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Developers preview New Albany 'Hamlet' plans: more open space, park features and waiver requests
Summary
At an informal review, the applicant said the Hamlet plan now includes about 33% open space (above the 25% zoning minimum), an eight‑acre Sugarloan Park, and requests for waivers including internal sidewalks reduced to 4 feet and a 44‑foot height allowance in parts of the site; no formal vote was taken.
At an informal review on Aug. 5, 2024, the Planning Commission heard a detailed presentation of the Hamlet village development from Justin Lyda of Steiner and Associates. Staff opened the session by summarizing the schedule and directing viewers to the project microsite; Lyda then described two years of design refinement and several substantive changes to the preliminary development plan.
Lyda said the project now exceeds the zoning standard for open space, "it's currently at right around 33%, so we're exceeding that," and described Sugarloan Park as "right around 8 acres" with creek restoration, nearly two‑thirds of a mile of leisure path, natural play areas and an art‑walk program. The applicant also outlined a set of likely waivers to be formally requested with the final development plan: reducing some internal sidewalks from 5 feet to 4 feet where appropriate while retaining 5‑foot sidewalks on primary roads and 8‑foot exterior leisure paths; flexibility on entry‑height DRG requirements (requesting risers of ~14–18 inches rather than a full 2 feet in some units); and a request to allow a consistent 44‑foot building height in parts of Sub Area 2 while forgoing any 50‑foot locations.
Commissioners pressed on topics including precedent for 4‑foot sidewalks, how many areas would be affected (applicant estimated "probably less than" 20% of the internal sidewalks), how the 10,000‑square‑foot single‑tenant retail cap should apply (applicant asked that the 10,000‑square‑foot cap apply to retail but not to office uses), parking constraints, and school impacts. Lyda said his modeling shows roughly 54–55 students projected from the site, below a district planning figure he cited of 65–67. He also detailed unit mix: about 195 total units with a building of 40 flats (roughly 20% of the total), townhomes for sale, and several single‑family gateway homes.
Members of the public raised concerns that allowing non‑retail tenants over 10,000 square feet could change the project's character. One resident (address provided in the public record) said larger single tenants could reduce small shops or park space and "scare" neighbors. The applicant and staff repeatedly noted that tonight was an informal review and that the project will return to the Architectural Review Board and the Planning Commission for formal votes in September.
No formal action was taken at the informal review; commissioners and staff asked the applicant to refine text language around waivers (including limits on large non‑retail buildings) and to coordinate with staff on conditions and materials before the formal submittal.
