Hebron planning board approves M/I Homes PRD after requiring extended western fence and secured well access

The Village of Hebron Board of Planning and Zoning on Aug. 5 approved preliminary plans for a planned residential development (PRD) by M/I Homes, but only after adding conditions requiring the developer to extend a proposed decorative fence along the property’s western edge and to secure on-site oil-well access for safety.

Andy Gossner, a representative of M/I Homes, presented the amended PRD application and told the board “the good news is nothing has changed about the plan, the number of lots, the size of the lots, the layout, the open space, all of that is identical.” He said the developer had worked to resolve five items the board left in the earlier review, including perimeter barriers, the west-facing street stub, well security, wetlands delineation and stormwater management.

Why it matters: Residents living next to the gravel drive to the west told the board they fear smaller lots, daily dust from farm traffic and risk from nearby oil tanks and wells. The board weighed those neighborhood concerns against the developer’s plans, which the project team says include more than 50% open space, a retention basin for stormwater, and 3,300 linear feet of walk paths to activate community open areas.

What the board decided: Randy Wolf moved to approve the PRD; Mike McFarland seconded. Mayor Valerie Mockus moved to amend the motion to require that fencing continue down the west side of the project to the termination of E Street and that well access be limited and secured for safety. The amendment passed by roll call and the board subsequently approved the main motion by roll call. The votes were recorded unanimously (Mayor Valerie Mockus, Vice-Chair Mike McFarland, Chairman Rick Stoner, Secretary Scott Jacobs and Randy Wolf voted yes).

Developer’s commitments and staff review: Mr. Gossner said the developer has engaged engineering firm EMH&T to complete a wetland delineation that has been submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for review, and that the project team is working with the village engineer on stormwater design. Village engineer Stephen Kopechek told the board that traffic and stormwater studies are underway and that engineering will include checks for overland flow routing: “we will . . . make sure that we're not going to be having that overland flow towards any of the homes,” he said.

Neighborhood concerns and developer response: Several nearby property owners urged the board to require larger lots and stronger perimeter protection. Todd Messenger, a property owner adjacent to the gravel drive, told the board that the underlying zoning (R2 was discussed in public comments, and the developer’s application references R3 as the underlying district in the development text) should be defended and that small lots can change village character. The developer responded that the plan preserves large buffers on the east and west, includes a community-maintained open space and that certain fence setbacks must accommodate utility easements and oil- and gas-related access.

Votes at a glance: - M/I Homes preliminary PRD (rezoning to PRD for parcels south of 934 W. Main St.): Motion to approve, amended to require the western fence extend to the termination of E Street and for well access to be secured; mover: Randy Wolf; second: Mike McFarland; amendment proposed by Mayor Valerie Mockus; amendment and main motion both passed 5–0. - Accessory-structure permit (Timothy Kerns, 8567 Canyon Road NW): Motion to approve permit for a large garage on a 2.29-acre lot; mover: Mike McFarland; second: Randy Wolf; vote: 5–0.

What’s next: The board’s notice of decision and conditions will be forwarded to council as part of the process; final engineering and the village’s final plan review will document exact fence placement, setbacks from easements and the engineering details for stormwater and well security. The board noted that final engineering may require adjustments to accommodate utilities and legal easements, and that the board will review final plans before issuing final approval.

Procedure and context: The board conducted a public hearing and heard multiple neighbors and parties in support and opposition before moving into the regular meeting for formal action. The meeting record shows the developer reported the wetlands delineation is with the Army Corps of Engineers and that stormwater basins are intended to reduce un-managed runoff in the immediate area.

The board adjourned at 7:48 p.m.