Residents of Timberland and Fox Chase Farms subdivisions in Liberty Township will soon be getting new neighbors.

By a 6-1 vote, the Porter County Plan Commission approved the second and final plat Wednesday night for the 20-acre parcel that will be included in Timberland Farms subdivision. The area includes 56 lots located on the west side of Meridian Road near CR 900N. With the approval, developers said they will have the opportunity to begin construction starting as early as next spring.

The Plan Commission approved the primary plat for Timberland Farms, at their meeting on June 25, 2008, which also includes 183 lots on the east side of Meridian Road. Planners also heard various suggesting the area is vulnerable to severe flooding problems. As part of their approval, the county asked for developer Jack Barkow and the Duneland Group to help resolve the drainage issues such as fixing broken drainage tiles and building retention ponds.

Representing The Duneland Group on Wednesday, Charles Ray and attorney William Ferngren answered concerns from the plan commission during the discussion for approval. Plan Commission Member Herb Read asked if the retention pond located in the west section of the property has worked to reduce the amount of stormwater in the low-lying area surrounding it.

Ray said the draining that flows to the pond has worked successfully and The Duneland Group has worked with the Damon Run Conservancy District to handle drainage for structures surrounding the property, including the nearby Liberty Intermediate School and the Fox Chase Farms subdivision.

“We’re trying to help everybody out,” said Ray.

Plan Commission Member Elizabeth Marshall said she thought the entrance/exit lanes in Timberland Farms may be too narrow and could cause safety problems for garbage trucks, school buses and construction vehicles. She also said the island median dividing the lanes was very close to the entrance and said it was easy for people to enter in the incorrect lane.

Ray said the lanes do appear narrow but also said the lanes are constructed at 14-foot wide providing adequate room, nearly the same as some county roads. He also said the divided design provides far better access.

Although there were apprehensions, another member of the plan commission, Tim Cole, said the developers are doing a “fine job.” He also said the commission could “gain from this experience” and discuss in detail the appropriate width of entrance/exit lanes for future developments.

Marshall was the lone no in the approval for the second plat. Those in favor were Read, Cole, Robert Harper, Kris Parker, Robert Detert and Rick Burns. Marshall also voted no to approving the primary plat in 2008. The developers said no changes were made in the second plat.

The plat will now need to go before the county commissioners for their approval before the developers can begin selling lots in the west section of the subdivision. Ray said the developments could be bought up rather quickly. He said Timberland subdivision located to the north has shown notable growth with five houses being completed each month on average.

In other business, the Plan Commission elected officers and made appointments for 2010. Harper will remain as president and Detert will remain as vice-president. County Planner Robert Thompson will continue his position as executive director and Scott McClure has been approved once more as attorney for the Plan Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals.

The planners appointed Detert to the BZA Board and Cole to the Development Advisory Committee.

Thompson provided members with copies of the Plan Commission Annual Report for 2009. The report shows a significant drop in building permits issued last year comparable to 2008. Thompson said 1,002 permits were issued in 2009 while 2008 produced 1,506 permits.

The report indicated 120 single-family residential home permits were issued compared to 222 in 2008. Thompson said the dwindling numbers were most likely due to the collapsing housing market hit hard by the economic recession. Four years ago, the commission issued more than 600 single-family residential home permits in a single year.

The Plan Commission, which makes its revenue from building permit fees, is hoping for a turnaround in the housing market for funds to be available in 2011. Harper said there is enough money in the reserve fund to cover the budget this year and said the commission is “comfortable” for the moment.

Thompson said the budget for 2010 approved by the county council was near $670,000, but said the commission does not have the money to spend beyond that amount.

Posted 1/14/2010