In The News
Names: Marion and John Lyon Ages: 66 and 68 Occupations: Marion — retired childcare provider and kindergarten assistant; John — retired from construction and property management Children: son; daughter; 2-year-old granddaughter, Liliana Neighborhood: Eno Haven Apartments, Hillsborough Move-in Date: October 2011 Square footage: 920 Details: Affordable apartment complex for seniors 55 and older. Two two-bedroom and 13 one-bedroom apartments open. Call 919-245-0700. Complex has laundry rooms on both ends of each floor, additional storage for each apartment, wide hallways with handrails, fitness room and common areas for sitting, playing cards, using computers. The Lyons' apartment opens to open dining and living area with galley kitchen to left off hallway. Full bathroom, two bedrooms off hallway. Nearby Landmarks: Orange County Senior Center, Triangle SportsPlex Where We Live John: We've had homes all our lives. This felt more like a home to us than an apartment. This was built recently, so all of the appliances are Energy Star rated. Our utility bills are very low — half of what we were paying at Brier Creek. We have as much amenities as we had in our own private condo, and it was upscale. Marion: We particularly like this because it's a little more private for our visiting granddaughter. You're surrounded on one side by the storage room and the other by the staircase and then the outside. John: Being on the end we have almost our own private entrance; we can go right out. There are lots of closets. Marion: Yeah, we have almost too much storage. We like the front of the building because we can see people come and go. Across the hall, that all faces the woods. They've got rocking chairs to sit out there. They have walkways that you can walk all the way out to the main road and almost to the senior center. It's well maintained. And there's a fence that separates you from the highway. You feel very safe walking. And the grounds are well maintained. John: There's plenty of parking, and at night it's all well lit here, so you feel very safe. All the apartments have emergency pull cords in the living room, bathroom and both bedrooms. Marion: They sound just outside your door. There are a lot of windows. John: It's very bright, even on a day like today. When the sun's out, you don't even need to have the lights on. Marion: And it's very quiet here. Why We Chose Our Apartment Marion: We're from a small town, where we raised our children. We're originally from New Hampshire. We were an hour outside of Boston in Brookline. When we moved to Raleigh, it was too big for us. It was another senior living center in Brier Creek. It was just too fast paced. After a year, we started looking again. First I ate lunch [in Hillsborough], and then I decided to stay here. I like these country roads; everything's a little slower. Our daughter lives in Durham. She has our first grandchild. That's one of the reasons we moved here. We wanted to see her grow up. We do like the small downtown because you can walk around. We spent the holidays there. We went to the tree lighting, had hot cocoa and met the mayor. John: And the library is great. I take our granddaughter there for “lap sit" they call it. It's like a children's story hour. She loves it. One thing I looked ahead at — and God forbid you ever need it — this apartment is well equipped for a walker or a wheelchair. Marion: This building was originally set up for aging seniors. John: All the wide corridors and the large bathroom. Marion: Safety rail. John: And the countertops, you can put a wheelchair under in the bathroom and the kitchen. Advantages Marion: People our age. The other place they were all very, very old. It was starting to make us feel older. There's a nice mixture of age here, and everybody looks much younger than they are. John: The rent for us, it was a huge advantage. They have lower rents than market rents. It allows us to have this two-bedroom for $690 a month, and that includes the water, the sewage and the trash. The only thing that we pay here is our electrical and your own cable. At Brier Creek, a two-bedroom apartment was at $1,100 to $1,200 at market rent. We were so unhappy, we were looking around to move and we said, “No, we can't afford that. Marion: There's a bus service here. It goes to stores. It's free. It comes right here to the portico. It just comes all the time. John: So if we reach the point where we can't drive anymore, we can take the bus. So we got a great deal. It's what I call the 'real deal.' We're so lucky. Disadvantages Marion: Not that I know of. John: Can't find a one. We forgot to mention how great the management company is. They just take care of any need, going through all the governmental forms. They made the process very easy for us because you have to qualify to live here, be within a certain income. Our Community John: Everybody's so friendly. Marion: We feel safe, comfortable. There's always someone who feels like