Planning commission preliminarily approves Crestwood/Southwind 42‑lot primary plat amid flooding concerns

The Michigan City Planning Commission on May 26 voted to preliminarily approve petition 900‑26, a primary plat for a proposed 42‑lot single‑family subdivision on roughly 16.66 acres near Crestwood Drive and Southwind Drive.

The developer’s representative, Yorgel Karianas, described the proposal and introduced engineer Rick Katz, who said the plan calls for 42 single‑family lots (roughly 50 by 100 feet each), new public roadways, sidewalks on both sides, and stormwater detention sized to meet local ordinance requirements. “When we put in a pond, everything’s gonna be directed to the pond, directed to this new storm sewer we’re talking about,” Katz said, adding that the development should reduce direct overland flows to Crestwood but that larger off‑site improvements would be costly and subject to coordination with the city.

Planning staff read a detailed departmental report recommending approval, noting the parcel is zoned R3A and that the proposed lots meet the R1D minimum lot size of 5,000 square feet and 50‑foot lot width. Staff identified conditions for approval, including that roads be constructed to the City Engineer’s standards and that the petitioner provide a tree survey meeting subdivision Article 17 requirements. The report also listed required coordination with the water and sanitary departments and noted a potential new manhole and easement recordings.

Why it matters: Residents who live on and around Crestwood Drive told commissioners they have experienced recurring basement flooding and long‑standing ponding in backyards. Mike Wilkerson, a Crestwood resident, told the commission he’s lived in the neighborhood since 1978 and warned the project “is probably not gonna help things” if existing flows and low points are not addressed. Neighbor Cynthia Chambers described past flooding that required FEMA assistance and said the neighborhood is “very quiet” now but could become disruptive if flooding and traffic worsen.

The public record included technical and procedural clarifications from city staff and the project engineer. City staff and the sanitary district acknowledged known stormwater issues in the area and said they have been reviewing potential improvements. Katz said the project’s detention and a proposed storm‑sewer tie‑in could reduce flows to Crestwood, but he acknowledged the team has not yet modeled every off‑site condition and that some solutions would depend on later permit and design steps. "We can't do a ton with infrastructure…if there would be something really extensive, maybe we could talk about sharing that cost with Michigan City," Katz said.

Commission action and next steps: Commissioners moved and seconded a motion to approve petition 900‑26 "subject to the complete staff recommendations and attorney report recommendations" as read into the record. The commission took roll call votes (Bruce Dimidici, Fred Clinder, Steve DePalma, Timothy Warner, Bridal Dabney and Christina Esper recorded aye) and the motion passed; the primary plat was preliminarily approved. Staff emphasized that primary plat approval is an early procedural step: the developer must subsequently obtain secondary‑plat approval and construction permits, and drainage and final design will be reviewed in later permit and secondary‑plat stages. The motion and staff conditions mean the project proceeds to the next stages of review, not immediate site construction.

Clarifying details: staff recorded the parcel area at approximately 16.66 acres; proposed 42 single‑family lots; minimum lot area and width requirements cited (5,000 sq ft minimum lot area; 50 ft minimum lot width); wetlands on site with a proposed 50‑foot buffer; TEP fee of $50 per house payable at occupancy; road and utility construction must meet city standards; tree survey required under Article 17.

The commission’s preliminary approval allows the developer to proceed toward secondary plat and construction review, during which the sanitary district, water department and city engineering will require stormwater designs and permit documents that demonstrate the subdivision will not worsen neighborhood flooding. Residents were advised to preserve documentary evidence (videos/exhibits) for later proceedings and to coordinate with staff and the sanitary district for specific engineering analyses.