Board approves Iron Brook ground‑floor variance to add 186 homes; developer says product will expand attainable housing

The Anderson City Board of Zoning Appeals voted 4–0 to approve petition 9‑25, a variance from the city’s minimum ground‑floor area that will allow Arbor Homes to construct a mix of multi‑level single‑family homes on a proposed 186‑lot subdivision called Iron Brook.

Staff explained the city has a shortage of available buildable lots and recommended the variance so the developer could offer a range of floor plans at lower price points. Tony Begato of Arbor Homes said the development will include two product lines—Arbor and Arrival—with lot widths of roughly 50 feet and a total of 12 Arbor floor plans and several elevations to reduce monotony. Begato said the typical Arbor first floor is about 562 square feet; one plan includes conditioned but unfinished storage that, depending on counting convention, could raise the finished first‑floor area. Arbor’s entry product is intended to be an attainable home priced in the low‑to‑mid $200,000s; its larger Arbor series is targeted in the low‑to‑mid $300,000s.

Neighbors asked about drainage and stormwater. Leon Filburn, a nearby farmer, requested assurance that the developer’s drainage and detention design would not increase runoff onto adjacent farmland; staff and the city engineer’s representative said that drainage calculations and detention design will be required during permitting and before construction.

After testimony, the board voted 4–0 to grant the variance. The petitioner must still submit a primary plat, drainage plan and construction documents and obtain building, fire and engineering approvals during the planning and permitting process.