talking. And just generally, the people are very caring. There have been a few instances when someone has pulled their emergency cord, and everyone rushed out to help them — even in their pajamas. We have a mailroom that has a bulletin board, and you can put anything up there. They have a suggestion box, and they have a newsletter that comes out once a month. John: That's the advantage of having an on-site manager. Marion: There's a maintenance man on duty all day five days a week. They have planned activities and potluck dinners and lunches if you wish to join them. There are also six laundry rooms in the building. They're coin-operated, but still it's very neat. They have the elevator. Pets are now allowed for a fee. John: Small pets. How We Made Our Apartment a Home Marion: We've got deer! There's a family of five. They come out at night, and they just graze. Every time I get up, I go to look out. John: It's almost like we're back in New England. Marion: And I think I've seen raccoons — and lots of birds. We're not used to these species, all different colors. John: It's actually fun to be retired and just relax and enjoy everything around you. Marion: We have fun; the pay's not so good. John: I think as you get older, the money's not as important as your quality of life and your family. When I put everything together that we have here, it's really, really nice. We feel at home. Some furniture is new; some is old. Marion: No, we don't have anything old — just you. Eno Haven Apartments Officially Opens Its Doors By Erin Wiltgen Many of those who gathered at Eno Haven Apartments on Thursday, May 19, recalled the complex's humble beginnings—a 12-acre block of hilly, wooded land riddled with clay and rock. And many remembered wondering if the plot could possibly become the grand, serene senior community planned for it. But, like a diamond in the rough, Eno Haven—an $8.9 million project consisting of 76 one- and two-bedroom low-income units—emerged complete and about one-third filled for the ribbon cutting. “It's great to see the team has transformed the construction site into a community, into a neighborhood," Bob Kucab, executive director for North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, said. "It's just a wonderful thing.“ NCHFA served as one funding source for the project, which provides apartments for those ages 55 and older earning between 30 and 60 percent of the Orange County average income, which totals $66,000 a year. Eno Haven also received $1.7 million in permanent loan funding from Community Investment Corporation of the Carolinas, $1 million in bond referendum money from Orange County, about $422,000 in a state tax credits for low-income housing and $5.2 million of federal stimulus. Even with all of the partnerships—spanning from local to state and even federal governments—Eno Haven still presented a challenge to owner and builder The Banks Law Firm. The hills rolling across the property required flattening to ensure an even construction surface. Hard, clay-like soil needed replacing in order for trees and grass to grow. And the issues above the soil only scraped the surface. “There's a lot of rock in Hillsborough,“ The Banks attorney-at-law Sherrod Banks said. “No matter how many soil tests you do, you cannot discover how much rock is in Hillsborough.“ All of Banks' efforts, however, seem to have paid off. The handful of residents already occupying Eno Haven has settled in comfortably—and all seem extremely grateful for a quality apartment complex that doesn't rob the bank. “It is a wonderful and miraculous place," resident Mike Troy said. “It's a joy to be here. We're so joyous that, in our time of need, this project exists. All of us here together, it seems to me, have a chance to live in a real sense of community.“ The fact that the apartments require residents to be older seems an added bonus to affordability. “I always wondered why Hillsborough did not have a place for people 55 or older, since Chapel Hill and other places do," resident Beverly Day said. “I guess it was like a dream come true. In many ways, I was blessed by God to be put here. I'm happy here. This is a place I want to spend the rest of my life. I think it's wonderful; it's a beautiful place.“ Low-income housing has been a recent focus of the Orange County Board of Commissioners, who have pointed to a lack of such facilities in the area. “This helps us meet a very critical need for affordable housing for seniors and [the] disabled in the community,“ board chair Bernadette Pelissier said. “I think affordable housing is a critical issue in this county, and we certainly need to make sure that we have this kind of housing available for our senior citizens.“ Providing quality and secure housing to those who may not be able to afford market-price apartments not only helps the folks who live there but also benefits the wider community. “We as a team feel passionately about the importance of affordable housing and the effect—the positive effect—it has on everyone's life throughout their lives,“ Kucab said. “Children learn better, seniors live independently longer when they have access to safe and affordable housing.