Plan Commission forwards Cambria Hills (Umbarger Lane) annexation and rezoning to City Council after public objections

The Franklin City Plan Commission voted Jan. 20 to forward the Cambria Hills annexation (PC25-31) and related rezoning requests (PC25-30) to the City Council with favorable recommendations, after a presentation by the developer and public comment critical of the plan.

Tony Begato of Arbor Homes presented the revised Umbarger Lane site plan, saying the refiled petition covers about 249 acres at the northeast corner of Umbarger Lane and County Road 75 South, reduces overall units from 216 to 202, and proposes that approximately 53 acres remain agricultural while about 77 acres would be rezoned RS-3 subject to the developer's commitments. Begato said the plan increases the share of the Silverthorn product to 60%, leaves 81 Arbor Homes units at about 40% of the site, and yields roughly 2.62 gross units per acre. He described a larger central green, walking trails and a point-based architectural standard to meet exterior-material commitments.

Neighbors raised repeated concerns about traffic, lot sizes, water runoff and the long-term durability of developer commitments. Derek Mobley, who said he was representing parents who live across the street, told the commission he feared a possible "bait and switch" if Silverthorn product does not sell and the developer later seeks to change commitments. "At some point when those don't sell, will the developer be back in here asking you to change those commitments? That's the bait and switch that I referred to back in August," Mobley said.

Michelle Jackson, who said her family has lived on 75 South for decades, urged larger lots and fewer homes and warned of standing water and flooding on 75 South. "I don't like the lot sizes at all," she said, describing lots she called "baseball diamond size" and noting she owns five acres directly across from the proposed development.

Begato responded that any change to the commitments would require a separate public hearing: "That would be a separate hearing, that would be another public hearing that the planning commission and city council could say yay or nay to," and said the current plan is what the petitioner is asking the commission to forward. He also said engineering and road improvements would be addressed at the primary-plat phase and offered anticipated price points: "Arbor is gonna be in the high threes to low fours, and Silverthorn will be in the mid fours up to even 500,000," he said.

Staff recommended a favorable recommendation on the annexation, a favorable recommendation to rezone the 53 acres to agriculture, and a favorable recommendation to rezone the 77 acres to RS-3 subject to the Cambria Hills zoning commitments dated 10/27/25. The commission voted on each item separately and approved all three motions on voice votes; commissioners recorded as voting yes included Michael Sponberg, Suzanne Finley, John Kemski, Irene Nally, Michelle Stringer, Matt McElroy and the chair (unanimous).

Next steps: staff said the petitions will be introduced to City Council on Feb. 18 (6 p.m. in this room), with a public hearing anticipated March 2 and official action March 16. The legal advertisement will run in the Veil Journal; individual mailings are not required by Indiana Code.