Developer Eying Apartment Project on Peach Orchard Road

Brickpoint Properties is scheduled to be up in front of the Burlington Planning Board this evening for an Application for Approval of a Special Permit for a proposed apartment project off of Peach Orchard Road.

Charles Mihok, project manager with Brickpoint Properties, the company behind the project, told Patch the proposed project includes 60 garden style apartments with access from a newly constructed right of way on property located off Peach Orchard Road.

Mihok said that Brickpoint Properties is the majority owner of Beacon Village and that this new project would be in the same area, but off of Peach Orchard Road rather than connecting to Beacon Village directly (see map). If approved, these apartments would connect to Beacon Village with a walking path so residents could share facilities, but there will be no connecting roadway for vehicles. Mihok also said that after Brickpoint became the major owner at Beacon Village in 2006, the company made significant upgrades to the apartments, which can give people an idea of what to expect in the new development.

When asked how the company landed on the 60 new apartments, Mihok said it was based on a number of factors, including the size of the parcel, the complexity of the site and the development costs. He said the company needs a certain density for the project to make economic sense.

Mihok said he believes there is a need for these apartments in town. He said Beacon Village is 99 percent occupancy and there are often waiting lists for new apartment.

"The renting market is strong in this region and Burlington is a desirable place for people to live," he said.

Mihok said his company has met with abutters and presented informational sessions to get them up to speed. He said in the meetings some expressed concerns about how the project would impact their view and asked how much of the project will be visible from their properties.

Mihok said that because the site of the project is on a hill, the company is going to cut into the ground to place the apartments. The geography, he said, will help keep the visual impact low from Peach Orchard Road and Burton Road, but that some neighbors will see the roof tops. He said there are also plans to plant trees and shrubs in the buffer zone to reduce the visual impact of the project.

Here is some information on the project shared by Brickpoint Properties:

• The new community will be located on a 4 acre undeveloped portion of the existing Beacon Village Apartments property adjacent to Peach Orchard Road.

• The new community will consist of sixty (60) garden-style apartment units situated in two structures that are 2-stories high.

• Units will be a mix of studios, one bedroom and two bedroom units

• All vehicle access/egress to the new community will be provided via of a newly constructed roadway off of Peach Orchard Road.

• There will be no vehicle access from the existing Beacon Village property to the new Peach Orchard Place property.

• The new structures will be “built-in” to the existing hillside/topography, to minimize their visual impact on our direct neighbors.

• Residents of the new community will have access to the on-site amenities at Beacon Village amenities include two swimming pools, a children's play area, tennis court, picnic areas with barbeque grills, modern laundry facilities, a fitness center and clubhouse with a sundeck overlooking our own private pond

• This project is anticipated to yield $90,000 in Building Permit Fees

Burlington Patch will stay on this story and bring updates as they are available. In the meantime, what do you think of this proposal? Let us know in the comments section below.