The Noblesville Common Council on Oct. 7 approved two zoning ordinances for a proposed residential development called Parks at Crossroads, rezoning roughly 124 acres east of Promise Road and adopting a preliminary planned-development plan. The council also accepted an amendment to the applicant's commitments that caps the number of dwellings permitted to be leased at 15% of the total number of dwellings; both ordinances (36-10-25 and 37-10-25) passed by roll-call vote, 8-0.

Stephanie (staff) introduced the project as a change of zoning from R-1 to a mix of R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5 and planned development for property east of Promise Road between State Road 32 and East 180th Street. John Dabyshowitz, a land-use professional representing the applicant Boomerang Development, said the proposal had been introduced in May and revised after feedback: the developer reduced the total number of homes by about 35 to about 324 total homes, increased single-family detached units and reduced townhomes, and redistributed open space and amenities across the site.

Dabyshowitz described the proposed composition as 44 duplex units, 82 townhomes and 198 single-family detached dwellings and said the applicant and builders (Lennar Homes and David Weekley Homes) had refined product design and architecture following prior reviews. During council discussion the applicant agreed to add a rental-commitment cap. The applicant's representative said they would add a sentence to the commitments: "the number of dwellings that may be permitted to be leased shall be kept at 15% of the total number of dwellings," and deliver the signed amended commitment to the Clerk-Treasurer's office the following morning.

Council members expressed the request had arisen from neighborhood conversations and concerns about institutional investors purchasing homes and operating them as rentals. Council discussion and the applicant's commitment include a 12-month owner-occupancy period before a unit may be leased and other language to deter institutional investors; staff and builders said enforcement initially rests with homeowners associations and binding commitments.

The two ordinances were presented for adoption after technical reviews including ARB and a favorable recommendation from staff. A roll-call vote recorded Aaron Davis, Mark Elliott, Eric Johnson, Mark Peterson, Pete Schwartz, Aaron Smith, Todd Thurston and Megan Wiles voting "Aye," for an 8-0 result. Council approval included the binding amended commitment limiting leaseable dwellings to 15%.

The council approved the rezoning and preliminary development plan with the updated commitments; next steps include recording the commitments and the applicant continuing plan-level engineering and permitting.