“ And safety seemed to be a common issue many of the residents had encountered at previous dwellings; Eno Haven offered a welcome respite from such fears. “It's in the name, Eno Haven, which told me that it was a place of peace and security,"“ resident Jane Howell said. “I am so happy here. I love it.“ And though many groups and individuals worked together to make that safe haven possible, officials and residents alike made sure to credit the efforts of Banks to the apartment's success. “The Housing Credit Program has been around for 25 years," Kucab said. "But it still takes an individual with a vision to act as a catalyst for producing a development of this type. Sherrod, congratulations for being that catalyst in Hillsborough.“ Though Banks was quick to divert praise to the many local companies involved in the project, he said he felt a certain sense of relief that the project was—almost—completed, as well as a certain sense of accomplishment. “It's a beautiful building,“ he said. “I'm very proud: proud of the project, proud of the folks that helped bring it together." But, always with an eye to every detail, Banks isn't quite ready to call the project perfect. “It's not finished yet,“ he said, adding as a for instance that the exercise room only had two treadmills and that he hoped to put in more equipment. “A few residents grabbed me a few seconds ago by the hand and said, 'You know, we love the landscaping. If you put a couple of chairs out here, we could actually sit out here and enjoy it.' I still have work to do. The project's not finished, but this is a grand opening.“ That relationship, that comfort, between resident and owner exemplifies the atmosphere Eno Haven hopes to create. And, though Banks insists he still has work to do, those gathered for the ribbon cutting seemed pleased with what they saw so far. Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens emphasized how it will contribute to the community and how it fits the town's vision. “This is a place that's in the spirit of what we believe in Hillsborough, which is community, which is a place of neighborhoods, which is a place of families," he said. "My family is me and my wife right now, so seniors who are together as couples but are by themselves are still family. We want Hillsborough to be a place where, regardless of your means, you have a place in the community and you can live well. And this exemplifies that.“ Coming Home to Hillsborough by Sally Keeney, Correspondent The new Eno Haven apartment complex offers a new housing option for Triangle seniors Bettie Graham is moving back home to Hillsborough. She moved away about eight years ago after her husband died. In today’s world of commuting, she didn’t move far – just to Covenant Place, a senior retirement complex on Culbreth Road in Carrboro. But for Graham, who enjoys nothing more than spending time with her Hillsborough family, grandkids and friends, the trips back and forth are too long. She wants to be closer to her church, Gospel Baptist Tabernacle, located on Orange Grove Road in Hillsborough. And she wants to live closer to her children, Marty and Steve Graham of Hillsborough and Joy Simmons of Mebane. She has enjoyed visiting her son who lives in Hawaii. She’s had five vacations there to see him, but, as she says, “Hawaii isn’t home.“ “Hawaii’s a beautiful place to visit, but it’s too far from most of my family and friends,“ Graham said. In March, Graham and other seniors of limited income who love Hillsborough, will have a new senior retirement apartment complex – Eno Haven – in which to live, thanks to the vision of Durham attorney Sherrod Bank and financial backing and/or tax exchange credits at the county, state and federal level supporting a BB&T construction loan of $8.9 million. “The secret and beauty of public-private partnerships,“ Banks said, “is the public money comes in to keep the interest expense low (on the construction loan), which makes the project affordable.“ Banks’ Eno Haven project received $5.2 million in lieu of federal tax credits (federal stimulus money); a loan from Orange County of $1 million; a State of North Carolina tax credit loan of $422,000; a North Carolina Housing Finance Association Rental Production Program loan of $500,000; and $1,700,000 from Community Investment Corporation of the Carolinas (Ciccar). The result is an 86,500-square-foot facility at the apex of 11 acres overlooking woods buffering a stream that flows into the Eno River. Designed by Don Tise of Tise-Kiester Architects of Chapel Hill and built by KMW Builders of Greensboro, Eno Haven is located at 815 US Highway 70A (business 70 between its intersection with NC 86 and the Triangle SportsPlex). “The location near the Triangle SportsPlex is ideal, since the Senior