By T. Scott Boatright
After postponing a vote last month to gather more information, Ruston’s Board of Aldermen approved an ordinance amendment during Monday’s City Council meeting planned to bring more senior housing to the city.
That amendment rezones property west of and adjoining South Farmerville Street south of Pleasant Hill Lane and north of Emerald Trace Drive from R1 (single family district) to R3 (multi-family district) in order for the applicant — Jeff Glover and MGM Management of Monroe — to construct retirement townhouses on the property.
But before MGM can apply for government funding for the project, the land has to be rezoned to allow townhomes.
MGM hasn’t bought the property, although the city has a purchase agreement already set as part of a housing revitalization plan approved by the City Council in May.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on May 19 approved recommending the rezoning to the City Council, but during a more than 15-minute discussion during last month’s meeting, Ruston’s City Council moved to postpone the matter to find more information of the planned development, including what age is considered “senior” or retirement age.
Councilwoman Angela Mayfield voiced those concerns during the July meeting.
“My concern is it becoming another Cinnamon Square type situation where it becomes a dumping ground,” Mayfield said during that July meeting. “I understand that we need more housing. I just don’t want something where it becomes just a dumping ground. When you say senior housing for 50 years old, to me, 50 isn’t a senior. I’m older than that.”
The discussion during last month’s meeting was postponed in order to allow for time to find out if the planned development would be Section 8 housing and if the minimum age requirement be raised from 50 to 60 along with other questions Ruston’s Board of Alderson had concerning the project. No representatives from MGM were on hand to answer those questions during that meeting.
But Walker said that Glover had met with city officials on Monday morning and alleviated those questions.
“One question was whether the housing would be one story or two story,” Walker said. “It will be one story. And it is a gated complex, also.”
Mayfield said that Glover also soothed the concerns she had.
“I had several constituents call in regard to this, and they were very concerned,” Mayfield said. “And I’m pleased to be able to say that we met with the owners, and they satisfied all of our requests and were very open to everything we asked them.
“They showed us (what they had planned) and told us we could go and look at developments they have, and I think they are going to bring great housing to the city of Ruston. I think everyone will be pleased.”
During Monday’s meeting the City Council also passed a resolution authorizing the execution of an Equipment Conditional Sales Lease Agreement with Cadence Equipment Finance in order to lease a new garbage truck.
“This is for a front-load garbage truck,” said City Public Works director John Freeman. “It’s to replace one that has been giving us a problem, and we would like to get it off of our yard and replace it with something that’s functional.”
In the brief meeting that lasted under 10 minutes with only three items and a treasurer’s report on the agenda, Councilman John Denny also introduced an ordinance that if passed after being discussed during next month’s meeting would allow people to carry open cups of alcohol on city streets if those drinks are in specially marked cups.”
Should the ordinance be approved, signage will be erected along sidewalks marked designating the district, which will pretty much be the same as the city’s existing cultural district that includes all existing downtown restaurants along with new establishments planned for the Power Water District on East Mississippi Avenue.
