Opened 15 years ago as an affordable apartment complex, Anne Wingfield Commons is expanding and improving.
The Town of Culpeper Planning Commission Tuesday night approved a site plan for the addition of 11 new units to be located in freestanding structures next to the the historic building at East and East Spencer streets downtown. The planned project will also include renovations to existing units and the addition of a community center.
Formerly a school, the circa 1929 structure was transformed into 33 apartments as part of a multi-year project that opened in 2003. Culpeper Community Development Corporation, also called the Culpeper Housing & Shelter Services, led the $2.6 million initiative through the federal low-income housing tax credit program administered in Virginia by the Virginia Housing Development Authority.
The planned expansion and renovation is slated to cost $6 million, according to Tony Hooper, president of the board of Culpeper Housing & Shelter Services. The new apartments will be mostly one-bedroom units and will be located in a block of four new buildings – two, two-story and two one-story – to be constructed in the existing parking lot fronting on Spencer Street, he said.
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A requirement to reapply for the tax credits every 15 years initiated the renovation, he said, while the recent change in town zoning rules to encourage apartments downtown allowed Culpeper Housing to pursue the expansion.
“One of our goals has always been to increase the amount of affordable housing in town so we decided to pursue those goals,” Hooper said.
Another goal, he added, is for the renovation project to be as least disruptive to existing residents as possible. That means the new units may be built first with tenants shifted over there while the original units are fixed up, he said.
Hooper cautioned that tax credits for the low-income complex had not yet been approved, noting the project would be contingent on that in combination with low-interest loans through Virginia Housing Development Authority, like the original project. If approved, he said, the proposed construction schedule would start in early 2019 and last a year, he said.
As for the rents paid by tenants, it’s based on their income. On average, according to Hooper, the one-bedroom apartments would rent for $500 to $600/month. Qualifying tenants’ income is based on HUD median income standards for Virginia – per the 2018 standards, a family of four with a combined income of $49,320 would be eligible to live at Ann Wingfield Commons.
Most of the tenants work, Hooper said, and the rents they pay cover the building’s expenses.
“Because of the tax credits that are used and the low interest loans, the debt service on the project is very small so we expect the rental income to cover all the operational expenses, and that’s been the case over the last 15 years,” he said.
Occupancy at Ann Wingfield Commons stays right around 100 percent, said Cheryl Carter, director of Culpeper Housing & Shelter Services.
“As soon as one comes vacant, there is another ready to move in,” she said. “We definitely needed more affordable housing here in Culpeper and definitely some one-bedroom units.”
J&J Realty has managed Ann Wingfield Commons since the beginning, Carter said. As part of the planned expansion of the apartment complex, Culpeper Housing could move its offices to the East Street site, she said.
Hooper said the need for affordable housing in Culpeper is very great.
“The need is tremendous,” he said, noting that Culpeper Housing also offers programs to prevent evictions and foreclosures. “With all of those programs, there’s a waiting list. Affordable housing is a critical issue.”
Hooper, who has a long career in local government management, said providing affordable housing is a shared responsibility.
“Certainly, the nonprofits have been very active and some governments are typically larger governments with housing authorities,” he said.
With an approved site plan, the Ann Wingfield Commons project will now go to the Architectural Review Board for approval; the building is located in the Culpeper Historic District and will have to meet federal design standards for the program. The same architect who designed the original project 15 years ago will design the renovation.
Culpeper-born Ann Wingfield, a Civil War widow, moved back to her hometown after the war where she taught younger boys and girls in her dining room, and was later assisted by Margaret Whitestone in other buildings, according to Eugene Scheel’s “Culpeper: A Virginia County’s History Through 1920,” published 1982 by the Culpeper Historical Society. From these two private schools, the county’s first public school was organized at the Court House in the winter of 1871.