Metropolitan Development Commission approves Pulte Group rezoning for 225‑lot subdivision on Pentecost Road

The Metropolitan Development Commission on Sept. 3 approved a rezoning petition from the Pulte Group to rezone two parcels at 10010 and 10440 Pentecost Road in Franklin Township from DA to DP to allow a single‑family detached development of 225 lots.

Brian Tuohy, representing the petitioner, said the 96‑acre site would be developed at about 2.33 homes per acre and include preserved wooded areas, trails and an amenity area with a pool, playground, barbecue areas and pickleball courts. “We’ll leave those commitments in place,” Tuohy said, referring to agreed design and infrastructure commitments submitted to staff.

The staff recommendation supported approval despite noting the petition is not consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, which designates the site as rural or agricultural/reserve in parts. Staff cited surrounding residential development and said the proposed DP would be compatible with neighboring zoning and would incorporate public‑right‑of‑way and pedestrian improvements requested by the Department of Public Works (DPW).

Why it matters: the DP zoning sets the maximum number of lots and the development standards for the site; commissioners said the commitments and road frontage improvements would influence the character and connectivity of the area and could shape future development to the north.

Key details agreed by the petitioner and noted in the record include: a maximum of 225 lots on about 96 acres (roughly 2.3 homes per acre); preservation of two woodland stands totalling about 5.5 acres (one ~1.5 acres near center, another ~4 acres at the northeast corner); minimum lot dimensions of roughly 60 by 130 feet on smaller lots; minimum home sizes of about 1,600 square feet for ranch plans and about 2,200 square feet for two‑story plans; no vinyl siding on primary elevations, masonry or Hardy Plank siding preferred; anti‑monotony provisions for home placement; a minimum 20‑foot landscape buffer along the north property line adjacent to existing houses; and a 20% cap on lots that may be rented to third parties, with no more than two lots owned by a single legal entity. The covenants will prohibit short‑term rentals such as Airbnb.

A traffic study prepared by A&F Engineering, discussed in the hearing, concluded the four studied intersections would operate at acceptable levels of service with the development. Tuohy told commissioners the project’s frontage work on Pentecost Road and other DPW commitments would improve pedestrian connectivity and address local traffic concerns.

Remonstrator Bruce Lippold, whose property backs the site at 10406 Pentecost Road, asked for specifics on the buffer and tree preservation. Tuohy and Rex Ramage, Pulte Group vice president of land acquisition and entitlement, said the developer will retain a minimum 20‑foot landscape buffer behind the rear lots, plant evergreen and deciduous screening, and meet individually with Lippold to confirm the planting plan. “We will provide a screening in this site plan,” Tuohy said; he described that as a committed condition to be recorded with the subdivision covenants.

Commissioner West pressed the petitioner on comprehensive‑plan consistency, neighborhood amenities and whether the density and proposed amenities would serve Franklin Township’s needs. Tuohy and Ramage said the DP provides architectural and amenity standards—pool, pickleball, trails, preserved woods—and that the developer’s price band (estimated mid‑$400,000s, with some plans potentially approaching $500,000) and amenities represent a “move‑up” product for the market.

The commission decided the petition at ballot. The final tally was five yes votes and two no votes; the petition passed.

Votes at a glance from the Sept. 3 Metropolitan Development Commission meeting

- Minutes of the prior meeting: approved, 7‑0 (motion by Commissioner Schumacher; second by Commissioner Garver). - Continuance: Resolution 2025 A028 (staff request to continue while finalizing an MOA) — continued to Sept. 17, passed 7‑0 (motion by Commissioner Garber; second by Commissioner Hergett). - Policy resolutions 2025 R033 and 2025 R034 (acceptance/administrative matters as read into the record): approved together, 7‑0 (motion by Commissioner Lyle; second by Commissioner Moriarty). - No‑appeal petitions read and acted on: APP0085510 (Carville Avenue) and MOD015 (2326 Southport Commons Drive) recommended for approval and approved 7‑0; MOD012 (8809 South Meridian Street) recommended for denial and denied (vote recorded as denial). - Zoning petition 2025 ZON046 (Pulte Group, 10010/10440 Pentecost Road): approved by ballot, 5‑2.

What the commission did not decide: the petition was approved as an initial hearing action but the DP and technical construction permits will still require final engineering, drainage approvals and recorded covenants before building permits can be issued. Drainage plans must comply with applicable regulations and be submitted to DPW and Franklin Township as part of the permitting process, per commitments on the record.

Next steps and implementation notes: the petitioner must record covenants containing the commitments (design standards, rental limits, landscape buffer, drainage measures) and complete required frontage and roadway improvements. Staff and DPW will review final engineering and drainage plans during permitting. Tuohy and Pulte committed on the record to meet with adjacent property owners on landscaping and screening, and the commission directed staff to follow up to ensure the promised landscaping meeting occurs.

The commission’s action was procedural and statutory: it changes the zoning classification of the parcels to Planned Development (DP) with site‑specific commitments; it does not itself approve final plats or building permits.