Area Plan Commission backs Estridge 'Millbrook' rezoning package, recommends commissioners approve

Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission members on April 16, 2025 recommended approval of five related rezoning requests from Estridge Development Management LLC for a proposed community called Millbrook, a multi‑phase residential development that would include single‑family homes, townhomes, multifamily apartments and a neighborhood business node.

The commission voted on five separate zoning applications that the petitioner presented together. The vote on the developer’s commitments passed on a commitment ballot 15–0; four of the rezone cases passed 15–0; one passed 13–2. All five items will be forwarded to the Tippecanoe County Commissioners for final action next month.

The petition, presented by Ryan Munden of RTS Law on behalf of Estridge, covers roughly the acreage in five contiguous requests and a nonbinding plan showing clustered housing types, amenity spaces and preserved green space. Munden said the developer chose R‑3 zoning with a written commitment on large parts of the site to allow single‑ and two‑family home products while retaining better lot coverage ratios.

Estridge described Millbrook as an amenity‑focused community with pools, a clubhouse, gym, coffee shop, community gardens, multiple courts, trails and “over 40 acres of preserved green space,” and interior connections to existing trails. Estridge representatives said the community would offer a range of housing types intended to serve “young couples, singles, growing families and downsizing empty‑nesters.” The developer provided a price range for homes and an estimate of units during the hearing: “Approximately 771 single family, and that’s in addition to the multifamily apartments,” Munden said. When asked about multifamily density, the petitioner said, “At this point, I don’t think we have 4 to 500” units (estimate given in the hearing).

Neighbors spoke during the public comment period. Don Worden of 2033 Old Oak Drive said he and other residents did not want Millbrook to connect to Old Oak Drive because the street is narrow and heavily used by children. “I don’t know if I’m as in much of an opposition to this as I am to reiterate the importance of not coming through Old Oak Drive,” Worden said. Munden responded that Estridge agrees with the neighborhood’s concern and that specific access points would be addressed during the future subdivision process; he said the petitioner was not requesting a connection to Old Oak Drive.

Staff packets and Amanda Esposito, APC staff, described the requests as largely consistent with the county’s land‑use plan for Wabash and Tippecanoe Townships and noted the petitioner’s nonbinding plan includes trails, rain gardens, pollinator habitat and other open‑space amenities.

Votes at a glance (Estridge/Millbrook): - Z‑2975 (R‑1/R‑2/A to R‑3 with commitment): commitment ballot passed 15–0; rezone recommended 15–0. - Z‑2976 (R‑1 to R‑3): recommended 15–0. - Z‑2977 (R‑1 to R‑1T — townhouse): recommended 15–0. - Z‑2978 (R‑1 to R‑1B — smaller lot single family): recommended 15–0. - Z‑2979 (R‑2 to NB — neighborhood business): recommended 13–2. All five items will go to the County Commissioners in May for final consideration.

The commission’s recommendation does not approve final plats, engineering, or access points; subdivision design, stormwater, and any required buffers or trail connections will be decided at the subdivision stage and during subsequent permitting. The developer and staff noted the NB (neighborhood business) portion has no express commitments limiting future uses; Estridge said it has no intent to permit “unsuitable” commercial uses there, but the APC recommendation does not impose additional binding limits beyond the zoning change itself.

The recommendation closes a multi‑month review process; next procedural step is public hearings before the Tippecanoe County Commissioners.