Condominiums at Acorn Alley Depend on Housing Market

Residential units are not necessarily a guaranteed part of the Acorn Alley II redevelopment under construction in downtown Kent.

Doug Fuller, the architect and head of the Fuller Design Group responsible for designing Ron Burbick's Acorn Alley projects, told members of the Kent Planning Commission Tuesday that there is a contingency plan in place if Burbick can't sell all the residential condominium spaces on the upper floors of Acorn Alley II.

"The entire top floor is meant to be condominiums," Fuller said. "In saying that, I want to maintain flexibility for Mr. Burbick. If the market isn’t ready yet for condominiums in downtown Kent, it is designed from a code standpoint that it can also be office space."

Depending on the layout, the condominiums could vary in size from 900 square feet to as much as 2,000 square feet, Fuller said. But the size depends on what the buyer negotiates with Burbick for the space.

Fuller said as many as 10 or as few as six condominiums could be built on the upper floors of Acorn Alley II. None of the units has been sold yet, but Fuller said they are working on three with potential buyers.

"But I wouldn't say they're sold," he said. "Ron is quite committed to having a large amount of residential up there, realizing it’s important to creating a vibrant downtown. But we’ll see how the market goes."

The planning commission approved plans Tuesday for the second phase of Acorn Alley II, which includes a small building lining the alley and the open-air "Acorn Plaza."

In November, the commission approved plans for the first phase of Acorn Alley II, which is under construction along Erie Street. Phase two of Acorn Alley II includes plans for the plaza and a two-story building that will feature retail on the first floor with commercial space on the second floor.

The centerpiece of the plaza will be commissioned by Burbick.

Several shops will face the 60-foot-by-60-foot Acorn Plaza, including Fuller said all the spaces lining the plaza are filled with .

"I don’t think there’s any business that’s going in there that has more than one other business of their own," he said. "It’s all unique. It’s Kent. It’s not chains or regional chains.

"This plaza’s being developed ... to create the atmosphere around these shops and create an interesting experience moving along the alley," he said.

One potential issue with the project is how the plaza faces South DePeyster Street. For new projects in the downtown area, the city's code requires buildings front 70 percent of the adjoining street.

Jennifer Barone, Kent planning engineer, said the project could potentially need a variance from the Kent Board of Zoning Appeals on the frontage requirement.

"That is something that we’re still trying to find some kind of guidance for," Kent Assistant Law Director Eric Fink said.

Fuller said that ultimately may not be an issue because Burbick is planning to build another building along South DePeyster Street to enclose the plaza if the surrounding developments succeed.

Commission members John Gargan and Melissa Long expressed concerns about parking for the project — particularly if condominiums are developed on the top floors.

Barone said Burbick is planning to rely on surrounding public on-street parking, spaces in the and the project's 14 spaces to serve the new buildings.

"My only concern was that there will be sufficient parking just for those residents," Gargan said. "I know there will be 350 spaces across the street. But people like to have their car where they live."

"I think we’re in an interesting transition in the city to see how we adapt to multimodal, to see how we adapt to large public parking," Fuller said. "We’ve never had that (in Kent)."