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Council approves Providence rezoning with developer commitments limiting master leases
Summary
The West Lafayette City Council approved Ordinance 3-20-25 to rezone Old Town Companies' Providence phases 3–5, along with voluntary commitments from the developer that cap master leases, require common ownership for the subject area, and restrict HOA voting to owner-occupied units. The ordinance passed by roll call vote 7-0.
The West Lafayette City Council on Feb. 3 voted 7-0 to approve Ordinance 3-20-25, allowing Old Town Companies to rezone portions of the Providence development for phases 3, 4 and 5 and to increase the planned unit count from about 550 to 589 units. The council also approved a set of voluntary commitments from the developer before taking the ordinance vote.
The commitments, presented by Justin Moffett, chief executive officer of Old Town Companies, and Jennifer Van Sciver, development director, include a limit on master leasing so that a single entity may lease no more than five units; a requirement that the parcels remain in common ownership rather than be subdivided among multiple owners; and a provision that homeowner association voting on the affected section be limited so that a majority of votes must come from owner-occupied units rather than being controlled by corporate ownership.
“Predominantly the concern was around the control of the neighborhood,” Justin Moffett said, explaining the commitments the company negotiated with neighbors. “We put provisions in place to limit master leasing. ... The goal was to have continuity in how this would be managed.”
Council discussion noted town-hall meetings and ongoing neighborhood engagement. A councilor said the written commitments “went a long way to address some of the changes that the neighbors were interested in.” Councilors also discussed Phase 6 road geometry as a minor modification that would return to the Area Planning Commission and noted plans to accelerate site work to avoid prolonged construction impacts for existing Providence residents.
Two members of the public who live or will live in Providence spoke in favor of approving the rezoning. Mike Hoffman described Old Town’s prior handling of buyer pricing through supply-chain pressures and said he supported the project and its amenities, including an expanded pool and clubhouse. Richard Lubcke, a recent lot buyer, said a positive vote would “allow Providence to continue growing” and help attract residents back to West Lafayette.
Roll-call votes on both the commitments and the ordinance recorded seven ayes, no nays. The council recorded the ayes as Blanco; Burr; Dennis; Lee; Parker; Sanders; and Veta Manis. Following the vote, the presiding officer announced the ordinance passed.
The commitments take effect only if the ordinance is adopted; council guidance earlier in the meeting noted that commitments are considered first so they attach to any approved rezoning.
The approved plan calls for a mix of brownstones and two‑story “flats” with direct-access garages; the developer described the flats as aimed at “an older renter type, a professional” who might work at the university or Discovery Park. The developer said the change to 589 units is achieved by subdividing previously planned square footage into more individual units rather than increasing overall building massing.
Background: The rezoning request was recommended by the Area Planning Commission and had been voluntarily pulled twice by the petitioner for additional neighborhood outreach before returning to the council with the commitments.
Looking ahead, the council and petitioner said Phase 6 road geometry will be handled through a minor modification process and that infrastructure for phases 3–6 would be planned to limit prolonged disturbance to existing residents.
