The third time is the charm for Centennial Park developers. The Ellettsville Plan Commission granted their request for a variance to allow them to start building homes in the subdivision without the Town Code’s requirement of two access points.
All commission members were present, except for Kevin Farris. Don Calvert abstained from the vote.
Developer Gilbert Mordoh told the commission he would like to build while there is demand for property. Waiting two or three years for approval may be too long.
Mordoh spoke with Steve Crider, Bob Crider’s son, who told him he was not opposed to selling the easement that would run onto Centennial Lane. But, Mordoh said, Steve told him Bob was “vehemently opposed to this, thinking someday he’ll develop the property for himself.”
For the third time, residents from the Woodgate subdivision and east of Centennial Park spoke against the development.
“We’re not opposed to development,” said Woodgate resident Steve Olivas. “We know Ellettsville needs tax base. What we are opposed to is the developers coming in and making a profit at the expense of existing residents.”
He contended that construction traffic would go through the Woodgate subdivision and destroy Shadow Wood Drive in doing so. Later, the commission asked if they could require the construction company to get a bond to ensure the road was in the same condition or better at the end of construction than it was at the beginning.
Town Attorney Darla Brown told them, because the roads are maintained by Monroe County, the Ellettsville commission cannot place that requirement on the construction company.
Ellettsville Planning Director Kevin Tollotty said he had been in contact with Lisa Ridge, public works director for Monroe County, about starting a discussion with the developer about the issue, though he could not promise anything.
Terri Francis, who lives on the property to the east of Centennial Park, said a large tree branch fell across the road in her neighborhood. With only one access point, seven of the 13 families in the neighborhood were unable to leave. She asked commission members to consider that before casting their votes.
Commissioner David Drake said rejecting the variance would be inconsistent. Because the commission allowed other subdivisions to build before having two entry and exit points on the promise that they would, they needed to approve this one.
The variance approval came with a condition: Centennial Park developers will not be allowed to build more than 40 homes on the 78-lot property without adding a second access point. Drake suggested the condition as a compromise last month. The measure passed 4-0, with one abstention.
Mordoh estimated it would take three years to build 40 homes.
Also on the agenda for the plan commission was a new electronic changeable copy sign at Ellettsville True Value. The new sign will be about eight square feet larger than the old one. It will have two additional requirements placed on it: Messages will have to have a five-second hold time and the brightness of the sign will be limited. The sign was unanimously approved with the additional requirements.
Greenbriar Meadows requested a reduction of the total number of lots in the phase three area of its development. A representative told the commission that potential residents are interested in larger properties, so they would like to combine land-area from some lots to create larger ones, reducing the total number from 11 to eight. The request was approved unanimously.
Finally, a request to split a single commercial lot in two to accommodate a storage unit build already granted by the commission was approved unanimously.
The meeting concluded with more discussion of regulatory code adjustments.
Tollotty focused on two changes. He suggested adjusting the limit of homes on a property with one entry and exit path to 25. The current limit is 10, which the commission told Tollotty last month was too restrictive. He also suggested disallowing multifamily dwellings by right on properties zoned C-3. The town could require apartment developers to seek a variance or a special exception to build on C-3 properties.
“The difference between a special exception and a variance is, with the special exception you’re saying in your code this is a permitted use or this can be a permitted use in this zone if certain requirements are met,” Brown said. “If the petitioner comes in and they show you they meet those requirements, then generally you have to grant the special exception. It’s mandatory.”
But, Brown said, variances give the commission more flexibility in its decisions. Commission members seemed to favor requiring a variance.
Sign regulations were also discussed at the meeting.
Tollotty said he will refine his proposals and bring them back for public hearing in October or November.
The next meeting of the Ellettsville Plan Commission will be Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Ellettsville Fire Department in the conference and training room.
Originally published in Ellettsville Journal, 2016. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.