Developers present adjacent Converse Huff Road subdivisions; council presses for more greenspace and review of density

At its Oct. 1 work session, the Plain City Council heard concept plans for two neighboring residential developments on Converse Huff Road: CP-25-2 by Pulte Homes and CP-25-3 by Arbor Homes. Presentations were led by Gary Smith of G2 Planning and Design and by representatives from the developers, who described lot sizes, product types and proposed design features.

Pulte Homes said its CP-25-2 layout would feature 50-foot and 60-foot lots with foundation widths of approximately 40 and 50 feet and homes priced in the high $400,000 range. Pulte representatives explained that home footprints are arranged so rear yards face adjacent greenspace rather than back-to-back with neighboring houses; they also proposed visual screening along Converse Huff Road such as mounding or tree plantings and said any multi-use path along the road would require coordination among adjacent property owners.

Arbor Homes presented CP-25-3 as a smaller, higher-density development with two product categories: a 50-foot lot product (multiple floorplans) with prices in the mid $300,000s, and a narrower, affordability-focused product on 40-foot lots using 30-foot concrete slab foundations with starting prices in the mid $200,000s. Arbor Homes said basements are available on buyer request but typically increase construction costs by about $30,000–$40,000; the company noted roughly 35% of buyers in its Maren Reserve project selected basements.

Council members pressed both developers on density, usable greenspace and setbacks. Council member T. Harriman said the Pulte plan’s density may exceed zoning-code limits and urged the developers to re-check density calculations and bonus provisions. Council President M. Terry and others said retention or stormwater ponds should not be counted as usable greenspace and encouraged more centralized, usable park areas. Village Planner Derek Hutchinson confirmed the code requires at least 14 feet between houses and asked developers to verify proposed building separations against that standard.

Members also discussed vehicular circulation and safety. Harriman asked developers to coordinate roadway patterns with the nearby Beachy Farms project to avoid creating cut-through routes from U.S. 42; the developers agreed to review road-connection options and to pursue road curves and traffic-calming patterns that prioritize safety and pedestrian connectivity. Mayor Jody Carney suggested relocating houses at the main entrance to create a formal entryway similar to nearby Darby Station.

Developers acknowledged the feedback, said they already had received similar comments from the Planning & Zoning Commission, and committed to revising the concept plans. No formal approvals or permit actions were taken at the work session; staff and developers agreed to produce updated plans for future review by Council and Planning & Zoning.