Developers present plan for 100‑acre 'Lone Lake Farm' home community to Baltimore Village

Hearthstone Communities representatives on Monday presented a concept to Baltimore Village leaders for developing about 100 acres known as Lone Lake Farm and discussed next steps but received no formal approval.

The project team said the parcel owner, Jim Coutinho, is under contract and Hearthstone would build a for‑sale home community sized to be more affordable than nearby market housing. Joel Demick, a member of Hearthstone's executive team, described the company's model and said the developer wants to work with the village on design and infrastructure. Coutinho told the council, “I bought the Lone Lake Farm. It's a 100 acres,” and said the group hopes to annex the property into the village.

Nathan, identified in the presentation as Hearthstone's chief executive, described the product and financing approach and answered council questions on tenant selection, density and site layout. “We don't deal with section 8 at all, and we don't deal with rentals,” Nathan said, explaining Hearthstone's model emphasizes homeownership with the land retained in a single parcel and homes sold to qualifying buyers. The presenters said typical qualifying household incomes for their homes run in a midrange for the region and that financing is provided through conventional lenders the company works with.

Developers showed examples of 50‑by‑100‑foot lots (about 5,000 square feet) with rear walking paths and shared green spaces rather than traditional front‑curb sidewalks. Council members asked whether sidewalks would be required, and the developers said they could add sidewalks if the village requires them but prefer tree‑lined walking paths for safety and livability. Officials discussed water, stormwater and master‑meter options; the presenters said those engineering and utility details would be worked out during site plan and annexation negotiations.

Council members and the owner asked for follow‑up information on exact parcel boundaries, water and wastewater capacity, traffic and a proposed density range. No vote was taken: the presentation was introductory and the council asked staff to continue technical review and discussions with the developer. Hearthstone representatives said they will return with further engineering and financing details and that the company is available to meet with village staff and the planning commission.

The two‑hour presentation produced a number of technical questions but no formal action. Next steps identified by councilmembers included engineering and utility review, a survey of the property, a public hearing if annexation is pursued and subsequent planning/rezoning steps if the village and developer agree to proceed.