Plan commission conditionally approves Saranova Development plat amendment at 2500 North Wayne Street

The Angola Plan Commission voted Dec. 8 to conditionally approve a primary plat amendment for Saranova Development’s property at 2500 North Wayne Street, allowing a reconfiguration that adds three buildable lots and relocates a county legal drain to accommodate utilities and a future roadway alignment.

Staff presented the amendment during the public hearing and recommended conditional approval, noting the change is to the primary plat and not a final secondary plat. The packet, staff said, included both the plat the commission approved in January and a larger-print version of the proposed changes. Staff also told the commission the project has received public notice and that 23 property owners within 300 feet were notified. “Staff recommends conditional approval of this project once all plan review and routing comments are adequately addressed to staff’s satisfaction,” staff said.

Under the amendment, several lot acreages changed: Lot 1 remains 1.30 acres; Lot 2 was reduced from 1.61 to 1.10 acres; Lot 3 from 1.47 to 1.24 acres; Lot 4 from 2.51 to 1.39 acres; Lot 5 relocated from 3.74 to 1.27 acres; Lot 6 relocated at 1.27 acres; and three new lots were added—Lot 7 (1.14 acres), Lot 8 (1.21 acres) and Lot 9 (2.76 acres). Block A was reduced from 5.07 to 3.94 acres and a new Block B (0.405 acres) was reserved for a future roadway. The eastern 16.5 acres were removed from this phase to be platted separately at a later date.

Justin Hoffman, the civil engineer representing applicant Saranova Development, said changes reflected timing, jurisdictional ownership and market shifts: the southern road connection and the eastern portion were removed from this phase. Hoffman said the team is working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management on wetland mitigation and with the county drainage board on relocating a ditch, and that a third-party county review is underway for the drain relocation. “We're back before you again, with updated plans,” Hoffman said, adding that comments from staff and outside agencies are being addressed.

At the public comment portion, resident Cindy Smith of 308 Cornett Court asked how close the residential portion of the development would come to nearby Northcrest Park Villas and adjacent wetlands. Hoffman pointed to the original submittal showing a detention pond and said the closest development would be across the pond, “a couple [of] hundred feet away,” providing a buffer between the proposed lots and the rear of existing residential lots.

A commissioner moved to approve the amendment “with the condition that all plan review and routing comments are adequately addressed to staff satisfaction.” The motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor; staff confirmed the motion passed. The commission recorded that the subdivision is consistent with the City of Angola comprehensive plan objectives cited by staff (objectives 1.5, 1.7, 5.3 and 5.7) and that construction and design standards will be met once plan-review comments and conditions are addressed.

Next steps: the applicant must resolve outstanding plan-review and routing comments and obtain any required agency approvals (including IDEM and county drainage board sign-offs). Staff also noted that if future, significant amendments are made to the primary plat, the applicant may be required to return for additional commission review or a secondary plat approval.