Waterford — Waterford Heights, a 284-unit, seven-building apartment complex, was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission last week and becomes the second multifamily residential project planned for Hartford Turnpike.

Waterford Heights will be located at 969 Hartford Turnpike, near Target and the Waterford Commons shopping plaza, in the town's Commercial Multi-Family Zoning District. Jon Hendel, the developer, is a town resident who has developed and managed several properties in New London County and New York with his company TerraMax. He said earlier this month that his family has owned the Waterford property since the 1970s and he has wanted to develop it for years.

The high-end development is expected to have a variety of housing choices with a little more than half of the 284 apartments to be studio or one-bedroom units, 35% two-bedroom units and 11% three-bedroom units, all of which will be accessible by elevators.

The seven buildings will share a New England architectural style but will differ in structure to accommodate the property's natural valley.

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the development at its March 22 meeting, where the development's attorney, Mark Branse, assured commissioners all of their prior comments had been addressed.

The three present commissioners shared few comments and commended Branse and engineer Darin Overton for a great development. The commission approved the development on the basis of six conditions, half of which involve the property's 5.4 acres of inland wetlands. The development has to adhere to all conditions, listed in a permit for site work and constructing stormwater basins granted by the town's Conservation Commission, to clear, grade and fill within the 100-foot upland review area of inland wetlands. The development also still awaits a stormwater permit from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

In addition, final plans submitted to the town must include zoning-compliant dimensions of the entrance sign and a detail addressing how the rock cut slope encountered during construction will be treated and finished.

Approved by the commission in October, another development at 908 Hartford Turnpike will have 40 units — 32 of which will be divided between 80% or 60% of the average median income and the rest at market rate, making the development considered affordable housing under state laws.

Planning Director Abby Piersall said the commission approved the Waterford Heights proposal with all-market rate units and the town does not yet have an anticipated timeline for construction.

j.vazquez@theday.com