Use of PUD for proposed subdivision voted down

Use of a Planned Unit Development, or PUD, to create the proposed Glenview North Planned Unit Development on Greencastle’s northeast side was rejected by the City Plan Commission at its September meeting.

By a 6-1 vote the Plan Commission denied use of a PUD for the Aspire Building Group’s project proposed for 21.08 acres of vacant land between Fawnview Drive and Albin Pond Road. Aspire had sought rezoning from single-family dwelling (SD1) to PUD District.

The PUD layout had called for 29 single- and 15 two-family structures as proposed by developer David Drake and builder James Carrell, both of Heritage Lake. The proposal called for 16 individual lots on the north end for single-family dwellings, while the southern portion will include 15 paired patio homes (duplexes) and 13 single-family dwellings.

A PUD, which provides for a more dense use of the land, is essentially a community of homes that could look like single-family residences, townhomes or condos, and can include both residential and commercial units, but on paper, they’re most similar to condos.

At the heart of the Plan Commission vote was that a PUD designation cannot be used if some other zoning district applies. That was the contention of Toddson Drive resident Gary Bowser, whose property is adjacent to the proposed Aspire site, at the March meeting when the project was tabled.

And Monday night City Planner Scott Zimmerman, who changed his recommendation to denial of the PUD, admitted that Bowser was correct in his original assessment of the situation.

Eric Wolfe, the lone full-time realtor on the commission, made the motion to the deny the PUD rezoning, calling it a “process failure,” while also noting that he is pro-development and would like to see houses on the property since local sales statistics indicate his firm would likely sell 25 percent of them or more.

Joining Wolfe in voting against the rezoning were Doug Wokoun, J.D. Miller, Emily Knuth, Donnie Watson and Matt Welker. Mayor Bill Dory cast the lone dissenting vote, explaining that he understands the legal ramifications but didn’t think the developer was being allowed carry the project to the next level.

Excusing himself from the vote was City Engineer Jeff Mahan, who is employed by Civil Engineering Consultants (CeCon), which has done engineering work for Aspire.

It was Mahan and Bowser who argued over what the designation of a new road through the subdivision would be -- collector street or local road -- even though there was no recommendation to charge the designation at this time, according to Zimmerman.

”That road’s going to have volume whether you build two houses or 55,” Plan Commission member Watson interjected. It is common sense, he added, that “if we connect north and south (Judson Drive to Albin Pond Road), it’s going to used because it becomes convenient.”

Developer Drake said his motivation for the development has been “clean, safe and affordable homes” with community connectivity for residents 55 and older.

“We’re two years into this,” Drake said, “and nowhere close to coming in with a detailed plan until this gets passed.”

Builder Carrell said it will take $2 million to develop the site and “the only way to make it work is to put more units on the property” rather than 40 half-acre sites.

The developers said they have heard local industry representatives say they are “losing prospects to Plainfield and Avon because we don’t have housing for them.”

Chairman Wokoun attempted to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand. “All of what you say is germane to the project,” Wokoun said, “but what’s before the Plan Commission right now is the PUD.”

That sparked Bowser to again note that a PUD is “not even legally allowed as a use.”

He suggested Aspire officials were “trying to get the Plan Commission to get them off the hook for a bad business decision. It’s not legal, don’t pass it. Vote it down tonight and be done with it.”

Essentially the Aspire project cannot be resubmitted as it exists. However, a new plan for the 21-acre site is always possible with the next deadline to file for an appearance before the Plan Commission being Oct. 27.

In the only other business before the commission, it unanimously approved rezoning of property at the northwest corner of Tennessee Street and State Road 240 from Professional Business District (PB) to Mixed Density District (XD) for development of five duplexes by C & R Quality Rentals, owned by Chris and Rashell Harcourt of Fillmore.

The site is west of Zinc Mill Apartments and was rezoned from residential to PB in 2006 but that project didn’t work out.

The goal is “to provide housing so we can get people here working, not robots,” Chris Harcourt said, alluding to a recent announcement by Chiyoda to add robotics to alleviate a lack of available manpower.

The site will be “close to shopping, close to schools and a good place to start families,” he added of the two-bed, two-bath, 1,100-square-foot per side duplexes.

“It’s going to be a million-dollar improvement to the city,” Harcourt said, noting it will be right there along Veterans Memorial Highway and “it’s going to have good curb appeal.”

Wolfe made the motion to approve the rezoning, which passed unanimously.

The next scheduled meeting of the Greencastle Plan Commission is set for 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 25 at City Hall.