Consultants tell Westfield council mixed-use and ‘missing‑middle’ housing boost taxable value per acre
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Summary
Urban 3 and Rundle Ernsberger Associates presented an economic analysis for Westfield’s comprehensive plan that found missing‑middle and multifamily housing generate higher taxable value per acre than extensive low‑density single‑family development, and identified a long‑term infrastructure funding gap the city should plan to close.
Westfield — Consultants working on Westfield’s comprehensive plan told the City Council on Tuesday that denser, mixed‑use development and “missing‑middle” housing types produce far greater taxable value per acre than low‑density single‑family subdivisions.
Kayla Burns, planning department staff, introduced the presentation by Rundle Ernsberger Associates (REA) and Urban 3. Adam Carr, principal coordinator with Urban 3, said the analysis compared land‑use types across Washington Township and found that missing‑middle housing averaged roughly $2,100,000 per acre, while a peak townhome parcel on Midland Trace Loop measured about $14.5 million per acre. Commercial Main Street‑style parcels averaged about $2.7 million per acre and industrial land about $4 million per acre in the study area.
Carr also mapped the city’s built acres and revenues and said the city faces a long‑term fiscal gap driven by infrastructure lifecycle costs. He told the council current spending for stormwater maintenance is about $3.4 million and long‑term commitments rise to roughly $3.6 million per year; current road spending is about $16.7 million with a long‑term need of roughly $30 million annually. “When you put those two next to each other…you can kind of combine them to get this idea of what’s currently being spent on these two infrastructure systems versus what needs to be spent annually,” Carr said, summarizing a plan‑level shortfall the analysis estimated at about $14 million per year.
Mayor Scott Willis and council members framed the findings as confirmation of topics they have raised publicly: gaps in commercial development, the potential role for townhomes to meet demand for younger households, and the long‑term cost of maintaining roads and drainage. Willis said the legislature’s recent action on HB 1001 had removed some state provisions the city opposed but urged caution: “When they let you opt out like that, this will probably come back again down the road.”
Councilors asked the consultants to clarify definitions and implications. Carr explained “missing middle” includes duplexes, townhomes and smaller multifamily types that fall between single‑family detached homes and large apartment blocks. He said adding more dense commercial and mixed‑use development — such as main‑street retail with residential above — typically improves net fiscal performance because it concentrates taxable value on smaller footprints.
The presentation concluded with calls for targeted land‑use choices and long‑term budgeting to ensure infrastructure is funded as the city grows. Carr urged the council to use the analysis to guide decisions on where increased density makes sense rather than applying uniform change across the city.
