They also asked for the eastern border of the site to resemble the western or “front facing” side, along Salem Avenue.
Generally, residents said they were impressed with the project.
“We don’t want to burden this project and make it fail over something like parking,” said Dan Barton, who is a member of the Grafton Hill Association and who has lived in the neighborhood for decades. “We have some strategies we asked to be considered and developed further that would completely and truly solve the problem of the parking.”
United Church Homes, in partnership with Weyland Ventures and G.F. Bailey Co., plans to convert the vacant Longfellow school property into new senior housing for residents 55 and older, with a special focus on providing a safe living community for LGBTQ+ individuals and their “allies,” said Nate Bollinger, executive director of development for United Church Homes.
“This community is designed for those who desire to be among peers, who share their journey and experiences, understand the real hurts caused by discrimination and desire to live in a safe and welcoming environment where acceptance is built in to the culture,” he said.
The Longfellow campus is located on the 200 block of Salem Avenue, near the Gem City Market.
The entire project site is about 4.6 acres and includes the recently leveled Dolly Manor building and a former car shop.
The developer proposes spending about $32.6 million to create 124 new apartments and other amenities, including a theater, outdoor space and dining hall.
Forty apartments will open in existing historic school facilities, while 84 units will go into a new, four-story building on the southern portion of the site, the plans indicate.
The site plan also calls for 173 parking spaces. About 50 spaces are proposed underneath the new apartment building.
Details of the preliminary site plan were shared as part of a concept review with the Landmarks Commission last week.
Barton, with the Grafton Hill Association, said the school in the 1990s paved a lawn near Central and Plymouth avenues likely without proper authorization, given that the campus is in a historic district.
Barton said the school district somehow got away with this, but the developer hopefully can make this right and eliminate the surface parking.
Kelly Bush, who lives nearby on Central Avenue, said she’d like to see the surface parking lot and curb cuts that lead into the property on Central Avenue go away.
Barton said the Grafton Hill Association “unequivocally” is in favor of the Longfellow project, but it has concerns about parking and security at the site.
He said there is very little on-street parking in that area, and those spaces fill up quickly during after-work hours when residents return home. He’d like to see a parking evaluation done for the Longfellow site, and the association has some ideas for improving the parking plans that he will share at a later time.
Lorca Munoz-Daugherty, a longtime resident of the area, said she also hopes the Central Avenue side of the site will look and be treated as if it is a front-facing entrance.
She said she’d like the Central Avenue and Salem Avenue sides to look similar.
“I feel like there should be some care and thought given to how that backdoor can be a front door, because it’s a front door, (for those of us) who live on Central,” she said.
United Church Homes said the site plan is preliminary and it’s still pretty early in the planning process.
“We value and appreciate all of the neighbors’ feedback and suggestions throughout this process,” said Nathan Bollinger, executive director of asset stewardship and development with United Church Homes. “... We look forward to continued discussions with all of the neighbors in the area.”
City staff said the concept proposal for the new proposed apartment building is acceptable and seems consistent with the common elements of existing multi-family buildings in the area.
Landmarks Commission member Fred Holley said the design of the new building looks good and complements the existing school.
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