Minor tweaks to a process could make a major difference in the ease and speed of passing the next planned unit development (PUD) in Bargersville.
The Bargersville Town Council this month approved an update to the town’s zoning ordinance that makes a few stylistic changes and streamlines the approval of PUD subdivisions.
The update also adds a requirement that no building permit be issued for a property with a zoning violation unless the permit is being issued to remedy the violation.
The need to clarify the process became clear when the town’s first PUD for Aberdeen by Duke Homes on Country Road 500 West went through the approval process last year, said Joe Csikos, Bargersville development director.
The first PUD had few delays because the process was new and not clearly outlined in the ordinance. The updated language makes clear the steps in the process for a smooth approval, which includes approval steps by both the Bargersville Plan Commission and town council.
The concept of a PUD has been around for decades, and it has been in Bargersville’s zoning rules since at least 2015, Csikos said. This type of development allows a developer to make a more customized project, that doesn’t conform to traditional standards, he said.
For example, Aberdeen was a PUD because Duke Homes wanted to create a gated wellness lifestyle community, with health and wellness amenities including a community center, community garden, nature trails and playground built into the project.
Not all PUDs are as elaborate as Aberdeen, but the developments typically offer extra amenities inside the neighborhood for residents and sometimes the public.
For a PUD to be granted, the ordinance requires developers to provide at least four reasons from a list of 12 that make the project a good candidate for a PUD compared to traditional zoning. The list includes items such as preserving nature, historic structures, adding a mixed-use structure and additional pedestrian paths.
More developers are showing interest in the town, and another PUD is going through the approval process right now, so it was a good time to pursue the amendments, he said.
The next PUD to be approved will likely be a M/I Homes development dubbed Sawyer Farms, which would include 445 homes, including 218 duplexes, plans show. The new neighborhood, which would be across County Road 144 from M/I’s existing Bargersville subdivision, Saddle Club, is set for a public hearing at the plan commission’s February meeting.
The changes to the zoning ordinance apply to all new developments proposed after the update passed, but not projects that are already in progress.
