Mitchell Kirk | Daily Reporter
McCORDSVILLE — Officials in McCordsville will consider development proposals that would bring more than 200 residences to the town.
Indianapolis-based Forza Commercial Real Estate wants to build a community of condominiums, duplexes and single-family houses on the town’s north side. Arbor Homes, also out of Indianapolis, hopes to develop another subdivision on the south side near one it has under way.
Adam D’Angelo, who founded Forza Commercial Real Estate in 2015, said at a McCordsville Town Council meeting earlier this week that the firm is eyeing a little more than 14 acres for its development on West County Road 1000N just east of Mt. Comfort Road.
D’Angelo said the gated community would have 48 condominiums with a mix of two and three bedrooms and six duplexes with two bedrooms and the possibility of a third depending on market analysis and feasibility. The community would also have 15 single-family homes with price points ranging from $325,000 to $450,000. A 2,500-square-foot clubhouse and trail would also be part of the community.
Other amenities would depend on residents’ preferences, D’Angelo continued, but could include facilities for pickleball and tennis along with an outdoor pool.
Larry Longman, a McCordsville Town Council member, praised the idea.
“I’m pleased to see something like this, because it’s something we’re missing,” he said.
Paul Munoz of Arbor Homes briefed the town council on the company’s idea for a subdivision called Meadows at Sagebrook on about 50 acres south of County Road 600N and west of County Road 700W.
Before Munoz’s presentation, town council members approved the annexation of the property on the first of two readings along with the annexation of the Sagebrook subdivision to its north, which Arbor Homes is also building.
Meadows at Sagebrook would have 137 single-family lots, Munoz said, adding Arbor Homes offers 11 floor plans and one- and two-story houses ranging from 1,500 to 3,200 square feet.
“We think this is an excellent location,” Munoz said. “We’re going to be able to continue to provide our product to McCordsville just south of Sagebrook.”
The subdivision would have 23 acres of open space, which would include a trail and park space with a playground and picnic area, Munoz said.
Both proposals will go before the McCordsville Plan Commission and then on to the town council for final approval.
The Sagebrook subdivision under way north of the land planned for Meadows at Sagebrook will have 169 homes when it’s finished. Ryan Crum, McCordsville’s director of planning and building, said 30 to 40 have been built so far.
Town council members unanimously approved an ordinance on the first of two readings authorizing the annexation of Sagebrook along with a resolution adopting a fiscal plan estimating the cost of town services to the subdivision.
The council approved Sagebrook Home Owners Association’s application for voluntary annexation in June.
According to a report from the town, the annexation is beneficial because it diversifies McCordsville’s tax base and brings a “quality residential community” to its southern border.
Sagebrook residents’ existing water, electric, gas, cable and sewer service will remain the same, while trash and stormwater becomes part of McCordsville’s service area, the report states. The town’s trash pickup rate is $10.18 a month, and stormwater fees are $90 a year billed semiannually.
Any Sagebrook property with a current net tax liability under the 1 percent property tax cap could see a rise in net tax liability up to the cap, the report continues. Properties already at the cap won’t see an increase unless the Hancock County Assessor’s Office raises their assessed value or a referendum to increase a tax rate is approved.
The report states that McCordsville officials analyzed 32 Sagebrook homes with assessed value data in the county’s mapping system. Five of the 32 are under the 1 percent cap.
McCordsville’s tax rate is 0.4907 per $100 of assessed value. The county’s rate is 0.3443, Vernon Township’s is 0.1366 and Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation’s is 1.5616.
A public hearing regarding the Sagebrook annexation is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at McCordsville Town Hall, 6280 W. County Road 800N.
Town council members also unanimously passed an ordinance on first reading for the annexation of Meadows at Sagebrook and a resolution adopting its fiscal plan. That annexation does not require a public hearing, as one entity owns the area, making the annexation fully voluntary.
The second readings for both annexation ordinances are slated for November. They can be recorded Jan. 2, 2020, and their estimated effective date is Feb. 2.
The new area will be part of town council District 1, which Branden Williams represents.
