The City of Indianola might be getting a set of brand new housing units to accommodate families in the southwest part of the city.
Anthony Wansley, president of Florence-based AW Design & Build Co, pitched a proposal to the mayor and board of aldermen to purchase 4.4 acres of city-owned land at the end of West Davis Circle to erect a contingent of single-family residences he is calling Austin Square.
The project is located in Ward 4.
Wansley’s homes would be rental units with an estimated monthly charge of $695 per unit.
The property has to be appraised and valued before the city can proceed with the sale, if it chooses to do so.
Mayor Steve Rosenthal told Wansley that the city has had prior inquiries regarding that spot.
“But you’re the first in a long time that has actually come ready to go and do something,” Rosenthal said. “I would love to see us work a deal with you, because all we’re doing is mowing it.”
The first phase of Wansley’s plan, which he hopes to begin in six to nine months - depending on the availability of water, sewer and electricity to the site - would entail the construction of three duplexes suited for two families each.
“A lot of people like to stereotype duplexes, but they’ll be more than nice duplexes,“ Wansley said.
His floor plan and concept features 927 sq. ft. of living space per unit with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room and kitchen with appliances plus a front porch and rear patio.
Phase two of his venture will be to add three more buildings, but the first phase must be delivered before that begins.
He eventually plans to expand to a total of eight or nine duplexes that would mean housing for up to 18 families.
“We can likely put one additional building to it,” Wansley said. Adding that the number of buildings would depend on the actual property boundaries determined by the legal description.
A lengthy discussion ensued that involved a probe into the requisite for a park or some type of recreation in or near the complex.
Alderman Gary Fratesi asked if Wansley had any plans to plant some type of shrubbery on the west perimeter to absorb some of the dust that arises from the gravel road and thousands of acres of farmland that are adjacent to the proposed site.
Ward 4 Alderman Marvin Elder suggested Wansley talk to the owner of the farmland and road to see if something can be worked out to curtail the dust.
Elder said some of his constituents in that area already complain about the amount of dust, and he is concerned about putting more families in that area in light of the dust factor.
Wansley then asked if there were any other city-owned R-3 zoned parcels that would suit his needs and was told there were other locations on the north side of town that already had water, sewer, and electricity, but they were not city-owned.
