Woodland Council rejects big apartment complex

City councilors voted against reopening the comprehensive plan 6-0, with Councilor Carol Rounds absent from the meeting. Councilor Ben Fredricks, who made the initial motion to deny the request, said the comprehensive plan is a “result of extensive discussion” and the burden is on the proponent to show why changing it justified.

“The applicant has not met this burden,” he said.

Councilor Dave Plaza said he was concerned about adding cars to the packed neighborhood, where “streets are already slammed with parking issues.”

Steve Gibson, managing member with Corporate Financial Solutions, said the plan now is to sit back and figure out what can be put on that parcel instead. He said the company has some backup ideas but is still doing feasibility studies on some and didn’t want to list any specific ideas. Gibson said the company purchased the land specifically to build the apartment complex, and that it’s a bit on the smaller side to make a light industrial property as profitable.

“That’s why the property sat forever,” he said. “It’s just so small. There are only a few things you can put there to make money. You can put in light industrial that would break even, but people don’t get into development to break even.”

Gibson said Corporate Financial Solutions would also consider selling the land, if another preferable use isn’t found.

In a presentation to the council, the plan called for 76 units ranging in size and price. Gibson said the apartments probably would have cost somewhere between $850 a month to $1,150 a month. A two-bedroom apartment would’ve been about 875 square feet, he said.

“Never high end, never low end,” Gibson said. “We wanted to be right in the middle for the average worker.”

The presentation to council said Woodland has a “missing middle,” with an insufficient supply of moderately-priced housing options.

Gibson said he thought the apartments were a good fit for that parcel because it is surrounded on three sides by other high-density housings. However, across the street is a building at 550 Columbia St. owned by Truck Shops Inc. That building houses five businesses, four of which are truck repair shops.

Residents and business owners in the area were concerned about an apartment complex moving across the street from a building that has various kinds of trucks coming and going everyday.

Doug Fredrickson, who is a co-owner of Truck Shops Inc. and owns A-1 Truck Repair out of that Columbia Street building, called the council’s decision a “win for citizens and businesses for Woodland.” At a council meeting last year, Fredrickson handed in petitions with more than 100 signatures from Woodland business owners and residents who didn’t want to see the parcel rezoned. He said he was a bit surprised by the council decision, since the Woodland Planning Commission approved the motion at their Nov. 30 meeting.

“I thought it was going the other way,” Fredrickson said. “Woodland does need housing.”