275 homes proposed in Greenwood

Greenwood could see 275 more homes go up this year if the city council approves rezoning and subdivision proposals.

Two Arbor Homes communities and a more upscale Westport Homes community are being proposed on the southeast side of the city. Both home builders have met with area residents, some of whom hired attorneys, and worked with them to reach compromises and add certain commitments that will go before the city council later this month.

The first two developments, along Combs Road between County Line Road and Main Street, are for homes that cost upwards of $200,000. Another, near Stop 18 and Sheek roads, would feature homes valued at more than $300,000. All three are located in the Clark-Pleasant school district.

The Retreat, which would include 78 homes, would be targeted to people 55 and older, although there would be no age restrictions, developers said Monday during a plan commission meeting.

Homes in this community would average $245,000.

The developer wants to rezone this land to R3 from R2 so that they can build more homes per acre. Arbor plans to build two or three homes per acre on this 29-acre lot.

The project would include about $300,000 worth of road improvements as well, including straightening Combs Road where two 90-degree curves are, which the developer has agreed to pay for.

David Rutherford, a local attorney, worked with a group of residents who own properties surrounding this land to make sure Arbor was aware of their concerns and took them into consideration.

“I’m kind of in an unusual position. Those of you who know me well know I’m usually a developer’s attorney, but I had a couple new clients who live in this general area, and they asked me if I’d help them evaluate what’s going on and see if we could all come to any sort of compromises or not,” Rutherford said.

“My clients would clearly prefer that nothing happen, but we all know how that works.”

Arbor agreed to six commitments, which were added to the proposal that was approved by the plan commission and will go before the city council. Among those were eliminating two lots, planting trees and building fencing as a buffer between the new homes and the homes already built in the area.

“My clients are no longer opposed. They don’t support it, but they’re not opposed,” he said.

The second Arbor community, dubbed Ridgetop, would be located north of The Retreat, just south of County Line. It would back up to industrial buildings to the west.

Homes in this community would average $225,000.

Developers had to request a rezoing to R3 from R2 for this community as well because it will include more homes than would be allowed given its current zoning. R2 allows for 3.5 homes per acre, while R3 allows for up to six.

“There is a maximum density in the ordinance, but I think anyone would be hard-pressed to develop at that density,” said Bill Peeples, the city’s planning director.

This neighborhood would include 120 homes on about 32 acres — so about four homes per acre.

Randy Goodin, a community resident who leads the group Concerned Citizens of Southeast Greenwood, was concerned about how close the homes would be built to each other, lack of greenspace and property values going down.

“We keep packing people on top of people on top of people,” he told the plan commissioners.

Again, Arbor agreed to a list of commitments including planting trees along the west and south border of the community, and paying or reimbursing for privacy fencing.

“What do we have going on in the city right now? We have an Amazon facility that was just approved with wages in the high teens, and we have a request by the city for a food and beverage tax that would be utilized to bring on additional police and firefighters. Ridgetop is the exact type of subdivision that would encompass those folks and allow those home buyers a place to live near where they work,” said Eric Prime, an attorney representing Arbor.

Some residents and commissioners argued that people making $17 or $18 an hour, or even public safety employees whose spouses are stay-at-home parents, can’t afford a $225,000 to $245,000 home.

Plan commissioners approved it by a 6-2 vote.

In fact, all three proposals garnered favorable recommendations by the commissioners. Whether these developments are approved is up to the city council.

The third, which would be called Fieldstone, would include 77 homes on 40.5 acres to the north of Clark-Pleasant Middle School, just west of Interstate 65.

The homes, which would cost an average of $350,000, would be larger. The minimum size for a ranch home in this community would be 1,700 square feet.

Residents actually shared their support for this development.

“Believe it or not, we do support this,” Goodin said.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”THE RETREAT” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Location: Combs Road, north of Main Street

Number of homes: 78

Average price: $245,000

School district: Clark-Pleasant schools

Request before city: To rezone 29 acres from R-2 to R-3

[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”RIDGETOP” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Location: Combs Road, south of County Line Road

Number of homes: 120

Average price: $225,000

School district: Clark-Pleasant schools

Request before city: Rezone 31.5 acres from R-2 to R-3

[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”FIELDSTONE” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Location: Stop 18 and Sheek roads

Number of homes: 77

Average price: $350,000

School district: Clark-Pleasant schools

Request before city: Subdivide 40.5 acres into 77-lots for single-family residential

[sc:pullout-text-end]