Cressmoor Estates developer plans smaller homes, more rentals

Hobart Plan Commission on Thursday heard several proposed revisions to the Cressmoor Estates planned unit development, including a new builder for the residential portion, more rentals and a reduction in the minimum size of the houses and townhouses to be built there.

Developer Randy Hall said he is looking to have one larger builder, D.R. Horton, construct the 447 residential units in the 113-acre development at Lake Park and 37th avenues instead of four to five smaller builders as he originally planned. He said most of the smaller builders didn’t recover after the prior downturn, while larger builders, like D.R. Horton, became stronger.

“They have resources we don’t,” Hall said.

D.R. Horton is also developing the Gates of St. John in St. John. Hall said under the new proposal at Cressmoor Estates, there would be 52 different elevations, or facades, on the single-family houses to be offered. Buyers could choose from different colors, types of windows and type of siding.

Derrick Hoffman, with D.R. Horton, said he’s seeking the ability to offer more rentals, noting a lot of would-be buyers can’t find a house to buy in the midst of the housing inventory shortage. He said others want to live in a single-family house or townhouse but can’t afford to make the down payment.

“We have a moral obligation to get those people into a quality home,” Hoffman said.

City Planner Ross Pietrzak said D.R. Horton is also asking to have the minimum square footage be reduced to 1,400 for a one-story detached house and 1,800 for a two-story, although Pietrzak said the house plans presented to the commission exceeded those minimums.

Commission President Maria Galka asked why the minimum square footage couldn’t be increased to reflect the floor plans. Other changes included concrete driveways in the apron only, with the remaining being asphalt and townhouse garages located in the front of the unit instead of behind.

Another point of contention was landscaping. Pietrzak said the original PUD called for a percentage of each house’s value to be spent on landscaping. New plans are for a set amount for each home type.

Mayor Brian Snedecor and former City Councilman John Brezik spoke in favor of the new builder.

Snedecor said he toured D.R. Horton’s Gates of St. John and was impressed.

“The houses there would be similar to ones that would be built here,” Snedecor said. “Some were close to $400,000.”

Snedecor said he had some concern with the smaller lot sizes proposed but has discovered that millennials aren’t interested in large lots with the extra maintenance required.

He said there is still some work to be done and some language that needs to be ironed out regarding the proposed changes, but he’s in favor of the project.