As more and more homes are built, two more farm fields in Bargersville are envisioned as the next new neighborhoods in the growing community.
Town officials are considering two rezoning requests, the first step in developing a new neighborhood, changing the land from its current agricultural use to residential.
One of the properties is adjacent to an already developed neighborhood, and the other is situated in the middle of farmland north of County Road 144. If the two new proposals are approved, more than 900 more homes will be built in the next 10 years in subdivisions that are either planned or already under development, said Julie Young, Bargersville director of development.
That means more kids in local schools, more traffic on roads and more emergency calls, local officials said.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryCenter Grove recently started construction on a new 850-student elementary school set to open in 2019, and the Bargersville Fire Department is looking at ways to hire more firefighters, possibly including asking the state to allow them to collect more than what is typically allowed in taxes.
Since 2010, the number of calls the fire department has responded to has risen by more the 50 percent, according to department data.
The fire department has enough facilities and vehicles, but not enough firefighters to take each vehicle out on a call if they need to, Ramey said. He expects needing to hire another 12 firefighters in the next decade, he said.
Now, town officials are considering rezoning a 53-acre property off County Road 144, on undeveloped land that connects to Travis Road, and a 32-acre property at the northeast corner of the intersection of County Road 300N and County Road 450W, according to rezoning applications filed with the town.
Westport Homes, an Indianapolis-based home developer, wants to build a 99-home neighborhood on the 32-acre property, which is directly west of the Morris Meadows subdivision. The new houses will range from 1,400 square feet to 3,300 square feet, with lot sizes up to one-third of an acre, according to a rezoning application filed by Westport Homes.
The other property, located between County Road 144 and Travis Road, does not yet have a home builder, and the request for rezoning was submitted by INCON LLC, the rezoning application said. The site has room for 129 homes, Young said. The development would have an entrance off of Travis Road, but other entrances would be determined based on nearby development, Young said.
Before construction could begin on either property, they would need approvals from the town council and plan commission.
If new neighborhoods are approved on the two properties, they will join at least three others currently under construction in Bargersville, Young said. Home construction is underway at the Saddle Club North, Aberdeen and Morningside neighborhoods, while planning is still underway for the Saddle Club South subdivision. Young expects that the majority of those homes will be built in the next five to 10 years.
