The residential development projects just keep coming for the city of Kenosha.
According to city documents, Kenosha-based Douglas Kent Development is proposing a 96-unit condominium community near the northwest corner of 21st Street and 22nd Avenue.
The development would consist of 12 eight-unit buildings. Each unit would be approximately 1,300 square feet, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and attached two-car garage. The developer would price the units between $200,000 and $225,000.
Doug Stanich, president of Douglas Kent, said the new residences will cater to younger people, such as recent graduates, or those looking to downsize such as empty-nesters or divorcees.
However, most of the new housing stock on the market is in the range of $350,000 to $400,000, which is often too costly for younger buyers, he said.
“The idea here is, the only way you can do that (at that price point) is bring it to multi-family to bring your cost per square foot down,” Stanich said.
Plans depict a green space at the center of the development. Stanich said the area is about the size of a football field, and will include recreational features for residents. He didn’t specify what those could be.
Conceptual plans are slated for review by Kenosha’s City Plan Commission on Thursday. No formal action is scheduled to be taken.
In a report to commissioners, city staff wrote they take issue with at least two aspects of the project: That the new street serving the residences are proposed to be public, not private, and that the buildings would be served by city garbage pick-up.
“These roads will only serve this development and not the greater community as a whole, so they should be built and maintained as private streets,” the staff report states.
And assuming those roads end up being private, the city would not want to have its heavy equipment damage them, the report further states.
Stanich said he didn’t see how a city could tax the building’s occupants to maintain its streets and fund garbage pick-up while also denying them those same services within this development.
And in an email to the city, Stanich wrote there is “no way” he could prevent the neighbors from using the new road leading to 22nd Avenue unless gates are installed.
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