Greenspace added to controversial, 264-lot Bargersville housing project

The Bargersville Plan Commission approved a plat for a large housing development that was kicked back to them by the town council earlier this year.

After much discussion on green spaces, the commission on Monday made a favorable recommendation to approve a primary plat for a 264-lot subdivision and deny an architectural variance for townhomes located at Two Cent Road and State Road 135.

The project, now dubbed Bellingham, has had a long journey through town government that first began in 2021. It came up again this year when the developer asked for a major edit to their original plan.

In 2021, the nearly 87-acre site was rezoned mixed-use and residential and a primary plat was approved. However, the developer came back in 2022 to edit the plat following a traffic study recommendation to change the layout of streets after their decision to change one type of housing development.

The project originally included 100 age-restricted duplex units, an 184-unit apartment complex and a commercial building that would house multiple businesses. However, the developer elected to replace age-restricted multi-family housing with single-family homes and townhomes. The council approved commitments related to changes made to the plat on the east half of the property.

However, at their April meeting, town council members asked for more green space on the property and sent the plat back to the plan commission for edits.

The developers had to return to the plan commission with a full development plan, which was approved at Monday night’s meeting.

The current plan includes 101 townhomes and 163 detached single-family homes. There are about four fewer houses than what was presented at previous meetings because the drainage area and amenities location were enlarged, said Brian Tuohy, an attorney for the petitioner. Neighborhood amenities include a pool house, a pickleball court and dedication of 1.3 acres of land for a future public park.

A 12-acre parcel abutting State Road 135 is reserved for future multi-family or commercial development on the plat. Specific plans for that area haven’t been established yet.

The plat was approved 6-0 with several commitments. The commitments include no access easement at the Happy Valley Place stub street, the park land donation and requiring that no residential property would be rented for less than 18 months, which would be reflected in the HOA restrictions. They also asked for commitments from the owners to keep the upkeep and maintenance of properties and to include buffering along the western border.

The petitioner also requested an architectural waiver for the proposed rear-loaded townhomes, specifically regarding the streetscape requirements. The town’s ordinance says building elevations of similar floor plans should have different exterior elements.

There are three different units for potential buyers to choose from. The petitioner believes that the townhomes would meet the ordinance requirements, but wanted to request a waiver out of “an abundance of caution,” he said.

The commission denied the waiver for the architectural requirements, citing concerns about duplicate housing. The motion passed 6-0.

In previous meetings, commissioners took issue with a street connecting to Old South Street and did not want to increase traffic on that road. At Monday’s meeting, commissioners asked for a commitment for a stub road to ensure a connector road is never built onto Old South Street.

Multiple people spoke at a public hearing on Monday to speak about issues including drainage, converting homes to rental properties and traffic.

Resident Duane Sjoquist said his house would now look out at three different houses instead of one because the lot sizes have changed. Sjoquist, however, he said he was glad the commission added the commitment for Old South Street.

Resident Jeff Dempsey said he is concerned about the drainage. He recently had to put two pumps in his crawlspace to get all of the water out Dempsey is worried the drainage problem will get worse. He wants to build a pole barn, but can’t because his yard is often flooded, he said.

People who live in the nearby Summer Gardens neighborhood expressed concerns about the density of the project and whether the buffer would shield them well enough.

The development is going in the right direction, but the lot sizes seem like “they are trying to put too much into this space,” said David Cecil, a Summer Gardens resident.

Sean Egenolf also brought up concerns about drainage being connected to existing drainage. Egenolf’s 7-year-old son has cerebral palsy and is picked up by the bus. Anytime it rains there is a lot of water and it is hard for his child to access the bus, he said.

Egenolf expressed concern the development would only add to the existing drainage problem.

Commission members acknowledged said they only have control over the approval of the plat and the waiver. Some concerns that were brought up are out of their hands, they said.

They hope that the drainage will be improved with the development. If residents want to address drainage issue, they can do so to the drainage board, they said.

Assuming no other issues arise, construction is expected to begin later this year with residents moving in late summer or fall of 2025, Tuohy said.