The Kingston Planning Board has given its approval to a proposal to build a 60-unit apartment building for senior citizens age 55 and up, The project is known as Kingston Meadows and would be located on currently vacant land off Hurley Avenue in the northwestern part of the city. The Hudson Valley Housing Development Fund located in Wappingers Falls is the applicant to build the project.
A previous version of the proposal has been under discussion for more than a decade, with the Ulster County Planning Board in 2011 expressing serious concerns about the building site being subject to flooding. On Dec. 7, 2022, the county planners again raised concerns about the project, including whether adequate emergency access would exist for fire fighting vehicles.
The Kingston Planning Board at its Jan. 17 meeting approved the site plan for the project, which has a street address of 191-199 Hurley Ave. The proposed building would be three stories with 58 one-bedroom units and two two-bedroom units.
The building would be constructed in a flood plain. The 10-acre site is along the old New York, Ontario and Western Railway right-of-way, which would be used to as a walking path. Surface parking would be provided for residents and guests. Tenants would pay for their own electricity used for lighting and cooking while electricity for heating, air conditioning and hot water would be included in the rent payments. Electric heat pumps would be used for heating and air conditioning. Amenities include a community room with kitchen, lounge areas, an outdoor patio and laundry facilities on each floor.
The building would be constructed on a slab with a poured concrete foundation. It would be wood frame with exterior walls made of a mix of brick, manufactured stone and fiber cement siding. Vinyl windows would be used.
Rents would begin at $563 month for a one-bedroom unit and go up to $995 for a two-bedroom unit. Pricing would be to make the units affordable to people with incomes from 40% to 60% of the Area Median Income. All of the units would be handicapped accessible. Internet service would be included as part of the rent.
A marketing study done for the project by Newmark Knight Frank said that only one senior affordable housing project has been built in Kingston in the last 20 years.
