Council approves PUD for Noah Beachy Farms, developer requests sewer delay and other variances

Plain City Council unanimously approved the preliminary planned-unit development (PUD) for Noah Beachy Farms, a single-family residential project proposed by Fisher Homes/Grand Communities, after a work-session presentation and council questions.

The project site lies north of Cemetery Pike and south of State Route 161 and is being annexed from the township into the village. Hillary Lafin, planning and entitlements manager with Grand Communities, described the proposal and site constraints, including a floodplain adjacent to Sugar Run Stream and a pipeline that crosses the property.

The application seeks rezoning from AG-1 to PUD and proposes 30 “Maple Street” lots (minimum 55-foot width), 82 “designer” lots (minimum 65-foot width) and 32 “masterpiece” lots (minimum 80-foot width). Lafin said the development will provide 30% open space where only 25% is required and anticipates a density of about 2.12 units per acre (the PUD maximum cited was three units per acre). Lot setbacks on the plan were described as 25-foot front yards, 20-foot rear yards and 7-foot side yards with a 14-foot aggregate between homes.

Lafin told the council the developer is requesting three variances: extend the FTP (final development plan) expiration from 24 months to 60 months to allow time for a sanitary sewer extension to reach the site; waive a required connection to an adjacent northern property (the parcel west of a ready-mix plant is currently township/industrial); and allow two blocks — identified as Roads B and C and a northern road — to exceed the standard block-length limit so the plan can use curvilinear roads and reduce cul-de-sacs. She said staff and the developer remain open to adjustments to avoid one of the block-length variances if the plan is stepped differently to the north.

Council members asked about the Heritage Trail alignment, whether community amenities would be private or public, buffering between residential lots and the ready-mix plant, traffic-study timing and how the trail might route through or around the neighborhood. Lafin said amenities such as a picnic shelter, playground, walking trails and two central detention basins are planned and that the developer envisions the amenity areas being privately owned and maintained by an HOA while a public Heritage Trail would be dedicated to the village by easement if the trail crosses private property. She said a traffic study had been completed for counts but its results were not yet available; any required turn lanes or other improvements along SR-161 or Cemetery Pike would be included in the development plan.

After discussion, the council moved to approve the PUD preliminary development plan for Noah Beachy Farms. The motion passed unanimously (6–0).

The approval does not by itself authorize construction; several approvals and infrastructure actions remain, including final development plan approval, sanitary sewer extension timing and any required roadway improvements. The council recorded its approval as the work session concluded and then proceeded with other agenda items.