Illustration provided An Artist’s rendition of a Genesis development by Arbor Homes, planned for Columbus’ north side.
Arbor Homes has received initial approval for annexation and rezoning requests for a new development in north Columbus.
The Columbus Plan Commission recently voted to send the requests forward to the Columbus City Council with favorable recommendations. Both requests were approved 9-1, with commission member Barry Kastner voting in opposition.
Arbor Homes is seeking to annex 98.90 acres, including 8.7 acres of right-of-way, into the city of Columbus’s corporate limits and rezone 90.2 acres from Agriculture: Preferred to Residential: Two-Family. The properties for both requests are located on the east and west sides of County Road 200W, about 3,600 feet south of Lowell Road, in Columbus Township. These requests are for a new residential subdivision just south of Arbor’s existing Abbey Place homes.
The developer plans to build a mix of both its typical homes and a new product known as “Genesis,” which is intended to be more affordable for first-time homebuyers. Genesis homes are designed in clusters centered on shared motor courts. Each home would include a two-car garage and fenced yard. The current concept plan proposes 188 lots for Arbor Homes and 92 for Genesis.
The commission previously discussed both applications at the January meeting before voting on a continuance.
At that time, Kastner expressed concern about adding more residential development to the area, given the lack of services and amenities located nearby, and suggested taking more time to think about how the region should develop.
Some residents also expressed concerns about the project during the time for public comment at the Feb. 9 meeting. These included traffic conditions in the area, landscaping, the capacity of local schools to serve additional children, and potential watershed to a nearby property. The planning department also received a number of emails about the development.
In discussing some of the questions, Arbor Homes Entitlement Manager Charles Russell said that it was too early to go into detail. However, in regards to watershed, he said that they are required to be responsible in drainage design, as state statute makes it illegal for them to “negatively impact the drainage of adjacent properties.”
In regards to local schools, Planning Director Jeff Bergman said he serves on the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.’s Districting and Facilities Committee and keeps them updated about new developments. However, while school officials use this information to plan ahead, they typically do not comment on whether the projects will have an impact on schools.
City Councilman At-large Tom Dell stated his support for the development during the time for public comment and added that the council is committed to helping improve the area.
“I think the questions in reference to the infrastructure are legitimate,” he said. “…From a city councilman that represents the whole city, we will do everything we possibly can to encourage and improvement to the infrastructure, to calm the concerns and to make sure that the development is done correctly. So the infrastructure will come as the development goes along, and we’re committed to making sure that that gets accomplished, either by us or Arbor Homes.”
He added that they will do everything they can to encourage BCSC to make Taylorsville and Schmitt Elementary “satellite schools” for the development.
Following the commission’s vote, Bergman said that both requests will now go to city council, which makes all final decisions regarding annexation and rezoning. Officials plan to see the requests go before the council in March.
As part of its approval, the rezoning application was sent forward with a number of commitments for Arbor Homes.
These commitments, as recommended in the staff report, include aesthetic requirements for side façades of Genesis homes, size of amenity areas, pedestrian connections to cluster homes, buffering, road improvement and developing the property in a manner consistent with the concept materials.
Some of these conditions were discussed by Russell in a presentation regarding Arbor Homes’ updated concept plan.