Center is located there,“ Banks said. Currently residents would have to walk about 200 yards to get to the SportsPlex – some of that distance along highway 70 – but Banks is working on getting an easement that would allow access from Eno Haven via a side street, which would make walking to the SportsPlex easier. A large, covered entry makes it easy to pick up and drop off friends at Eno Haven. Once inside the building, a spacious reception area is to the left and a library with computer and internet access to the right. An open lobby gives way to office spaces for leasing and management staffs. There is another area for sitting near the mail room. Because Eno Haven is set on a hillside, as you walk from the front entrance to the back, you have the feeling that you are on a second story with views of treetops from a large parlor/sunroom that is flanked by covered porches with rocking chairs to enjoy views toward the stream buffered by trees below. On the actual second floor of the building, there is an exercise room, multi-purpose room and communal kitchen. This will be a wonderful space for residents to hold family reunions, birthday parties, classes and special events. Eno Haven’s 76 one- and two-bedroom apartments are configured along north and south wings. The one-bedroom apartments are 661 square feet, and the two-bedroom apartments are 920 square feet. apartments have universal features. Two different types of handicap-accessible units are available: non-wheelchair accessible and wheelchair accessible. All units, handicap accessible or not, feature emergency call switches in the living rooms, bedrooms and baths. And all baths have grab bars. The apartments’ living/dining/kitchen is designed as an open space with 8-foot ceilings. There are ceiling fans in the living rooms and bedrooms. include Energy Star refrigerators, stoves and dishwashers. Each resident pays their own electric utility, but the energy-saving design and building materials should make this a minimal expense. There are no balconies on the upper floors, and no individual porches to the outside on the ground floor. There are no garages, but there is extra storage space on each floor for residents’ use. Pets are not allowed. Children and grandchildren can visit, but no one under age 55 can live there. This three-story, 76-unit apartment complex is for seniors age 55-plus who meet income guidelines of 30 to 60 percent of the Median Income for Orange and Durham County Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Based on a sliding income scale, rents for these one- and two-bedroom apartments average $290 to $690 per month. Most rents begin at $575, since 47 of the apartments (25, one-bedroom; and 22, two-bedroom) are set aside for those at 60 percent of the median income. There are 12 apartments at the 50 percent income guidelines (seven 1-bedroom; and five 2-bedroom); and 19 units for those at 30 percent of median income (seven 2-bedroom units and 12 1-bedroom units, five of which are open to the general public). The other seven one-bedroom apartments and one of the two-bedroom units are set aside for persons with special needs. These eight units require a referral from Department of Social Services. After 90 days from March opening, if there are any of those eight apartments not taken by persons with special needs, the apartments will become available for the general senior population. There is already a waiting list for units at the 30 percent income level. For more information, contact Katie Jones at 919-245-0700 or email eno-haven@cmc-nc.com. Senior complex Eno Haven to Open By Erin Wiltgen A quaint stream meanders its lazy path through the thicket of trees backing up to Eno Haven apartments. Sherrod Banks, project owner, leans over the rail as he takes in the view, admitting his small-town Southern roots influenced this addition of a back porch. “Even in the winter, when the trees are bare, it’s a beautiful view,“ he said. “But in the spring and summer when it’s green and lush, it’s even more beautiful.“ After more than three years of work—and enough rock to deter many a builder—the Eno Haven apartment project nears completion and expects to begin occupancy in March. The complex, designed as a senior apartment community, sits on U.S. 70-A and features a three-story facility complete with 76 one- and two-bedroom units. A combination of efforts from KMW builders of Greensboro, Summit Consulting of Hillsborough and Banks’ The Banks Law Firm, Eno Haven seeks to provide not only a serene community for the elderly but also quality afford-able housing using federal exch-ange funds awarded by the N.C. Housing Finance Agency. “I think the market in Hills-borough sort of cried out for senior afford-able hous-ing,“ Banks said. “I felt comfor-table and capable in deliver-ing that kind of prod-uct.