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Crown Point appeals board approves 60-foot 'cottage' lots at Preserved Point with conditions
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Summary
The Board of Zoning Appeals approved Capdev LLC's petition 26-03 to allow 60-foot-wide, 55+ cottage lots at 14002 Grant Street (Preserved Point), capped at 76 lots and subject to staff conditions including LP siding and at least 50% stone or brick on fronts.
The Crown Point City Board of Zoning Appeals voted to approve petition 26-03, permitting the reduction of R-2 lot width to 60 feet at 14002 Grant Street for a planned Preserved Point subdivision, subject to conditions tied to materials, lot counts and age restriction.
Michael Herbers, representing Capdev LLC, told the board the request would allow a maintenance-free, age-restricted (55+) portion of Preserved Point made of cottage or villa homes. "We are here this evening to see the lot width variance, again to 60 foot," Herbers said, explaining the project had received a rezone approval earlier in the month.
Planning staff summarized the request and recommended approval, noting the lots proposed for the 60-foot width would have deeper dimensions so their square footage would exceed the R-2 minimum. The staff report said notices were sent and that there were numerous remonstrances on record. The staff recommendation called for approval of up to 76 lots reduced to 60 feet for cottage homes in the age-restricted community.
Several residents and a city council member urged the board to apply the variance standard strictly. Fifth-district Councilman Joe Sanders said the legal criteria require a showing of hardship and cautioned the board to "think about that before you vote." Resident Tim Malawi raised infrastructure concerns and asked whether the proposed development had arranged water and road upgrades, saying the city should insist on "responsible growth." Michelle Brown, a nearby homeowner and State Farm agent, said she feared houses would back up to her property and change neighborhood character.
Herbers responded that the overall project would build out over several years and that traffic and infrastructure studies would be reviewed at the primary plat stage: "We've done traffic studies. We've done infrastructure studies," he said. He also noted that the proposed 60-by-135 lots would be about 8,100 square feet—larger than the R-2 minimum of 7,200 square feet—arguing the proposal would not necessarily increase density.
Board member Jeremy Taylor moved to approve the petition contingent on staff notes and the findings-of-fact worksheet in the packet, and to include building-material conditions (LP siding and at least 50% stone or brick on front elevations), age restriction to 55 and over, and a maximum of 76 lots. The motion was seconded and the secretary called the roll; the chair announced the petition was approved under those conditions.
The approval advances the Preserved Point subdivision with a defined, age-restricted pocket of smaller-width cottage lots, subject to forthcoming primary-plat engineering review and the specified exterior-material and lot-count conditions.
