Council introduces annexation and rezoning for Umbarger Lane property

The city council on Aug. 4 introduced three related ordinances to annex roughly 130 acres along Umbarger Lane and to zone parts of the parcel for agriculture and residential development, Planning Director Joanna Tennell told the council.

"Good evening. Both well, all 3 of these items are subject the subject property is the same. So this is the annexation request. The property is located at the Northeast Corner Of Elmarger Lane in County Road 75 South. It's approximately a 130 acres," Planning Director Joanna Tennell said.

The council heard introductions for ordinance 2025-06 (annexation of the full 130 acres), ordinance 2025-07 (rezoning of the northern 53 acres to agricultural zoning) and ordinance 2025-08 (rezoning of the southern 77 acres to RS-3, Residential Suburban 3). The Planning Commission forwarded a favorable recommendation at its July 15 meeting. Public hearings on the measures are scheduled for Aug. 18, with official council action set for Sept. 2.

Council Member Miss Gray explained why the items came in three filings: "If we annex property, we have to designate a zoning and that's why you're gonna have 2 requests because there's 2 different types of zoning. 1 agricultural and 1 the next 1 she's gonna introduce. So this is all 1 project, but it's in 3 different petitions. That's why it's broken up this way." Her comment clarified that rezoning designations are required at annexation.

The southern 77-acre portion would be zoned RS-3 and include a set of written commitments from the petitioner that the Planning Commission incorporated into its favorable recommendation. Tennell said there are 18 written commitments with multiple subparts attached to that rezoning request.

Attorney Eric Prime, representing petitioner Arbor Homes, said the developer plans to mix in a higher-end product line and provided approximate lot counts for the subdivision: "They also will be mixing in their Silverthorn line, which is a a more upscale, line of homes into this subdivision as well. And so it'll be, like, a 106 lots that, are available for those and a 100 and for the Arbor line." He said the developer will provide more detail at the public hearing.

Council members asked for visuals and details to be provided at the public hearing. Tennell confirmed staff and the petitioner will bring model images and additional information: "We'll we'll bring it in for the during the public hearing. You'll see, pictures of the models and and what they're doing." The petitioner also agreed to make outstanding numbers on previous developments available at the hearing.

Council members and staff discussed the 53-acre northern tract, which the council was told is mostly wooded with a pond and contains regulated wetlands. Tennell said the tract was largely left undeveloped because of wetland conditions: "It it's a lot of wetlands. Even to use it, you'd have to put a lot of elevated walkways through there, just to not disturb things so that it it would have been pretty cost prohibitive to try to deal with that. And there is some chance in the future that it could be, potentially sold or donated to the city, for you guys to to use for that purpose. K." The transcript indicates the wetlands are subject to state regulation.

On procedural matters, the council introduced each ordinance by title only at the Aug. 4 meeting. The council approved the consent agenda (meeting minutes from July 21) earlier in the meeting by voice vote.

The introductions do not adopt final zoning or development approvals; they set the items for public hearing on Aug. 18 and for final action on Sept. 2. Council members repeatedly requested that staff and the petitioner provide model images, lot counts, and the written commitments in the public hearing packet so members and residents can review exact design and anti-monotony provisions before final action.