Updated preliminary site plan for Commerce Grove, located at Two Cent Road and State Road 135.
Provided by Town of Bargersville
After much debate, Bargersville Town Council approved a request to replace age-restricted multi-family housing with single-family homes and townhomes in a planned development at State Road 135 and Two Cent Road.
Property developer Commerce Grove, LLC requested to modify recorded zoning commitments to the east parcel of the almost 47-acre development dubbed Bellingham. The proposed development would be a mixture of townhomes and single-family homes with a designated area for future commercial and/or multi-family development.
The change in commitments included restricting permitted residential types and addressing landscaping and buffering between existing Summer Gardens neighborhood. The zoning change was sent to the town council with a favorable recommendation by the plan commission, which had taken up the issue at their March meeting.
The town council approved the Bellingham Commitment Modification development unanimously. Added commitments are that the development will have no more than 165 units of residential and townhome units and no more than 250 units in the commercial/multi-family area. The zoning commitments only impact the eastern parcel of the property.
A landscape buffer would also now extend through the northern boundary of the property and a 20-foot buffer area would now be installed between the commercial/multi-family and single-family, townhome residential areas, plans show.
Tree preservation and pedestrian access commitments will stay the same, along with a commitment that the area abutting the Summer Garden subdivision will be restricted to single-family homes. The developer committed to working directly with the Summer Garden HOA to create a buffer zone for neighbors.
In 2021, the nearly 47-acre site at State Road 135 and Two Cent Road was rezoned from General Commercial to Mixed Use Arterial. The developer was granted a primary plat in October 2021 and came back in January 2022 to edit the plat following a traffic study recommendation to change the layout of streets.
After working with the developer, town officials decided to modify the commitments rather than proceeding with a rezone was the best option, said Joe Csikos, director of development.
Because a few minor commitments are being changed, it doesn’t have to go through the rezoning process, said David Yount, town attorney.
The 46-acre development would have included 100 age-restricted duplex units, an 184-unit apartment complex and a commercial building to house multiple businesses.
Under the new proposal, approximately 34.77 acres of the site will be restricted to single-family and townhomes, while the remaining 12.58 acres along State Road 135 will be developed in the future with mixed-use permitted uses including commercial and/or multi-family uses.
The updated plans remove duplexes, as well as age-restricted multi-family housing for people 55 years and older. Instead, the developer plans to build more single-family homes and townhomes that can be sold to people of any age. The concept plan shows 167 residential units with 66 detached single-family units and 101 townhomes.
Lennar Homes plans to build single-family homes and townhome units with two to three bedrooms, a den, and two-car attached garages with alley access. The price for the townhomes will range between $320,000 and $370,000, the developer says.
Town council members “highly” recommended adding more greenspace to the plans. Council members said they want more green space on the east parcel of the development that goes beyond just building walking trails.
“I think as a community we try to encourage greenspace and I think if you are going to come into our community to develop, that’s something you should be respectful of,” said Susie Qualls, town council member.
Council members also questioned why developers didn’t rezone the property to a planned unit development. Developers said they were not encouraged to pursue a PUD.
Though the commitments are approved, the plan will now go back before the plan commission.
