Developer Heyday outlines 164-unit ‘missing middle’ plan for 40-acre Germantown site; commissioners raise architecture, utilities and bedrock questions
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Summary
Heyday presented a concept for 164 rental townhomes and single-family-attached homes on ~40 acres near Lilac Lane, emphasizing low density, universal design and conservation open space; commissioners asked about sewer extension, bedrock excavation, architecture variety and school impacts.
A developer team for Heyday presented a concept plan Nov. 10 for a 164-unit rental community on roughly 40 acres east of Shone-Laufen Park in Germantown, describing a product the firm said will prioritize low density, private two-car garages and large amounts of open space.
Ryan, a Heyday representative, said the proposal would deliver roughly 4.1 dwelling units per acre with about 15.8 acres set aside for open space and on-site trails connecting to an adjacent park. "We develop rental homes and townhomes...Everything comes with a 2-car direct access garage...and that's an important data point because it's 4 to 1 parking and allows us to maximize green space," he said. Heyday described building finishes that the company called higher-end and said units include universal-design elements intended to let residents age in place.
Commissioners pressed for specifics. Questions focused on where sewer and water would be extended from and whether bedrock on the site would require blasting or other disruptive excavation. "We're gonna spend some money on the geotechnical to evaluate that," Ryan said, acknowledging bedrock and saying the firm typically uses construction methods that minimize blasting. He added the developer was prepared to fund and operate a private lift station if necessary.
Architecture and neighborhood fit also drew attention after public commentary earlier in the meeting criticized similar projects as "mundane." Heyday said it will prepare a design manual and multiple elevation options to increase variety and work with staff and trustees on materials. "We're going to provide a comprehensive plan and rendering and modeling and materials to select to work with you guys to try to get as close as possible to what you wanna see in terms of variety of the architecture," Ryan said.
On school impacts, Heyday cited internal occupancy data showing about 10% of units include school-age children and argued the product could free up existing larger homes when older residents downsize. Staff told the commission that moving forward would require a comprehensive plan amendment, further work on sanitary sewer and stormwater, and possibly right-of-way or certified survey map actions before a formal site development plan is filed.
No formal action was taken; commissioners directed staff to continue working with the applicant if the developer chooses to proceed to formal applications.