Greenwood council members said no to a new subdivision that would have brought more than 200 homes to the city after area residents and another local developer took action against the project.
The council decided not to annex 100 acres of farmland just east of State Road 135 — at the northeast corner of where Tracy Road becomes Smokey Row Road, between Honey Creek Road and County Road 125 West.
Lennar Homes, a Miami, Fla.-based developer, wanted to build as many as 222 single-family homes ranging from $290,000 to $375,000 and sizes ranging from 1,800 to 3,500 square feet, Eric Prime, the developer’s attorney, told council members during a public hearing.
Area residents hired Linda Sargent, a local attorney, to represent them in a case against the new development, arguing that it would diminish the value of their homes.
They were concerned about the quality of the neighborhood Lennar proposed, including home price, lot size, drainage and increased traffic on narrow, two-lane roads.
They also argued that there is a need for more estate-sized homes in Greenwood.
“This is a blank canvas for the city of Greenwood and should not be wasted. It is the last of some of the remaining, bare acreage that is available for development,” Sargent said.
“There truly is a demand for a high-quality homes. Honey Creek Road and County Road 125 provide an excellent opportunity to accommodate that need for Greenwood.”
Currently, the area is home to single-family homes on large lots ranging from an acre to 40 acres, and from $500,000 to $2.5 million. Most of the houses are fully brick and have at least three-car garages, she said.
Originally, the company planned to build 251 homes with an average price of $228,000, according to city documents.
But after meeting with neighbors of the proposed project and going before the city’s plan commission — both of which opposed the development — Lennar cut the number of homes it would build, increased lot sizes to 70- to 90-foot lots instead of the 50-foot lots originally proposed, raised the price of the homes, agreed to preserve an established property line with several trees and said vinyl siding would not be an option for home buyers.
Still, those changes weren’t enough.
Bob Dine, Andrew Foster, Linda Gibson, David Hopper, Dave Lekse and Bruce Armstrong voted against the annexation. Ron Bates, Mike Campbell and Ezra Hill voted in favor of it.
Rick Campbell, a local custom home developer, echoed Sargent’s comments about the need for larger, more expensive homes within city limits.
“I’m pro-growth, but I think it has to be smart growth,” Rick Campbell said.
He has clients who want homes in the $400,000 and up range within city limits, he said.
“In Greenwood, there are too many subdivisions that are low-end,” said Dr. David Wolf, a local dentist and homeowner in Stone Ridge Estates.
“When executives look in this area, they don’t see what they like and they’re moving north — they’re moving to Carmel. And unless we start establishing guidelines to have some nicer neighborhoods, we’ll never have the growth that, for example, Carmel has.”
One woman who lives across the street from the proposed development on Honey Creek Road was scared that it would significantly decrease the value of her home, she told council members.
“My life savings is in the property that we have and we have an acre. My husband and I are retired and the thought of these houses being on 70-foot lots and 15 feet apart as we approach selling our home is pretty discouraging. I don’t think anyone is going to, when they see that density, come in and build more estate-sized homes,” Carol Osterberg said.
“Not being able to sell my home for what some of these homes would sell for is quite upsetting, so I appeal to you to deny it.”
But Prime argued it would have actually increased the value of the homes in the area.
The new subdivision would have been located in the Clark-Pleasant school district, where the average home price is $156,700. If approved, it would have added an estimated 18 students per year to the already fast-growing district, city documents said.
“It’s the right fit for the city. It’s the right fit for this area. It’s the right fit for Clark-Pleasant schools,” Prime said.
“We are committing to comply with all of the city’s existing standards. In addition to those standards, we’ve taken the next step up by doing away with all vinyl (siding).”
Council member Bob Dine questioned why the city wouldn’t get Lennar’s highest quality homes, rather than a development that meet the city’s minimum requirements.
“Why are we getting the minimum here in Greenwood? Why are we not getting your best project?” Dine asked.
“I understand that you want to make money. I understand that you want to have these houses at this rate because they’ll probably sell quicker than other houses.”
Prime said the homes would have been higher quality than the city’s standards require. He was simply pointing out that the developer would be meeting those requirements.
“For some reason, this project keeps getting tattooed as bad or entry level or whatever. We’re talking about $300,000 to $375,000 homes. That’s a big number. That’s a big number for anybody. And in Greenwood and Clark-Pleasant schools, that’s the highest price point there is in terms of a subdivision. So this isn’t minimum,” Prime said.
Hopper voted no because he has on similar proposals, he said.
“I was against the Arbor Homes on Honey Creek (Road); I was against CalAtlantic at Cutsinger (Road). I just think that this land should be used for those big estates. So I’m trying to remain consistent in voting no, but I appreciate all of the work you guys have put into this,” Hopper said.
Annexing the land is something the city had to do before the end of the year in order for the project to move forward. Indiana cities and towns cannot annex properties in the year before a Census. Currently, 60 acres are owned by one farmer, with 39 acres being owned by another.
Lennar already has one subdivision in Greenwood and several others in the Indianapolis area. Houses in the South Lake community near the Worthsville Road and Interstate 65 interchange range in price from $245,000 to $293,000, according to its website.
