A new senior living facility is one step closer to being built in Charleston.
The municipal planning commission on Wednesday unanimously approved site plans for the facility, tentatively named Crossings at Southridge.
Roanoke, Virginia-based Smith/Packett Med-Com, LLC will be developing the center. It will be operated by Harmony Senior Services, a Smith/Packett affiliate.
The plan for the four-story, 190,000-square-foot independent living facility calls for 186 housing units.
It would be Smith/Packett's third facility in West Virginia. Two similar facilities are under construction in Morgantown and Martinsburg.
Aubury Holmes, a development manager for Smith/Packett, said Charleston was a market the company considered for several months because of its aging population.
"Charleston seemed like a good, natural fit. We saw that there was a need for us," Holmes said.
Somewhere between 110 and 120 new jobs would be created at the facility. The project is expected to cost about $35 million, Holmes said .
Holmes said the next step for the facility is to get a building plan approved for the center. Holmes said after ground is broken in the area it will take 16 to 18 months to construct the facility.
"This community has been warm and welcoming, and we're thrilled to be here," Holmes said.
This comes after the municipal planning committee approved a resolution Monday during a special meeting that allows the city to sign a memorandum of understanding that allows the city to accept dedication of a road leading into the new center after it's completed.
A staff analysis for the city's planning department said the facility would provide "a needed service to an aging population."
The planning commission also approved a conditional zoning ordinance change in Kanawha City for a potential hydroponic greenhouse.
The greenhouse may be built on the land on the corner of MacCorkle Avenue SE and 47th Street. Tara and Virginia Manchin, the residents interested in developing the greenhouse, say the greenhouse would have 50 hydroponic towers.
The lot is in a residential/office district. The pair still would need to apply for a conditional use permit for the building.
Virginia Manchin said they plan to produce enough fresh produce to sell it commercially, potentially to local schools.
Charleston planning director Dan Vriendt said the greenhouse, if developed, would be the first of its kind in Charleston.
"This is locally grown right here in the valley," Vriendt said. "It's all positive."
Further approval by Charleston City Council's Planning Committee and city council is needed before construction can begin on the greenhouse.
Reach Ali Schmitz at ali.schmitz@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @SchmitzMedia on Twitter.