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Council approves Legacy Village Court PUD amendment allowing three stories, modest occupancy increase
Summary
St. Joseph County Council on Oct. 14 approved an amendment to the Legacy Village Court Planned Unit Development to clarify permitted three-story townhomes and to increase the allowed number of unrelated occupants per unit from six to eight, while capping total residency at 98; the vote was unanimous, 9-0.
The St. Joseph County Council unanimously approved an amendment to the Legacy Village Court Planned Unit Development (PUD) on Oct. 14 that clarifies building height and modestly increases permitted occupancy per unit.
The ordinance (bill 76-25), sponsored by RWD Campus Development LLC, revises the PUD to allow three-story townhomes in areas that were constructed consistent with a three-story design and increases the number of unrelated occupants permitted in each townhome from six to eight. The amendment includes a cap: the 14 townhomes together will be limited to a maximum of 98 residents, an overall occupancy increase of up to 14 people if every unit reaches the new maximum.
Area Plan Director Sean Klein summarized staff analysis and said the amendment does not allow additional buildings or new uses. The Area Plan Commission recommended the change with a favorable vote (6-0), and the county's Land Use Planning Committee also forwarded the measure with a favorable recommendation.
Matt Schramm, attorney for the petitioner, told the council the PUD update "is physically replacing the existing PUD with a new PUD that's substantially the same in all material respects except for those two areas" and noted the cap on total residents. Owner Robert Colsat said the three-story description in the original paperwork had inconsistent language (2, 2.5 stories in some places) and that the units were always intended and built as the current configuration.
Neighbors and members of the public were split: some spoke in favor of more housing and efficient use of existing development; others questioned whether the three-story structures had been built without the correct permit language and warned of increased density near single-family neighborhoods. The petitioner said that owners and nearby stakeholders, including Little Flower Catholic Church, now support the amendment and that the property is well maintained.
Councilman Rutten commended the petitioner for engagement with neighbors and praised the responsible development.
Ending Bill 76-25 passed by a vote of 9-0. The ordinance is intended to align the written PUD standards with the as-built condition and to codify occupancy rules and the residency cap for the townhome cluster.
