FORTVILLE – Fortville Town Council discussed the first reading of a rezone of 38 acres for a proposed planned unit development (PUD) at the council meeting Monday night.
Adam Zaikowski, building and planning director for Fortville, said that within the PUD there would 204 proposed apartments with two light industrial buildings and approximately 300 parking spaces — rezoning area A on to multi-family residential and area B to industrial light according to the conceptual site plan.
The conceptual site plan also shows amenities such as a playground, pool and dog park.
Ryan Thomas, senior vice president of development and construction services at Lauth, said they have been working on this project since the fall of 2019 and would be a market rate facility.
Thomas also said the project is under a rezone of a PUD to be able to facilitate multiple zoning classifications in the same zoning ordinance.
“We felt like, and with Adam’s input, felt like this was a much better option for us, for you as a town and better transition in land use,” Thomas said.
Briane House with Pritzke & Davis said that while the land is currently zoned for industrial, but he believes the proposal for a PUD is a more attractive land use for the project, having the transition from residential housing to multi-family housing then to light industrial.
With the location of the PUD being just south of Madison Street and east of Park Street, access to the multi-family residential area would be provided with a constructed future South Madison Boulevard – continuing south at the light of Madison Street and U.S. 67 — and a connection at the curve where Park Street turns into Walnut Street.
House said that in 2020, there was a study done on the extension of Madison Street going south, and he believes that it is an important thoroughfare for the community.
“This project gives that a good jumpstart because Madison south will essentially run through the center,” House said.
Council member Libby Wyatt said that she likes the continuation of the grid, and housing and then the industrial on the right side of the project. Wyatt also said that those who live near and are used to having space and farmland behind them will continue to have space with the dog park and stormwater pond.
As far as what the architecture would look like, Thomas said they are open to discussion and will work with the planning commission on details.
Tonya Davis, council president, said that she personally does not want to see an apartment complex, but would like to see a combination to make it look more like a neighborhood.
The two proposed industrial buildings would be 85,000 square feet and 156,000 square feet. House also said they already have a committed user, an electrical contractor, interested in having its headquarters in one of the two buildings – relocating approximately 80 jobs to Fortville.
During public comments at the meeting, one Fortville resident asked about how the project would be funded, in which case it is in a TIF district and paid for by TIF dollars.
On March 17, Lauth and the town held an information meeting for the public to hear about the project and ask questions, in which Zaikowski said there was a good turnout. Zaikowski said that the reason behind the meeting was due to the piece of ground being an important part geographically to the old town area of Fortville.
“Certainly, it’s important that a lot of people that live nearby had the opportunity to really look at things and comment as necessary,” Zaikowski said.
Another opportunity for the public to ask questions and give comments will be at the public hearing for the rezone of the PUD at the plan commission meeting on March 26.
