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Developer outlines concept for Westport site: 71 lots, retail and partnership with Lennar
Summary
Sloan Avenue Group presented a concept plan for the town-owned Westport site in Burns Harbor that would add 71 single-family lots, an 8,000-square-foot retail building and a homebuilder partnership; commissioners and residents raised access, infrastructure and maintenance questions.
The Burns Harbor Redevelopment Commission heard a developer presentation for the town-owned Westport site, where Sloan Avenue Group outlined a plan for about 71 single-family lots, an 8,000-square-foot retail component and a proposed building partnership with Lennar.
Tina, Redevelopment Commission staff, introduced the developers and said the town acquired the Westport parcel from the Doolin School Corporation around 2019 and completed master planning for the site; the previous development attempt did not proceed after the COVID-19 pandemic. Jen Couch, representing Sloan Avenue Group, said the concept includes mostly single-family lots and a southwest-corner retail building intended to serve trail users and residents.
"On the concept plan, we have 71 lots, that are, I'd say a pretty good size, 46 wide by a 125 deep," Couch said. She described about 70 parking spaces serving the retail component and said the developer would partner with Lennar for home construction to balance affordability and velocity.
Why it matters: The site sits adjacent to the Marquette Greenway Trail, which the town completed last October with grant support; the developer and staff framed the plan as the first new development on the trail segment in Northwest Indiana and said the retail space could serve as a trailhead or support outdoor recreation businesses.
Commissioners and residents asked technical questions about access, traffic and long-term maintenance. Several speakers raised concern that the plan as drawn offers only one access point and asked whether Westport Road or a second connection might be added; the developer said engineers would perform a traffic study and that any road upgrades would be discussed and generally performed by the developer before turn-over to the town. A resident asked who would maintain common areas; Couch said the project would likely include a homeowners association to manage the park and shared areas.
Couch said the development team has completed rounds of revisions and hopes to deliver an affordable product aimed at the "missing middle," targeting a mid- 300,000s sales price in current market conditions. The developers said they would follow the formal plan-commission review process and return with detailed engineering, traffic analysis and any required adaptations.
Clarifying details captured from the meeting: - Site ownership: Town of Burns Harbor purchased the parcel from the Doolin School Corporation (transaction completed around 2019). - Concept plan: 71 single-family lots; typical lot dimension described as 46 feet wide by 125 feet deep. - Retail component: approximately 8,000 square feet with over 70 parking spaces, positioned on the southwest corner of the concept plan. - Builder partnership: Sloan Avenue Group stated intent to partner with Lennar for home construction. - Trail context: Marquette Greenway Trail segment adjacent to the site, completed last October; staff estimated about $900,000 invested in that trail segment with some grant support. - Process: Developer to file formal plans with the plan commission and provide traffic and infrastructure studies; long-term roadway and utility maintenance typically transferred to the town after construction and acceptance.
No formal vote or approval of the concept occurred; the presentation was introductory, and the developer will proceed to the formal planning process if they move forward.
