By Mark Wineka
Salisbury Post
The Arc of Rowan plans to build apartment buildings on separate ends of Salisbury.
Each 2,668-square-foot structure will contain four apartment units. They will not be group homes but independent living units whose grounds will be maintained by Arc of Rowan.
If all city approvals come through, one of the buildings will be located at 1010 S. Fulton St.; the other, 210 E. 15th St.
The Salisbury Planning Board approved site plans for each of the buildings Tuesday, with Greensboro architect Ken Bell in the audience to answer questions about the proposals.
Andrew Pitner, president of the Fulton Heights Neighborhood Association, said his group hoped the structure on South Fulton Street would be built with materials compatible with historical properties nearby.
Fulton Heights is a National Register of Historic Places district.
Don Hesprich, a homeowner at 1110 S. Fulton St., said the neighborhood doesn’t need another apartment building.
This particular area already has enough under-occupied apartment units that have presented problems for the neighbors, he said.
Bell said the apartment building’s design, identical for each location, was submitted to and approved by the State Historic Preservation Office last fall.
The buildings will have neither aluminum or vinyl siding and will be in keeping with the scale and historic detailing of nearby Fulton Heights, Bell said.
Bell added that the properties will have long-term rent subsidies for its tenants. Arc typically has a waiting list for these kinds of units, he said.
His previous experience with Arc suggests that the units will have “extremely low vacancy rates,” and the properties will have excellent maintenance, Bell said.
Planning Board member Diane Young noted that the zoning on South Fulton Street allows the apartment building, although she recognized concerns about rental properties in this area.
From a design standpoint, she added, the building will fit in well, although the Planning Board has no say on the design.
She complimented Bell on running the design by the State Historic Preservation Office for an opinion.
The Planning Board approved both apartment buildings by a 9-0 vote. Its recommendation goes on to Salisbury City Council.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263 or mwineka@salisburypost.com.