By Jason Crane
The Aurora City Council gave consent to a permit for the development of Fourteen Forty Nine Senior Estates Subdivision to be constructed in the same site of the demolished Jericho Circle subdivision at the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday, April 19.
City government of Aurora documents show the Resolution is for a Preliminary Plan and Plat for Fourteen Forty Nine Senior Estates Subdivision at 1449 Jericho Circle for the construction of an affordable senior rental community.
Consent means the agenda item is likely to be placed on the full City Council agenda and possibly approved Tuesday, April 26.
This property was formerly the Jericho Circle Apartments which had 149 units. In 2012, this subdivision was demolished.
City government of Aurora documents show the Petitioner, Northern Lights Development Corporation is requesting approval of an ordinance establishing a conditional use Planned Development and amending Chapter 49 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Aurora, by modifying the zoning map to an underlying zoning of R-4A Two-Family Dwelling District and Office District for the property at 1449 Jericho Circle.
The Petitioner, Northern Lights Development Corporation, is requesting approval of a Preliminary Plat and Plan for a subdivision named Fourteen Forty Nine Senior Estates.
The Preliminary Plat request include the creation of a 52-lot subdivision along with the dedication of a 66-foot internal public right of way, 40-foot dedication along Jericho Road and the dedication of several easements.
The details of the Preliminary Plan request include the construction of a 70-unit affordable senior rental community for seniors 62 years and older. This community would be made up of 25 one-story duplexes, being 50 units, and 20 one-story single family residential homes of which 53 would be one-bedroom units and 17 would be two-bedroom units.
These units will range from 741 square feet to 872 square feet. Each unit will have a fire safety sprinkler system and include an in-unit washer and dryer, wiring for internet and cable connections, luxury plank flooring, a one-car driveway and a one-car garage.
The Preliminary Plan features a new clubhouse which will include an on-site management office, a club room, a media center, and a fitness club and associated parking. There will be pickle ball courts and an outdoor community area. Walking paths and sidewalks are being implemented throughout the community. The corporate office for AHA will remain on the property with underlying Office District zoning.
The Plan shows a divided entrance with a center median off Jericho Road. The internal street consists of a 31-foot back-to-back width which will allow for on-street parking. Two detention ponds are proposed fronting along Jericho Road buffering the development. Additionally, there is a detention pond at the northwest corner of the property.
• Two individuals sought to use their voices for up to three minutes each:
• Former alderman of Aurora’s Fourth Ward, Rick Lawrence expressed concern about the proposed senior housing complex to be developed on the same site as the former Jericho Circle complex which was demolished in 2012. The proposed development would be operated by Aurora Housing Authority (AHA).
Lawrence said, “I’m here to talk about your deal with Northern Lights that you just put on consent without much discussion, whatsoever.
“Northern Lights we all know had an interesting past with the AHA, under investigation for monies misappropriated, misspent.
“Now, the new director that comes in for the AHA, it turns out he’s doing the same thing as the last director. He’s also the president of Northern Lights. In turn, he’s negotiating with himself to do this deal at Jericho Circle.
“In 2020, under his presidency of Northern Lights, their charitable status with the IRS was revoked, because they didn’t declare any (IRS Form) 990s, for three years.
“There are still no 990s on record with the IRS, for Northern Lights Development. When alderman (Carl) Franco asked ‘is the director being paid?’” There’s no way to check that, because they’re not filing their documents.
“There’s a reason why you have to file 990s, so that the public has access to make sure that this is all above board.
“So here we have this AHA negotiating with themselves, to do this deal, to redevelop Jericho Circle.
“In the Committee meeting, we talked about past activities of Northern Lights. Alderman (Sherman) Jenkins never declared that he was a Board member of Northern Lights. He should have recused himself from the conversation. He should recuse himself from the whole vote. He was part of this company!
“Northern Lights doesn’t have a phone number, doesn’t have an E-mail, in fact, they list their address at Jericho Circle. They list their E-mail as AHA. They list their phone number as AHA.
“If any one of us (pointing to City Council members) when we were aldermen or now used our E-mail, for private business or for our own business, such as what Mr. (Ralph) Jordan is doing, you know that’s a problem.
“In order to be transparent here, we have no 990s to say the activities of Northern Lights is legal, who’s getting paid, where the money is going, who the Board members are of Northern Lights, but you guys just put it on consent!
“I understand we’ve done lots of deals in the past where staff doesn’t do their due diligence and things come in front of us. That’s probably why so many projects fail! But you got to ask the questions, you just can’t say yes to everything that’s put in front of you!
“This deal here, appears to be a shell game to hide the activities and money and how it will be spent at Jericho Circle.
“Go on the IRS site, tonight, and you will see, nothing is on there!”
• Aurora resident Kristen Swanson explained her hope the Aurora City Council would consider amending ordinances prohibiting roadside memorials that include an accumulation of items such as teddy bears, that are not made for outside.
Her son MonTee Clifton was killed in a car accident November 7, 2021. At that time a memorial was created at Indian Trail and Farnsworth Avenue only to later be taken down.
She asked the Aurora City Council to amend ordinances to protect roadside memorials so future grieving mothers will not have to watch the memorial be brought down.
“That somehow, those ordinances can be amended to protect memorials so that a mother coming behind me, who may have to bury her child, and a roadside memorial is even a thought, that she will not have to watch her baby’s memorial be brought down,” Swanson pleaded.