward the latest proposal for the property, which calls for the construction of 20 owner-occupied townhomes and two single family homes along with parking and a pocket park. In addition, the proposed buildings have been designed to fit the historic neighborhood, he said.

“JDH Building Group is based out of Lebanon, and their team has several projects locally that are in the construction and design phase,” Brunka said.

Council approved supporting the proposed development with several incentives.

Brunka said the city will construct various public improvements such as constructing a public park connection from North Broadway to the development that includes a sidewalk, lighting, and landscaping. The public improvements shall not exceed $300,000, he said.

He also said the city will also approve a 10-year, 50% Community Reinvestment Area property tax incentive for the project. Currently, the city is not generating any revenue off of the land and is an expense to the city due to mowing and maintenance.

Brunka also said the city will be waiving the utility tap-in fee because there were houses that existed on the property in the past.

Megan Allen, marketing coordinator for JDH Building Group, said the developer is looking forward to building this project in Lebanon.

“We’re really excited about the project,” she said. “This will encourage people to come to Lebanon because people want to live by historic downtowns. We hope to offer the perks of having a single-family home in a townhouse setting and make sure it’s in line with the character of the community, which is small-town living.”

Allen said the project is in the concept plan and that price points have not yet been finalized yet. She said it will be a priority to ensure there is ample parking on the property and on-street. Allen also said there are two design concepts for two- and three-bedroom townhouses with many amenities.

While people are familiar with Justin Doyle Homes that are large single-family homes on larger lots, Allen said the company is well-rounded, with an award-winning in-house design team. The team has designed larger homes of three or more stories, townhouses and commercial design.

“It fits in what we’ve done, and we have the capability and experience to do the project,” she said. “We love Lebanon.”

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