More Lake Forest duplexes OKed – Plattsburgh Press Republican

PLATTSBURGH Lake Forest Senior Living Community has approval to build five new duplexes.

The new units are to be constructed on a 3.3-acre lot on the east side of Nevada Oval, near the other nine duplexes owned by Lake Forest.

Lake Forest Executive Director Kevin Defayette was pleased with the City of Plattsburgh Planning Board's approval of the plans this week.

They can now move forward to finalize specifications so the project can go out to bid in the next few weeks, he said.

The overall construction timetable will depend on the availability and schedule of the firm that is awarded the contract.

"We're still shooting to begin (construction) by the end of spring or the beginning of summer," Defayette said.

LONG WAIT

The Lake Forest Board of Directors decided to pursue the project due to demand for duplex housing.

A six-to-seven-year wait exists now, as Lake Forest only has nine such units.

"We're trying to minimize that as much as we can so people can enjoy the lifestyle they've been waiting for, without having to wait longer than they need to," Defayette said.

That demand comes at least partly from the amenities available, such as access to shopping and to recreation, including Lake Champlain, the nearby bike path and city recreation center.

"It really is a great location,"Defayette said. "The founding fathers really knew what they were doing when they chose it."

TWO OPTIONS

The buildings would be similar to the neighboring units. Two floor plans are offered, each with two bedrooms and two baths in the duplex units.

One layout calls for about 1,112 square feet of living space per unit, while the second would have about 1,505 square feet, due to the addition of a sunroom.

Both layouts include an attached garage in the center of each building, at the eastern end of the driveway.

The duplexes would be served by city water, wastewater and electric connections.

CHANGES MADE

Project Engineer Michael Coon of Architecture and Engineering Design Associates said they were able to address the issues that came up during a preliminary-plan review last month.

The plans were shifted to eliminate the need for split driveways for two of the duplexes, which had been caused by the presence of utility poles.

The applicant also agreed to install sidewalks on the eastern side of Nevada Oval, along with a striped crosswalk to connect to sidewalks on New Hampshire Road to the west.

The Planning Board requested, and the applicant agreed to a 2-degree pitch to the section of driveway to the road to prevent stormwater from flowing onto the properties during heavy rain.

Defayette said AEDA did a great job in the lead role on this project

"We're very happy with their work."

Email Dan Heath:

dheath@pressrepublican.com

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More Lake Forest duplexes OKed - Plattsburgh Press Republican