For the third time in the past year, an Indianapolis area developer is requesting that a 40-acre property in Greenwood be rezoned for the development of a new neighborhood.
Westport Homes, an Indianapolis-based developer, is requesting that the city rezone the property east of U.S. 31 between Stop 18 and Worthsville roads for the development of a new neighborhood with 79 homes. Two previous neighborhood proposed for the site would have had more, but smaller homes. And one proposal included setting aside land for a city park.
Both previous rezoning requests were rejected by the Greenwood City Council, with some members saying the higher density neighborhoods weren’t suited to the area and other suggesting that the area would be better suited as a park. Last year, the city council unanimously approved giving the Greenwood Parks and Recreation Board permission to pursue purchasing the property, a step required before any negotiations between the park board and the property owner could start.
The neighborhood now proposed by Westport Homes would be a mix of single- and two-story homes ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 square feet with average prices between $230,000 to $350,000, said Matt Dunn, division president for Westport Homes.
After the two most recent proposals were rejected, Westport Homes took the feedback from council members and neighboring residents to design the most recent plan, he said.
The project is similar to another neighborhood Westport Homes is building in Greenwood, Rocklane Ridges on the north side of Main Street, east of Interstate 65, Dunn said. Homes in that neighborhood have been selling quickly, which is why developers believe a similar project will also be successful, he said.
The rezoning request would require the homes to be on lots about twice as large as the neighborhood that had been originally proposed last August, said Greenwood planning director Bill Peeples. The lots would have to be a minimum of 12,000 square feet, compared to a minimum of 6,500 square feet in the first proposal, he said.
Last year, the city council voted 7-2 to reject a 131-home neighborhood that would have been restricted to owners age 55 and older. Council members cited a variety of reasons for opposing the project, with some saying they wanted to see larger lot sizes that would match homes in the surrounding neighborhoods, while others said the area would be more appropriate as a park.
After the first proposal was rejected, Westport Homes returned with a new project that would have included 147 townhomes on the property. As part of that project, Westport Homes would also have given the city 16 acres of land on to be used as a city park and pay $50,000 for a study to determine what types of amenities should go in the park.
That proposal was voted down 7-2, with council members saying that high-density developments such as townhomes weren’t appropriate for the area.
Residents from adjoining neighborhoods also spoke against both projects, saying they were concerned about the impact on their property values, and that they would rather see the land become a city park.
The rezoning request will first be heard by the Greenwood Plan Commission next week, which will make a recommendation on the request. The city council would then vote on whether or not to approve the rezoning, Peeples said.
