Martinsville planning panel approves Artesian Place preliminary plat, tables final PUD for more details

The City of Martinsville Planning Commission approved a preliminary plat for Artesian Place on July 22 and postponed action on the development's final planned-unit development to allow developers to return with more detailed plans. The commission voted to accept docket PC25016, a primary plat that subdivides roughly 10 acres into eight lots for single-family homes, rental townhomes and a future development block. The panel then tabled docket PC25017, the final PUD and site plans, until the next regular meeting to give applicants time to address questions. The decision matters because Artesian Place would create a mixed project that pairs six Habitat for Humanity single-family lots with 34 for-rent townhomes, on-site amenities and a daycare in a portion of the development, altering plans previously shown to the commission. Attorney Joe Calder, representing T and H Investments, presented the plats and told commissioners, “we believe that this primary plat, does meet the requirements of your Subdivision Control Ordinance.” The preliminary plat shows public right-of-way tying the new internal street to Artesian Avenue and reserves a block for future division. Developers and multiple commissioners described changes since a February submittal: the standalone daycare that originally occupied an end lot has been moved into the clubhouse footprint, a separate townhome playground shown earlier is no longer in the current plans, and several townhome buildings have shifted closer together. Brian Donato of T and H Investments said the daycare will remain a one-story, commercially built space and that the precise square footage and capacity are still being finalized to meet new state and fire-code requirements. He told the commission the project team is “still sorting through that a little bit.” Fire Marshal Charlie Fraker told the commission the site’s fire access raised no objections but that the daycare will have to meet commercial fire-code requirements and that staff are awaiting finalized occupancy numbers to determine specific layout and life-safety systems. Fraker said, “Outside of that, as far as the use of the land and fire apparatus access, we have no issues.” Commissioners pressed the applicants for details the panel said are necessary before final approval: a clearly sited playground or fenced play area for daycare children; clarified square footage and expected capacity for the daycare; final clubhouse and façade materials facing Artesian Avenue; confirmation of two-car garages and masonry wainscoting promised for the Habitat homes; and explanation of reduced spacing between some townhome buildings (drawings previously showed 30-foot separations, some current details show 20 feet in places). Donato and other project speakers said changes were driven in part by financing constraints. Donato explained that tax-credit equity for the project has become more expensive, and that bids for tax-credit investment had fallen compared with earlier expectations: “we went into this with a price close to 90¢ per dollar of tax credit investment. We now have bids for this project at 82¢,” he said, describing a funding shortfall the team said limited the scale of some amenities. Several commissioners said the daycare and play space were important to the project’s neighborhood fit. Commissioner Jim Burkhart moved to table the final PUD; Commissioner Rich Baston seconded the motion and the commission approved tabling PC25017 until the applicants return with the requested details. Earlier, Commissioner Rick Heacock moved to accept the primary plat (PC25016); Jim Burkhart seconded and the motion passed. The applicants indicated they have secured certain financing commitments and hope to start construction in late fall, with initial sitework and foundations to begin once final plans and building permits are in place. The developers said they expect to manage the rental portion for an initial compliance period tied to project funding and that the townhome ownership/management entity intends to retain ownership for a minimum of 15 years. Next steps: applicants will update the PUD/site plans to show a daycare footprint and play area, provide clarified daycare capacity and building elevations for Artesian Avenue-facing facades, confirm separation distances and fire/life-safety design responses, and work with city staff on snow removal and private parking maintenance details. The commission expects revised materials at its next regular meeting.