An agreement allowing for about $3.4 million of improvements that will eventually allow the third phase of the Abbey Place subdivision to be built has been approved.
The subdivision improvement agreement for the development’s 58-lot third section, located northwest of Columbus, has been unanimously approved by the Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety.
“But we’re just at the beginning stages of this section,” planning staff member Ashley Beckort told board members. “You’ll see me again when they are ready with a plat that will allow (developer Arbor Homes of Indianapolis) to start home construction.”
Located near the Princeton Park neighborhood between Indianapolis Road and Interstate 65, the Abbey Place project will consist of 313 homes covering about 133 acres off County Road 200W.
Part of the agreement approved Tuesday calls for an 8-foot-wide asphalt side-path stretching about 3,600 feet along County Road 200W, from just south of Abbey Lane north to Lowell Road. The developer is requesting that the asphalt trail be installed in place of 5-feet wide concrete walkways, and that the cost of the sidepath be subtracted from their expenses for future improvements along Lowell Road, the agreement states.
Arbor Homes has also agreed to assume responsibility for installing infrastructure and improvements along County Road 200W as it goes through both sections two and three, so the road would only have to be closed once for upgrades, Beckort said.
Infrastructure includes streets, storm sewers and other public upgrades. Improvements include street shifting locations, a roundabout near Rosemount Drive, street trees and landscaping, the agreement states.
Due to a shortage of open space, the developer has also agreed to create two pocket parks across the street from each other, Beckort said. Pocket parks are frequently created on a single vacant building lot or on a small, irregular piece of land. A larger park facility is already part of the first phase of Abbey Place, Beckort said.
At this time, there are no plans to turn these park areas over to the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department. Instead, they will be owned by Arbor Homes and maintained by the homeowner’s association, she said.
After being reviewed by both municipal planners and engineers, the third phase subdivision improvement agreement was determined to be be in proper order, as well as consistent with the preliminary plat approval, she said.
When asked if the homes are selling, Beckort say all properties in Section One have been sold. Meanwhile, about half of the lots in Section Two have been purchased, with construction nearly completed on three residences, she said.
The developer “seems to be on a roll at this point,” the planner said. Based on a timeline released in 2018, Arbor Homes expects to build an average of 50 homes annually.
