Contractor proposes building 13-lot housing development near Lake Mitchell golf course
Aug. 22—MITCHELL — A local contractor who is aiming to build 13 homes near Lake Mitchell is one step closer to beginning the proposed project after receiving approval Monday to rezone the land.
The small-scale development would bring 13 homes to a plot of land along the corner of North Ohlman Street and Sharpstone Drive, next to a row of town homes near the Lakeview Golf Course.
"Our goal is to build 13 single-family homes. We think they would be good homes for someone who is maybe looking to downsize and be easier to take care of," said Caleb Koerner, the contractor leading the proposed housing project. "We are working on a drainage plan now."
Koerner said the majority of the homes within the proposed subdivision would be roughly 1,000 square feet. Designs of the proposed subdivision show the lots will range in size from 7,000 square feet to roughly 10,000 square feet.
Plans also call for building a street in the center of the subdivision that would connect to North Ohlman Street and Sharpstone Drive. Koerner said he would be funding the addition of the street and infrastructure.
According to City Planner Mark Jenniges, the new street proposed for the center of the development would be privately owned and maintained by the Homeowners Association (HOA). That means the future residents who reside in the subdivision, if approved, would be responsible for maintaining the street.
"It's going to be a little narrower street than normal. Sidewalks would be abutting the street," Jenniges said. "It will not be a city street."
While there were a handful of letters submitted to the city recommending approval of the project, some nearby residents addressed their concerns of the proposed development at Monday's meeting.
Penny Virchow, a resident residing near the proposed development, pressed project leaders and city officials on the impact the new homes could have on the existing residents' drainage.
"We all have basements. I've heard in other areas of the community where there was some construction of houses, there ended up being drainage problems with water and sewer backup coming into basements. That's a concern," Virchow said. "With these folks not having basements and we all have basements, what's that going to do for us?"
Commission Chairman Jay Larson emphasized that the drainage plan Koerner is required to submit to the city should assure that the new homes would not cause drainage problems for existing homes.
After hearing from residents about the project, the city Planning and Zoning Commission approved rezoning the land to a Planned Unit Development (PUD) on Monday, which is a recommendation for the city council. The Mitchell City Council will ultimately decide whether to approve rezoning the land from a Residential zoning district to a PUD during the upcoming September meetings.
Among the nearby residents who submitted letters on behalf of the proposed rezoning request for the small development, all indicated they were in favor. Larry Sexton, a local contractor, wrote in his letter of support that the "excellent project" is "much needed."
Some of the building regulations included in the Planning Commission's agenda show the maximum height of the homes would not exceed 35 feet, more specifically a 2.5-story home.
