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Newton council approves rezoning and annexation for 252-home Coley Fish Pond development
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Summary
The Newton City Council unanimously approved a rezoning and accompanying voluntary annexation for a 99.4-acre Coley Fish Pond development that would add 252 single-family homes and about 24.9 acres of open space; planners estimate roughly 2,520 daily trips from the development.
On Oct. 3, the Newton City Council voted unanimously to approve Rezoning 2023-6, clearing the way for Mungo Homes to develop about 99.4 acres near Coley Fish Pond Road and Bethany Church Road into 252 detached single-family homes and roughly 24.86 acres of open space.
Assistant Planning Director Alex Fulbright told the council the site is currently outside Newton city limits and would be annexed if the rezoning is approved, and that the project "is estimated to generate approximately 2,520 trips per day." He also described existing traffic counts on nearby roads: Coley Fish Pond Road (2021 AADT ~300 vehicles per day) and Bethany Church Road (2019 AADT ~3,900 VPD).
The Planning Commission had unanimously recommended approval after public notice by newspaper, mailed notices and on-site posting. Resident Cassandra Gray urged the developer to prioritize private buyers over corporate purchasers, saying it "would be good if the developer could make sure private persons are buying and not corporations." The council closed the public hearing and approved the rezoning on a motion by Council Member Ed Sain, seconded by Council Member Jody Dixon.
The annexation to bring the property inside Newton's corporate limits was considered in the same series of hearings; the council unanimously approved the voluntary annexation petition for roughly 107.731 acres tied to the same development proposal.
The approvals mean the developer may proceed through required site plan, subdivision and permitting steps under Newton's PD-H (Planned Development Housing) standards. City staff noted that city water, sewer and electric service are available to the site; additional engineering and permitting steps remain before construction.
The ordinances, staff reports and application materials are on file in the Office of the City Clerk. The council recorded the rezoning and annexation approvals as final actions at the Oct. 3 meeting.