“ Other than the age minimum of 55 years, Eno Haven requires tenants make 60 percent or less of the Orange County median income, which totals around $66,000 a year. But, at least in terms of construction, Eno Haven’s focus remains on creating an appealing living space for seniors. Banks said that older folks tend to have common goals, objectives and tastes when it comes to apartment complexes, such as not living below a group of college students liable to blast loud music at all hours of the night. “There’s plenty of literature that suggests that elderly people want some kind of exclusivity,“ Banks said. “They want more serenity and a little less hustle and bustle, which Eno Haven offers.“ Banks, therefore, has only built on about half of the property, and he plans to leave much of the wooded area natural. “We have 11 acres, so that creates a lot of green space,“ he said. “The sight lines are fantastic.“ Senior-friendly additions have also been embedded into the apartment complex itself. Though not all adults age 55 and older require handicap-accessible facilities, all 76 units are designed as such, with eight fully accessible apartments. An elevator runs in the center of the building. Grab bars and emergency pulls have been fitted in all the rooms, and a few units have even been set aside for the hearing or sight impaired. The Central Orange Senior Center, as well as the SportsPlex, lie within walking distance. Some senior-specific changes are much more subtle. Each floor is color-coded as a secondary reminder of the different levels. The second floor, for example, has green carpet and green painted walls. The building’s long hallways and staircases on either end also provide an indoor walking facility if necessary. “If seniors want to get some exercise, you know how some like to go to the mall and walk,“ Banks said. “Well, they can do that here.“ But Banks went above and beyond simply ensuring the apartments were appropriate for seniors. He said he wanted to build quality apartments, places that people would love to come home to. Each unit has a full kitchen, multiple storage closets, ceiling fans in each room and light sconces on living room walls. Communal features include a back porch, garden plot, computer room and library, built-in sitting areas and window seats in the hallways, two laundry rooms per floor, storage rooms, an exercise room, a multi-purpose room and a common kitchen. At several points during construction, particularly after blowing through the $90,000 contingency set aside for rock, Banks faced the option to cut out amenities to save costs, such as removing light sconces, ceiling fans or closet doors. He refused. “I’m in this project for the long haul,”“ he said. “One thing I didn’t want to do is cut corners.“ And his dedication to the project is evident, Town Board Commissioner Brian Lowen said while touring the facility. “When you see the design and the craftsmanship, it speaks to the quality of the project,“ Lowen said. “This is impressive. It looks nice.“ Even though construction won’t finish until the end of February and occupation won’t begin until March, Banks said community interest in the complex has already spiked. Apartment office managers received more than 90 calls from folks who noticed advertising signs posted during construction, and 14 families have already signed leases—before even seeing the building. “There’s a demand for it,“ Banks said. “Once the doors open, it’s going to be even greater.“ FYI Eno Haven features 76 units: 696-square-foot one-bedroom units and 900-square-foot two-bedroom units. The complex is located at 815 U.S. 70-A East. For more information or an application, call 245-0700 or e-mail eno-haven@cmc-nc.com. Tax credit and rental information Eno Have, an $8.8 million development project, offers affordable housing in part through the use of exchange funds from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency. The exchange fund came as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help stimulate the construction of affordable housing. Eno Haven received $5.3 million in exchange funds, as well as $500,000 in trust funds from the NCHFA for building apartments for people with disabilities and a $1 million loan from Orange County. Rent for the apartment units is figured on a sliding scale and ranges from $290 to $690 per month. About 12 one-bedroom and 7 two-bedroom units have been set aside for those who only earn 30 percent of the area median income. Rent for those rooms starts at $290 for a one-bedroom. People who fall in the 60 percent bracket would pay about $575 for a one-bedroom unit. “That’s the power of the tax credit program,“ Sherrod Banks, project owner, said. Randall Place Apartments had a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on October 23, 2009. CICCAR closed the first mortgage in the amount of $150,000 on Randall Place Apartments on October 15, 2009. The Banks Law Firm, P.A. was the developer/sponsor. The development received Federal Tax Credits, a State Tax Credit Loan and RPP Funds. Evergreen Construction Company is the manager of the property. |
