May 7--A housing complex planned for Watertown's north side has grown twofold.

Ryan G. Churchill, a design engineer for GYMO Architecture, Engineering & Land Surveying of Watertown, revealed plans for a 200-unit complex, dubbed Creek Wood, along Mill Street at a city Planning Board meeting Tuesday.

"This is very similar to Summit Woods," he said. "Some of the buildings are the very same design."

City planners had thought that Norstar Development USA planned to construct a 100-unit complex.

The Buffalo developer is now constructing the 200-unit Summit Woods complex along Washington Street at the city limits.

Churchill said Creek Wood is broken into two phases, which would be constructed at the same time. The plans call for 27 apartment buildings, a community center and seven four-stall garages. The development would be accessible through Plaza Drive in the town of Pamelia and Mill Street in the city.

The Planning Board recommended that Norstar be given a special-use permit to allow the complex in a neighborhood business zoning district. The City Council, which holds the authority to grant the permit, is expected to schedule a public hearing for its June 2 meeting. The council can rule on the proposal after the hearing.

While the complex appears to mirror its south-side counterpart, Summit Woods, the plans have a quirk. Creek Wood will be spit between the Watertown and General Brown school districts.

Some of its tenants will be within eyesight of Starbuck Elementary School in Watertown but will be bused to schools more than 10 miles away in the General Brown district.

The first question posed to Churchill after he presented the plan was about the schools.

"It's too bad they can't resolve that," said Planning Board Chairman Norman J. Wayte.

Another aspect of the project the developer will need to resolve is funding.

Norstar was awarded $1.24 million in housing tax credits by the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal to build the apartments in August. The credits will largely finance the first 100 units. The remaining units will need private financing.

Guidelines for the credits mandate that at least 80 be rented to low-income tenants. The rest will go at market rates. The gross rents, which include utilities, will range from $465 to $1,073.

If the developer receives the special-use permit, it will need to submit site plans to be reviewed by the city, county and state departments of Health and Environmental Conservation.

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