Planning Board recommends approval of Graceway Village family-shelter site plan after public support

The Planning Board recommended that the City Commission accept a major site plan and conditional-use proposal from Graceway Village Inc. to develop a family shelter and temporary housing campus at 1780 Hartman Road.

Assistant Planning Director Chris Sunnison told the board the application covers about 7.84 acres and proposes phased development: phase 1 would add a roughly 10,200-square-foot expansion containing 10 dwelling units and support facilities, phase 2 would introduce six triplex cottage buildings (about 990 sq ft each), and phase 3 would add another 6,300 sq ft and eight dwelling units. Staff found the plan consistent with the future land-use and zoning policy and recommended approval with nine conditions, including tree-removal permits, federal and state agency permits as required, landscape maintenance agreements and a stormwater maintenance plan.

Graceway Village CEO Crystal Netherton described the project as an educational, temporary campus designed to help families transition to permanent housing. "We are serving nearly 8,000 meals a month," she told the board, describing existing operations from the organization’s cafe and boutique and saying many families would need only a short-term stay and training to regain housing stability. Mark Lansman, the project engineer, and other project representatives answered technical questions about phasing, design and sidewalk connectivity.

Public commenters included residents and volunteers who said Graceway fills a local gap in family shelter services; several neighbors and board members discussed transitional zoning along Hartman Road and whether the campus design should avoid an institutional feel. Sunnison and staff described the site as an appropriate transitional use between low-density residential and nearby commercial/utility uses and noted the county has required right-of-way/permitting actions and sidewalk installation as part of the development review.

The board voted to recommend the application to the City Commission with the nine staff conditions. The motion was moved and seconded on the record and carried by roll call.

What this means: Graceway Village’s site plan advance allows the nonprofit to seek required building permits, federal/state agency approvals and the phased construction sequence recommended by staff; phase-2 construction will be subject to additional major design review before building permits are issued.

Reporting note: staff recommendations, phase descriptions and conditions come from the planning-department presentation to the board; programmatic details about Graceway’s operations and meal counts were provided by the CEO during her remarks.