Council considers rezoning Thistle Creek development

By Robert Mihalek

Village Council on Monday passed the first of two votes needed to rezone half of the residential development Thistle Creek, which is located on the former Catholic Church property on King Street and on one acre of the Glass Farm that Council sold.

Council’s action only involves the first phase of the development, which includes 22 housing units on 4.2 acres. The property on which the development is planned is divided in two by a creek. The first phase is located to the east of the creek.

At their meeting Sept. 6, all Council members, including Denise Swinger, who lives across the street from the development, voted to pass the first reading of an ordinance approving the preliminary plans for the first phase of Thistle Creek. The project is being developed by Cathy Phillips and Jonathan Brown, who operate Phillips-Brown Homes.

Council will hold a second reading and public hearing on the ordinance at its next meeting, on Sept. 19.

Phillips-Brown is developing Thistle Creek under the Village’s revised Planned Unit Development (PUD) process. In fact, the developers are the first to pursue a PUD project since Council approved new guidelines in February.

The ordinance Council is considering would rezone the land from Residence B to PUD-Residential, which permits residential, educational and recreational uses on the same property.

The PUD process includes two steps: the preliminary plan and the final development plan. The preliminary plan for residential developments includes a rezoning process and information on proposed land uses, lot layout, the number and size of housing units. The final development plans include more detailed information, such as engineering designs.

The new PUD ordinance allows for greater flexibility and more creativity with developments.

After the meeting, interim Village Manager Phil Hawkey cited Thistle Creek’s small lots and narrow streets as examples of the project’s flexible design elements.

Last month, the Village Planning Commission recommended that Council approve the preliminary plans of the first phase of Thistle Creek.

Hawkey said that the preliminary plan is akin to rezoning the property and endorsing the development’s general concept, while the final development plan is similar to subdividing the property.

If Council approves the ordinance, the Planning Commission would review and, after holding a public hearing, make a recommendation to Council on the final development plans for Thistle Creek’s first phase. Council would have to approve, by ordinance, the more detailed final plan. After that, Phillips-Brown could break ground.

Bruce Rickenbach, who represents Council on the plan board, told Council that rezoning the property is a necessary step for Phillips-Brown to proceed with the housing project.

Hawkey said that there are no outstanding issues concerning the plan board that would preclude Council from approving the preliminary plan.

Council president Tony Arnett said, “I along with the rest of Council appreciate the efforts of Phillips-Brown Homes to create over 20 new homes in the community.”

Council member Jocelyn Hardman noted that the development “provides diversity of housing.”

In the spring, Phillips-Brown purchased an eight-acre property, on King Street, from the Catholic Church for Thistle Creek. Then in July, Council agreed to sell one acre of the Glass Farm, which abuts the former Catholic Church property, to the developers for the project.

While they are awaiting approval of the first phase of Thistle Creek, Brown and Phillips are working on the development’s second phase, which consists of 31 attached townhouses on 4.1 acres of land west of the creek. The Planning Commission is scheduled to review in concept the second phase at its meeting on Sept. 12.