280 homes planned in southeast Martinsville; bid approved for performance park; city hits brakes on welcome center

Melissa Garrard appeared on behalf of Forestar Real Estate Group to present site plans for the property and to request a zoning change from AG-Agricultural to PUD-E Planned Unit Development to accommodate residential and commercial use.

The development will be named Hanna Farms in honor of the family farm that has owned the land for more than a century.

The property is located on Artesian Avenue, south of Grand Valley Boulevard.

DR Horton, the largest residential homebuilder in the United States, is expected to take on the project. The company has a 65 percent ownership share of Forestar and is the developer's primary customer, Garrard noted.

The housing development will include both ranch homes and two-story houses. The ranch homes will likely be sold for as low as $250,000 and as high as $325,000, with larger homes going for as low as $311,000 and as high as $325,000, Garrard said. Site plans also call for two retention ponds for drainage.

Some type of commercial use is planned for a 15-acre parcel directly west of Artesian Avenue, she added.

Pending city approval, work would begin in April and some homes would be ready by fall of 2021, Garrard said. The entire development will take about four and a half years to complete.

The commission gave its unanimous recommendation to Martinsville City Council that the zoning change be approved. The council will likely vote on the zoning change at its Dec. 13 meeting.

Garrard said she anticipates returning to the commission next year for plat approvals.

Starbucks planned on Ohio Street

Matt Gray appeared on behalf of Guggenheim Commercial Real Estate Group to request plat approval for three lots on South Ohio Street.

The developer is planning to bring a drive-thru Starbucks to the site, with tentative plans for a Kroger fuel island as well, Gray said.

The three-acre parcel currently contains a tanning salon and a vacant lot. The property is zoned in the city's general business district.

The commission unanimously approved Gray's request. The next meeting of the Martinsville Plan Commission is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 28, at Martinsville City Hall, 59 S. Jefferson St.

Signage request approved

Andrew Schulenburg appeared on behalf of Bailey and Wood Financial Group to request the commission's approval to install an illuminated blade sign on the front of the building located at 165 E. Morgan St..

The mortgage lending company is planning to open an office at the site, which was previously occupied by Fleener's Family Hair Care. The

Fleeners sold the property to Wrigley Real Estate Holdings, LLC, in September for $335,500, according to Morgan County's geographic information system (GIS).

The barber shop has since moved to 89 Home Ave.

The signage request was approved pending final approval from the city building inspector.

Bid approved for performance park; city hits brakes on welcome center

During a special meeting of the Martinsville Board of Works & Safety on Tuesday, the board approved a bid by RL Turner Corporation, of Zionsville, for $2.6 million to build the park and streetscape project at the corner of Pike and Jefferson streets, part of the city's downtown redevelopment plan.

The board was also expected to announce the winning bids for a project to repurpose a building at 56 W. Morgan St., which was previously a smoothie shop, into a welcome center with public restrooms; however, the bids came in higher than expected, and the city is now exploring its options.

The lowest bid for that project came from Abel Construction Company, of Louisville, for $458,888. Combined with the cost of the park project, that would put the city over its budget of $3 million for both projects, said Gary Oakes, the city's director of planning and engineering. The work is being paid for through a $3 million bond from the Martinsville Redevelopment Commission. Oakes said that Ben Rawlins, a civil engineer for the projects, has been in contact with Abel to see about lowering the cost.

'We didn't expect the number to be nearly that high,' Oakes said, adding that they're now considering other options for the West Morgan Street site, including demolishing the building and erecting a new structure.

Oakes said he expects to have more direction for the board at its next meeting, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 13, at Martinsville City Hall.