Preliminary OK granted to subdivision

Plans for a major expansion at one of Greencastle's current subdivisions went off without a hitch at Monday night's meeting of the City Plan Commission.

The preliminary plat for Wood's Edge Phase II, which is located on Zinc Mill Road just south of Ind. 240, was approved by a vote of 10-0.

Developer John Wood is planning to build 86 lots on 30 acres of land located on the northeast corner of Zinc Mill Road and CR 200 South.

The lots will be an average of 8,500 to 9,000 square feet in size and will look similar to the ones currently located in the first phase, Wood said.

He said he hasn't set a date to begin developing the property yet, but he hopes it will be sometime next year.

"We haven't set a date to start," he said.

Wood will still have to come back to the plan commission with his final plat before he can start selling the lots, but he can move dirt in the meantime.

City Planner Shannon Norman told the plan commission that she and City Engineer Glen Morrow have scrutinized the plans and have given them their approval.

"As far as a preliminary plat, all the requirements have been met," Norman said, adding that there were close to 30 points that the city and developer have come to agree upon.

In related matters, the plan commission discussed the intersection of Zinc Mill Road and Ind. 240.

Greencastle Middle School is located on the northwest corner of that intersection and plans are under way to construct a new Ivy Tech campus on the southeast corner.

Plan commission members brought up discussion on what the new subdivision and college campus would mean for additional traffic at that intersection.

Mayor Nancy Michael said city officials would be interested in petitioning the Indiana Department of Transportation, who has jurisdiction over Ind. 240, for a stoplight.

"That will actually help us in our argument, but it has to do with cars," Michael said, noting that INDOT would not do anything until there is enough traffic to support a light.

She said city officials are scheduled to meet with INDOT on Dec. 7 and may pose the question at that time.

"We have a variety of issues to talk about," she said.