Townhomes or duplexes replace tiny homes in plans for vets' village at Erie Sports Center

The plan this past fall was to create a village of tiny homes for veterans at Erie Sports Center on Oliver Road in Summit Township.

That plan is changing to meet township zoning requirements.

Planned at Erie Sports Center: Tiny homes village for veterans

Organizers now plan to build duplexes or townhomes to exceed the township's minimum square-footage requirement for residences.

They now also hope to build an American Legion post at the sports park with additional apartments for veterans.

Organizers expect to submit a formal development plan for the veterans' village project to the township this spring. Township approval of the plan is the first step toward obtaining permits for construction.

The plan: Origins and changes

The duplexes or townhomes would be built on the south side of the sports park, near Robison Road.

"We first talked to the township about 20 500-square-foot tiny homes but were told that the minimum square footage required is 720 square feet," said project organizer Brian Gates. "We're now looking at 15 two-bedroom duplexes or townhomes, each 800 square feet."

Gates, a Connecticut businessman, has partnered with businesses to distribute food as well as jackets donated by retailer Ocean State Job Lot to veterans and active military families in Philadelphia and other East Coast communities. Jackets distributed by the Veterans Miracle Center Erie focused Gates' attention on Erie as a possible site for a housing project for veterans, including those recently discharged from the military with limited prospects for a new career.

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Plans for the veterans' village also include solar panels to power the community, a greenhouse where veterans could be employed raising produce, and job training and other supports for veterans and military families.

Erie Sports Center owner Troy Bingham applauded the idea and agreed to host the development. Veterans would be role models and could be coaches for the children and young adults participating in sports at the complex, Bingham said when plans were first announced in October.

The American Legion post now proposed for the site would front Robison Road. The 10,000-square-foot building would include a restaurant and eight apartments for veterans. Its construction would require a local post to operate the facility.

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"We're talking with American Legion commanders in the county, maybe about paper posts with no post home combining at this facility," Gates said.

Gates hopes to build a similar facility in South Amboy, New Jersey.

"There's been talk there about redoing posts to include veterans' housing," Gates said. "For me, it's been a kind of ripple effect from providing food and jackets for veterans to looking at ways to meet their housing needs."

There's plenty of land at the 60-acre Erie Sports Center for a veterans' complex, Bingham said.

"There's enough space for what we want to do and for the veterans," Bingham said. "And the Erie community needs this."

Funding and permits needed for construction

Gates envisions a "Two Cents" campaign providing major funding for the veterans' village.

Retailers and other businesses would be asked to place labeled jars at checkouts for customers to donate change for the project. The goal: one billion pennies, or $10 million.

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"The goal is to raise $10 million two cents at a time," Gates said. "We feel that we can do it, through the Two Cents campaign and other corporate and community donations."

Companies have offered materials for the project, and organizers are talking with local legislators about grant funding that might be available, Gates said.

Planning for the complex has been evolving to meet Summit Township requirements, said John Zach, of CT Consultants of Erie, an engineering firm. Zach previously was a part owner of A. Anthony & Sons Concrete of Erie.

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"I've been working the last four to six months getting to know Troy and Brian and opening a line of communication with the township," Zach said. "We're probably on concept plan seven right now to get everything in Troy and Brian's minds on paper.

"We had an initial meeting with the township and are going back to address their comments and figure out how best to mesh the project with their comprehensive plan and what variances we might need," Zach said. "We're working toward the end game of creating a phenomenal regional site for Erie that won't only have an economic impact but a social impact."

The land development plan for the project is the first step to obtaining township permissions for construction, said Summit Township Supervisor Jack Lee, director of land development for the township. The plan would first go to the Erie County Department of Planning for approval and then to the township Zoning Hearing Board and supervisors.

Project developers also would need approval from the township sewer and water authorities for utility connections.

"If they turn in a land development plan, follow our zoning regulations and get permission from the sewer and water authorities, it can happen," Lee said.

Organizers expect to submit their land development plan to the township within the next month, Zach said.

Plans that meets township requirements generally can be approved within four to six weeks, Lee said.

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie veterans' village plans revamped to include duplexes or townhomes