Developer presents Fisher Homes preliminary plan for Noah Beachy Farms in Plain City

Fisher Homes, represented by Hillary, planning entitlements manager with Grama Communities, presented a preliminary development plan for the property east of Plain City between State Route 161 and Cemetery Pike. The company described a three-tier lot mix—130 55-foot Maple Street lots, 82 mid-size lots (65 feet) and 32 "masterpiece" lots (80 feet)—with 25‑foot front setbacks, 20‑foot rear setbacks and 7‑foot side yards. Hillary said the proposal provides roughly 30% open space where 25% is required and estimated the higher-end product would retail in the low $700,000s.

Council members asked about site constraints and the project timeline. Hillary said the site contains a pipeline across the middle and sits adjacent to Sugar Run Stream floodplain; one parcel is already annexed to Plain City while a second parcel is in process. The developer requested three deviations from code: extend the FTP (final development plan) expiration from 24 months to 60 months to allow for sanitary‑sewer extension; waive a required stub‑road connection to an industrially‑zoned parcel to the west; and permit blocks longer than 1,200 feet on two internal roads to avoid dead‑end streets. Hillary said traffic counts are complete but the full traffic study results were not yet available.

The presentation included proposed community amenities such as walking paths around two on‑site detention basins, a playground, picnic shelter and potential connection points for the planned heritage trail. Council members emphasized buffering between homes and a nearby ready‑mix plant and asked staff to coordinate stormwater and traffic improvements required on SR 161. The item was advanced to second reading after the council voted to approve UD‑25‑1 to move the plan forward.