In an unexpected move at the City Council meeting Monday night, city Vice Mayor Joe Lewis made a motion to table a request for a special exception for the senior citizen development of Harbor Pointe Phase II to be located at E.B. Hamilton and Carpenter Road. By unanimous vote, the request was tabled until a special called meeting scheduled for May 12.

Harbor Pointe Phase II will be a 56-unit apartment complex for residents age 55 and up and will be very similar to the Harbor Pointe complex located on Richards Drive off Old Ocilla Road.

Lewis was asked by councilman Dave Hetzel why he wanted to table the request. Lewis responded, “Some of this information, it’s the first time I’ve heard it.” He said he was interested in taking some time to “digest the info.”

On Tuesday morning, The Gazette spoke with Lewis who said he had tabled the request “out of an interest in being thorough and an abundance of caution.” Lewis said his concerns centered around the restrictions or requirements of the development, since it would be eligible for Department of Community Affairs tax credits and the council would have to pass a resolution stating the need for the housing.

Lewis said he had asked Julie Shewchuk, the planning and zoning director who had presented the information at the workshop meeting, what the DCA restrictions or requirements were and she did not have that information.

During the April 21 workshop meeting, Lewis had asked Shewchuk about the age and income requirements for the apartments and Shewchuk said she did not know. Lewis stated, “I know the apartment complex on Rainwater Road, the residents have to have 75 percent of the median income level — which I believe is in the mid-30s.” Lewis told Shewchuk at that time, “We will need that information.” Shewchuk told Lewis she was aware of it being a DCA project but those restrictions were not part of the application. She said she thought the average rent would be around $800 to $900 a month.

That information proved to be incorrect. Monday night Jerry Braden, the developer, spoke to city council members and explained the restrictions. He said that the monthly rent was typically $300 to $400 per month. He said without the DCA involvement and in “the urban market” the units, which were of high quality, would rent for approximately $1,500 per month.

“In 2002, when we built Harbor Pointe off Old Ocilla, there were 56 units and they were rented up in 30 days,” Braden said, speaking of the need for quality housing for seniors. “The need is really there in small, rural communities,” he said.

Braden said that Harbor Pointe Phase II would differ from those off Old Ocilla in a few ways. “That complex had 24 two-bedrooms and this one will have 32 two-bedrooms,” he said. Braden also said the first complex had two bedrooms with one bath and this complex would have two bedrooms with two baths.

Braden said the units would be restricted to people age 55 or older. “One person in the household must be 55 or older,” Braden said. “It does not allow their grandchildren to live with them.” He said the average age of the residents was 76 and most of them were women.

The income requirements would be 60 percent of the median income. Braden said that would be a little over $2,000 per month for family income.

Braden said some 60 days ago they had opened a similar project in Ashburn and some of those residents had voiced their desire to move back to Tifton if the apartments were available here.

Julia Shewchuk said Monday night that the Harbor Pointe Phase II development met all the requirements for the special exception request and she recommended it for approval, with the condition that the name be changed in order to address the fire department’s concern about possible confusion in locating the correct address.

Lewis said, “There is a need for good, quality housing for all our citizens.” He added, “But we need an appropriate balance and it does need to fit the zoning requirements.”

Lewis said he did not anticipate a problem with the development having their special request approved.