Tag Archives: tipton

HAND’s Southwood Villas senior housing taking shape in Tipton

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Construction crews have been racing Mother Nature on Southwood Drive in Tipton, where HAND Inc. is building five rental homes for low-income seniors. Work on the two-bedroom, one-bath units began in November and is expected to be complete this spring.

The project has been in the works since 2019, when the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority awarded HAND $2 million to build nine units on five residential lots just east of the Tipton High School football field. The scope of the project was later reduced after neighbors objected and a judge ruled that the planned duplexes could not straddle plat lines.

Construction on five rental homes for low-income seniors in Tipton started in November.

HAND still plans to spend more than $1.5 million on the development, but the changes delayed construction until this fall.

Fishers-based Meyer Najem is the Construction Manager, working to bring to life the plans laid out by architect Brenner Design and Weihe Engineers, both of Indianapolis.

Residents must be at least 55 years old and earn no more than 60 percent of Tipton County’s area median income: about $30,840 per year for a single tenant or $35,280 for a couple. All HAND tenants are subjected to a rigorous approval process that includes criminal background and credit checks as well as income verification. Tenants must have income.

Rents will range from about $560 to $750 per month, depending on household size and income. The Department of Housing & Urban Development sets rent and income limits each year.

HAND’s property manager Bradley Co. will begin accepting applications from potential residents on Feb. 1, 2022. Applicants can download a Quick Application here and submit it via email or at the leasing office, 901 Basil Lane, Sheridan. Completed applications received on or after Feb. 1 will be processed in the order they are received, and all qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list.

Applications received prior to Feb. 1 will not be accepted.

If you already are on HAND’s waiting list, please note: You will need to submit another Quick Application expressing interest in Southwood Villas on or after Feb. 1.

HAND adjusts plans for Tipton senior apartments

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Construction of five rental units for low-income seniors in Tipton is expected to begin this spring after several months of public meetings and legal proceedings caused HAND to adjust its plans.

HAND originally planned to build nine rental units on five residential lots it owns on Southwood Drive, just east of the Tipton High School football field. But a Boone County special judge ruled in November that the nonprofit developer cannot build duplexes that cross platted lot lines, sending HAND and its design team back to the drawing board.

New designs are being finalized and cost projections are being updated in order to resubmit the project to the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, which awarded HAND $2 million for the 9-unit development in 2019.

The Tipton Board of Zoning Appeals ruled in June 2020 that HAND could build seven units on the site, more than the five allowed by the city’s development standards. To build nine units, HAND needed a zoning variance reducing the minimum lot size from 8,000 square feet per unit to about 4,500 square feet per unit. The BZA agreed to a compromise of 5,275 square feet per unit, but neighbors objected and asked for a judicial review of the decision.

The revised plans call for one stand-alone rental unit to be built on each HAND-owned lot.

Tipton board OKs smaller senior development

Rendering of 9-unit Southwood Villas
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The Tipton Board of Zoning Appeals voted  June 25 to allow HAND to build seven affordable apartments for seniors on property the Noblesville organization acquired last year.

HAND’s original plans called for building nine units on five residential lots, which would have required a variance reducing the minimum lot size from 8,000 square feet per unit to about 4,500 square feet per unit. The board voted 3-1 to reduce the minimum lot size to 5,725 square feet per unit.

The BZA also approved a zoning variance that will allow HAND to establish a 10-foot buffer yard along its shared property lines without building a fence. Members rejected a request to reduce the required number of parking spaces from 18 to 12, but their decision to eliminate two units also reduces the on-site parking needs.

HAND has submitted its development plan to the city’s Plan Commission for review. A decision could be made as soon as its next meeting on Aug. 13.