A conceptual plan for a 158-unit townhome complex by Ohio-based Redwood Living Inc. The complex would be located on Whiteland Road just west of U.S. 31.
Submitted photo
Plans for a 158-unit townhome complex and commercial space are in the works near the Whiteland Road and U.S. 31 intersection in Whiteland.
Ohio-based Redwood Living Inc. asked the town of Whiteland to rezone 40.45 acres of commercial-zoned land to a Planned Unit Development, or PUD. The empty land sits just south of Whiteland Road, behind Brew House Liquors, between U.S. 31 and Maple Street in Whiteland.
Redwood’s conceptual plans for the PUD include building a complex with up to 165 townhome-style multi-family units. Conceptual plans presented by Redwood show designs for 158 units at the moment, but they are limited to building no more than 165.
The complex will likely be similar in design to Redwood’s new Greenwood complex at State Road 135 and Smokey Row Road, said Russell Brown, an attorney representing Redwood.
Redwood’s unit design resembles a single-family home, with single-story floor plans, attached garages and private entrances with dedicated street addresses. These units are expected to be priced between $1,600 and $2,000 a month, Brown said.
Impact on the Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp. is also expected to be minimal, as the townhomes are marketed mostly to empty-nesters looking to downsize, Brown said. Redwood estimated there would be approximately seven children for every 100 units in the complex.
The apartment complex would occupy 34 of the 40 acres of land, with a commercial area planned on six acres along Whiteland Road, according to town documents. Plans are only in place for the residential complex, and there is no set developer for the commercial section yet.
These plans do slightly stray from the town’s original intention for the land, which was to develop it with more commercial space than residential. However, the need for retail big box stores has decreased over time, and the town is in need of more residential spaces, said Jim Lowhorn, town manager.
Members of the Whiteland Advisory Plan Commission on Tuesday forwarded the project to the Whiteland Town Council with a favorable recommendation. The plan commission makes this recommendation contingent on Redwood meeting certain conditions.
A sticking point for the town and plan commission members is adding a second entrance to the property. Redwood’s original plans included just one entrance on Whiteland Road, with plans to add a left turn lane.
All of the commission members said they wanted to see a second entrance added because of concerns with the ever-growing traffic levels on the two-lane Whiteland Road.
Some members said they would vote against the development because of the lack of a second entrance when Redwood initially came before the plan commission on Oct. 4. That was one reason why the commission voted to table the request until Nov. 2 to allow Redwood to work on some of their concerns.
“I drive Whiteland Road every day and it’s jam packed,” commission member Tim Brown said. “We need to relieve traffic on Whiteland Road for the residents.”
Following the Oct. 4 meeting, Redwood asked the Indiana Department of Transportation to add an entrance along U.S. 31, just south of the intersection at Whiteland Road. INDOT gave the developer preliminary approval for the second entrance. It would be a right-in and right-out entrance only, meaning drivers cannot make left turns into or out of the complex, according to the updated concept plans.
That change prompted commission members to vote in favor of the rezoning request.
Redwood also committed to conducting a traffic study on Whiteland Road, as one of the conditions for the rezone approval, according to town documents. The developer is also going to work with the town on adding more street lighting in the complex plans.
Another snag that delayed the initial plans from the Oct. 4 meeting were concerns about how Redwood would fit next to an already approved PUD set to go next door.
Gradison Land Development is developing 73 acres of land adjoining the proposed Redwood development to expand the existing Briar Creek subdivision on the southside of Whiteland Road. The developers of that property expressed concern on Oct. 4 about buffering between their development and Redwood, and said they did not have time to meet with Redwood to work out how the two properties could fit together.
Those issues were resolved by the next meeting on Tuesday. Mark Gradison, of Gradison Land Development, said he believed the meeting allowed the two developers to come up “with a better solution for the town.”
“It’s a good product, and it mixes with ours well,” Gradison said.
The rezoning request for Redwood is next set to come before the Whiteland Town Council for approval on Nov. 8.
