Perhaps you can never have too many houses, regardless of market conditions ...

The right idea (smaller lots), unfortunately, the Estates of St. Martins plan does not appear to be well thought out and the location is one of opportunity rather than the best place to create such a development; the rectangular cleared area below is the land in question - - note the proximity of the elementary school (good), but the imposing crossroads that would need to be traversed to get there (bad). Also, the development is incongruous with the lots surrounding it.

Nipped in the bud by the Franklin Plan Commission, it appears.

From Franklinnow.com:

Developer's plans drained by planning panel

Concerns still linger on proposed 22-lot housing subdivision

By John Neville
Staff Writer

Posted: Sept. 26, 2007

Acknowledging density and drainage concerns, the Franklin Plan Commission has turned down various requests for a 22-lot subdivision on 18.2 acres in the 7500 block of South North Cape Road.

The panel denied a request at a Sept. 20 City Hall meeting from developer Jim O'Malley to rezone property for the proposed single-family home subdivision, The Estates of St. Martins. Also rejected later in the meeting were requests for a preliminary plat and a master plan amendment for rezoning.

Commissioner Kevin Haley said the panel had expected to receive more detailed plans for the subdivision, located near the Franklin-Muskego border. Haley said it was still clear drainage problems will result from placing too many residences on proportionately undersized lots, despite a lack of information.

Those lots range from 25,011 to 40,965 square feet and, as planned, involve an average of about $130,000 for lots and $270,000 for a home.

It was O'Malley's second appearance before the commission for the proposed development.

The developer said he had reduced the subdivision plans by four lots since July and has agreed to pay for extending municipal water - at an expense of about $190,000 - to the site. Since that first meeting, at which the commission took no action, O'Malley has also relocated a stormwater pond.

O'Malley also said he had held meetings with neighbors opposed to his initial proposal and had convinced most his project had merit.

However, four neighborhood residents spoke out again against the revised plan Sept. 20, saying it featured too much housing on too-small lots.

Franklin residents Tony Raymond and Lee Fry said O'Malley will have to reduce his plan to at least 18 lots to placate their concerns, mostly about drainage and housing density.

O'Malley said lowering the lot number will sharply drive up the expense of a lot, but commission aldermanic representative Ken Skowronski said the Plan Commission does not get involved in financing developments.

Former Franklin Alderman James Bergmann supported the subdivision, saying it will increase the city's share of property and school tax revenue, as well as provide water to nearby Country Dale School. Bergmann said the school is the only one in the district without sprinklers or nearby water hydrants.

 

John Neville can be reached at  jneville@cninow.com or (262) 446-6609.

Comments

[Bryan Maersch]

It looked like O'Malley and the residents had another informal meeting out side of City Hall right after the council meeting.

[John]

I'm just now getting info about this one - seems doomed.

[daver]

So let me get this straight they think a good level of density is 1 house per acre?

[John]

I think that they have water runoff concerns. Too many houses for the drainage plan to support, is what I heard.

[Bryan Maersch]

What was with O'Malley's babbling about the amount of lots available in the city with water and sewer in the Citizens comment portion of the meeting?

[John]

Haven't yet listened to a tape of the meeting, so I won't know what O'Malley was speaking about until then.