By this summer, Troy will have a new apartment complex thanks to a few key decisions made by the Troy Planning Commission and Troy Board of Adjustments.

The Troy Planning Commission approved the combination of lots to build cottage style apartments Thursday.

The commission approved a request by Alabama Landscape Contractors LLC to combine four 25-foot lots into two 50-foot lots at the Trojan Terrace subdivision on Sun Street. According to Walter Stell, who represented the company at the meeting, the goal is to build two cottage-style apartment buildings on the lot.

The commission also conditionally approved a request to combine several parcels of land to begin an apartment project.

Stell, also representing THS LLC at the meeting, said the request would combine six individual parcels, located at 802 S. Brundidge Street, 712 S. Brundidge Street, 108 Smith Street, 112 Smith Street and 114 Smith Street.

According to Bill Hopper, the commission chairman, the approval to combine the parcels is contingent on the Board of Adjustments approving the purchase of the land. The land is currently owned by Community Bank.

Later Thursday, at the Board of Adjustments meeting, the board approved a request by THS LLC, to allow for a higher population density zoning, to allow for a 45-foot height variance and to allow for an apartment complex to be built inside the city limits.

The new zoning will cover the six individual parcels combined by the Troy Planning Commission earlier in the day and will cover 2.3 acres.

Stell said the company hopes to build in apartment complex on the newly created site. “Our plan is to eventually build a 60 unit apartment complex,” Stell said. “In 2014, we plan to put up 36 units. By the next year, we hope to add an additional 24 units. The apartments will be built on the property occupied by the old Johnston Insurance Company and a few dilapidated houses.”

Stell said the new apartments will help to ease the city’s downtown housing difficulties. “CGI needs new upscale housing near their business,” Stell said. “We hope to provide that with this new complex. The apartments themselves will be brick on the outside.”

The apartments will be located in the area of Center St., Smith St. and S Brundidge St. Stell said parking for the apartments will not have access to S Brundidge St. and will not increase traffic flow on and off of the street.

The apartments will also help strengthen Troy’s economy. “We hope to start construction on Feb. 1,” Stell said. “Our goal is to have the first 36 units in by mid-June. The contractor will be spending money on supplies and labor, and his employees will obviously earn money while working. Fees have to be paid to the city, and we’ll hire a local insurance agency to provide insurance. All of that puts money directly in to the economy.”

In other business, the Board of Adjustments also approved a request by Dale and Jimmy Law to allow for the construction of a six-foot ornamental fence within the required front yard at 611 Ray Ave.

The fence will allow for Noble Manor to convert one housing apartment from traditional housing to specialty care housing. The state requires that specialty care housing facilities have a six-foot fence surrounding a recreation area.