80 senior apartments planned in Braselton

NorSouth Development, Atlanta, wants to build a three-story building that will include one and two bedroom units for those at least 55 years old.

The company’s request will be heard by the Braselton Planning Commission during a public hearing on Monday, April 23, at 7 p.m. The Braselton Town Council will hold a public hearing on the planning commission’s recommendation on Thursday, May 10, at 4 p.m. A council vote is expected on Monday, May 14, at 7 p.m.

Once part of the Century Center at Braselton development, the 4.6-acre tract is located behind the center that includes a bank, church and pediatrics office as tenants.

In 2010, a total of 11 acres that was part of Century Center at Braselton was rezoned from general commercial to office and institutional use.

That’s also when the former property owners started planning for a 50-unit assisted living facility as the first phase of the proposed “Seasons of Georgia” development. Additional plans called for independent living units and a nursing home.

The property’s former owners also got a bond approval from the Joint Development Authority of Winder-Barrow County in 2010 to get lower-cost financing for the senior care facility.

The vacant property is now owned by PB Real Estate, LLC, which purchased the property in November 2010, according to Barrow County tax records.

NorSouth Development is proposing that “Braselton Court” include one and two-bedroom units ranging from 725 square feet to 1,015 square feet, according to plans submitted to the town. All units will include a kitchen with pantry, nine-foot high ceilings, walk-in closets and Energy Star appliances.

The community will also feature a fitness center, community room, library with business center, resident gardens and an outdoor gazebo with barbeque area.

While the development is open to those 55 and older, most of the residents in Braselton Court will likely be around 70 years old, according to NorSouth. The company says that seniors make fewer daily vehicle trips compared to the general population and they typically drive during non-peak travel times.

NorSouth further pointed to the proximity of Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s planned hospital in Braselton on Thompson Mill Road (Ga. Hwy. 347). The hospital is slated to open in early 2015.

One of the apartments in Braselton Court will be reserved for an employee that will provide onsite management or maintenance, according to NorSouth’s plans.