Plans revealed on proposed apartment complex in Osceola

OSCEOLA - The owners of a proposed Osceola apartment complex appeared at a public hearing Monday prior to the scheduled Planning Commission meeting at Osceola City Hall.

The complex, proposed by property owners Noor Jalal of Royal Ozarks and Rajeen Kumar, would be constructed on 8.19 acres on West Keiser Avenue. The plans call for the historic home on the property, formerly owned by the Young and Fairley families, to be torn down and replaced with eight two-story apartment buildings. Each building would have 16 two and three bedroom units for a total of 128 units.

The owners plan to build high end units, which would have a minimum monthly rent of $1,100 for a two-bedroom unit. The proposed complex would use the existing entry ways to the property.

The owners, represented by attorney Richard Rhodes, stressed these will not be low-in-come units and there will be no HUD units. The owners also have plans to build a similar complex in Bay, AR.

In addition to the owners and Rhodes, there were two community members present, Greg Stallings, the owner of Harold’s Furniture, and city council member Tyler Dunegan.

Questions raised concerned drainage and the increased traffic in the area. Four members of the planning commission, Ralph Wilson, Tony Maynard, Gary Cooper and Sandra Brand, were present.

Brand asked if the house might be saved and used as a community building for the complex.

Once the hearing ended the scheduled planning commission meeting was not held due to the lack of a quorum. The issue will have to be brought back to the com-mission at a later date for consideration before it can be passed on to the Osceola City Council.

The meeting notice was published in The Osceola Times in the Dec. 5, 2024 edition, property owners in the immediate area were contacted by mail, and a sign was erected on the property as outlined by state law.