Preliminary work on a two-story, 40-unit structure is currently under way on College Street, with a bid for extension of water and sewer service and sidewalk construction approved by City Council earlier this week.

Bids were opened for the Sampson Square Apartments project at 1 p.m. Monday and closed the next day. There were five bids received for the project at the College Street site, located across from State Pest Control and Piggly Wiggly. The lowest bid was submitted by Mills Construction of Raleigh, at a cost of $232,000.

The project consists of paving, grading and installing the water, sewer and drain lines. It will be paid for through a Community Development Block Grant. Work is expected to begin on those components as early as this week.

In January 2009, city manager John Connet informed Council that the city obtained $240,000 in CDBG funds for installation of water and sewer lines and sidewalks at Sampson Square Apartments. In accepting those funds, the Department of Commerce required a formal agreement between the city and Sampson Square, LLC specifying that if Sampson Square, LLC does not create 40 rental units within three years of the agreement, they will be responsible for repaying the $240,000 to the Department of Commerce.

The agreement was unanimously approved at that meeting. Land was officially transfered from the two property owners to Sampson Square, LLC at the end of last year.

The apartment complex has been a topic of discussion since the beginning of 2008. Mills Construction will also be the main contractor on the actual construction of Sampson Square Apartments.

Following a presentation in March 2008 about a possible multi-family complex on College Street, a conditional use permit was unanimously approved the next month for Fred G. Mills and Mills Construction Co., Inc. to construct the two story multi-family apartment building at 804 and 806 College St. The site is located on approximately 4.5 acres in the R-6 residential district.

Mills Construction representatives have previously described to Council how the apartment building would be constructed. According to the company, it will be fully handicap accessible and include an elevator, a library and computer center. Mills Construction representative Julie Graw said it was decided that 40 units, rather than the original 50, would be included in the design. Graw said that the apartment would house only tenants who were 55 and older, and a “key punch” form of security would be implemented at the drive-through entrance. She has added that buffers will be located all around the building and will always be maintained.

Having some form of buffer along the property line was a point of emphasis when the issue first arose, following concerns raised by adjacent neighbors of walk-through traffic.

Jeff Vreugdenhil, director of Clinton-Sampson Planning and Development, has stated there will be a buffer, including a fence to be placed along the rear property line. Graw said dumpsters will be screened in and efforts to reduce trespassing and parking were to be implemented as part of the construction of the structure.

Chris Berendt can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 121, or by email at sicrime@myclintonnc.com.