Developer eyeing 429 homes for McCordsville

0
1637

McCORDSVILLE — A developer and officials are considering another housing proposal near McCordsville’s future town center, this time for 429 homes.

Grand Communities, a land development company based in Erlanger, Kentucky, affiliated with Fischer Homes, is proposing a neighborhood called Broadview Farms on about 90 acres near the southwest corner of Mt. Comfort Road and County Road 750N. The site is just southwest of where McCordsville’s town center is envisioned, a combination of commercial, residential, mixed-use and community space developments on more than 100 acres.

Jason Wisniewski of Grand Communities presented concept plans for Broadview Farms at a McCordsville Town Council meeting earlier this week that included townhomes, duplexes and low-maintenance lots along with 50-, 60- and 80-foot wide lots for traditional single-family homes.

“We’re looking at a residential community that has a mix of products on it,” Wisniewski said. “A mix of open space, housing, and really creating a community that will act as a catalyst for some of the town center development.”

The 148 townhomes would line the community along Mt. Comfort Road and County Road 750N, with garages in the rear.

“The idea is framing that outside, making those exterior roads really feel like they’re walk-able,” particularly with McCordsville Elementary School across Mt. Comfort Road and the future town center nearby, Wisniewski said.

The 55-foot wide lots for 35 low-maintenance homes would not be age-restricted, but age-targeted, Wisniewski said.

“This is for empty-nesters, young professionals, people who don’t want to mow their grass or spend a lot of time taking care of their house; they want to be out doing things in the community,” he said.

The 30 80-foot wide single-family lots would be in Broadview Farms’ southeast corner, near the Champion Lake neighborhood.

Town council members were receptive toward all of the proposal except for the 60 duplexes on the neighborhood’s north side, feeling that their front-facing garages would dominate the aesthetics.

“It just doesn’t have a very good street look when all you see is a whole bunch of garages and nothing else,” council member Tom Strayer said.

Council president Barry Wood agreed.

“I don’t particularly mind those necessarily,” he said of duplexes. “It’s something we don’t have in town, so I’m always looking for something we need. But the look of those is something I don’t particularly care for.”

Wisniewski said plans may be able to be altered so that one of the garages on each duplex could turn and be side-entry, reducing the number of street-facing garage doors.

None of the properties in the neighborhood would be for rent, Wisniewski also said.

Broadview Farms is proposed to have about 24 acres of open space as well, which Wisniewski said would include pathways and park space. The developer is also considering a pool for the neighborhood. While the pool would likely be for residents only, the park space would be open to the public, Wisniewski said.

Grand Communities is thinking over town officials’ feedback. If the project moves forward, the firm would pursue rezoning the site to a planned unit development, which would establish development standards that McCordsville’s plan commission would have to consider and town council would have to approve.

Broadview Farms is the second housing proposal to recently be suggested near the town center site. The plan commission is considering one from Indianapolis-based Platinum Properties, working with Carmel-based Finecraft Builders, for 246 single-family lots just south of the town center site called The Colonnade.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Proposed development

  • Broadview Farms
  • Developer: Grand Communities, Erlanger, Kentucky (affiliated with Fischer Homes)
  • 90 acres near southwest corner of Mt. Comfort Road, County Road 750N
  • 148 townhomes
  • 60 duplexes
  • 35 low-maintenance lots
  • 80 50-foot wide lots
  • 76 60-foot wide lots
  • 30 80-foot wide lots

[sc:pullout-text-end]