Gateway Grove Preliminary Plat OK’d
January 12, 2021 at 3:00 a.m.
By David [email protected]
City Planner Justin Taylor said Groninger-Groninger Group LLC wants to subdivide a 12.9-acre lot into 64 lots containing a mix of detached single-family residential units and attached zero lot line residential units. Of the proposed 64 lots, two will be set aside for a park and existing recreational facility and a large common area will be maintained to the west of the property to provide a greenspace for residents.
The development – to be called Gateway Grove – includes the property formerly known as Gateway Education Center and Madison Elementary School. Warsaw Community Schools sold it to developers Cary and Kathleen Groninger in 2020. Demolition of the school building began Jan. 4.
Since the intention is to convert this development into a Planned Unit Development (PUD), it was not evaluated for its conformity to the development standards for its existing zoning, Taylor said. The proposed development meets the requirements for a PUD and will be subject to technical review and Common Council approval prior to final approval by the Plan Commission.
Taylor said the Planning Department recommended that the Plan Commission grant approval for the Gateway Grove subdivision preliminary plat.
He said they got a lot of calls asking about the development’s details.
Councilwoman Diane Quance, Commission member, said she wanted to make sure there was adequate green space. Taylor showed Quance on a map where the green space would be. All the area to the west will continue to be wetlands and heavily wooded, he said. “There are pockets of greenspace that will remain in this development,” Taylor said.
Jack Brunneto, Commission member, asked if the park would be private or public and city maintained. Taylor said that determination has not yet been made, but there were discussions about turning the little park over to the city.
Tom Allen, Commission president, asked if there will be adequate parking and if there would be garages with the homes. Taylor said most units will be have driveways and/or garages.
Tina Hay, 724 W. Center St., asked where the city sewer line would be ran and if it would run through the alley in front of her duplex property. City engineer James Emans said at this time, the petitioner is not required to provide all the information, but it shouldn’t have any impact on existing structure. Taylor said if there was work that would take place on that, property owners would still have access to their property. Hay said the alley was their only alley in and out from their property and it is a paved alley.
Cary Groninger, petitioner, had his consultant on the project give a presentation. Tim Saylor, with Innovative Communities that is responsible for the planning and conceptual design of Gateway Grove, laid out the development.
The common area for the 62 lots will be owned and maintained by the homeowners association, while the public park is intended to be dedicated to the city for the enjoyment of all. The recreation building is intended for the entire city as well.
The development will be completed in multiple stages over three to five years. All streets and alleys will be dedicated to public use, with no private drives.
On-street parking will be limited to specific locations, Saylor said. It exists primarily for guests and deliveries, with each property owner to have a total of four parking spaces, two of which will be in their garage and two in the driveway.
Gateway Grove will be connected to all the existing surrounding neighborhood streets and alleyways.
Gateway Grove will be comprised of four distinct neighborhoods, he said. There will be single-family homes, cottage homes and town homes, and Saylor gave a description of them. Home prices will be in the range of $260,000 to $290,000.
The Plan Commission approved the preliminary plat for Gateway Grove subdivision 6-0.
Groninger-Groninger Group also petitioned for a favorable recommendation from the Plan Commission to the Warsaw Common Council to establish Gateway Grove subdivision as a residential PUD on the 12.9 acres.
The PUD is necessary to accommodate the desired density for this development, according to Taylor. He said the logic of making this a PUD is that the petitioner won’t have to go before the Board of Zoning Appeals “five or six times.”
The Plan Commission had to make one of the following three recommendations to the Common Council: favorable, unfavorable or no recommendation.
In addition, Taylor said, the Plan Commission should then decide on one of the following two statements: All development requirements are in detail terms and the PUD ordinance is eligible for final approval; or all development requirements are in general terms and the PUD ordinance requires secondary review approval by the Council or Plan Commission. Taylor said they’d typically bring it back before the Plan Commission for that.
He recommended that the Plan Commission pass on a favorable recommendation for the Gateway Grove subdivision in general terms to the Council, which they did.
Groninger said they were excited about the project they were putting together. “We really want to do this right and we want it to be something that’s really a bright shining star for the community ... we think it’s a win-win for everyone involved in this,” he said.
City Planner Justin Taylor said Groninger-Groninger Group LLC wants to subdivide a 12.9-acre lot into 64 lots containing a mix of detached single-family residential units and attached zero lot line residential units. Of the proposed 64 lots, two will be set aside for a park and existing recreational facility and a large common area will be maintained to the west of the property to provide a greenspace for residents.
The development – to be called Gateway Grove – includes the property formerly known as Gateway Education Center and Madison Elementary School. Warsaw Community Schools sold it to developers Cary and Kathleen Groninger in 2020. Demolition of the school building began Jan. 4.
Since the intention is to convert this development into a Planned Unit Development (PUD), it was not evaluated for its conformity to the development standards for its existing zoning, Taylor said. The proposed development meets the requirements for a PUD and will be subject to technical review and Common Council approval prior to final approval by the Plan Commission.
Taylor said the Planning Department recommended that the Plan Commission grant approval for the Gateway Grove subdivision preliminary plat.
He said they got a lot of calls asking about the development’s details.
Councilwoman Diane Quance, Commission member, said she wanted to make sure there was adequate green space. Taylor showed Quance on a map where the green space would be. All the area to the west will continue to be wetlands and heavily wooded, he said. “There are pockets of greenspace that will remain in this development,” Taylor said.
Jack Brunneto, Commission member, asked if the park would be private or public and city maintained. Taylor said that determination has not yet been made, but there were discussions about turning the little park over to the city.
Tom Allen, Commission president, asked if there will be adequate parking and if there would be garages with the homes. Taylor said most units will be have driveways and/or garages.
Tina Hay, 724 W. Center St., asked where the city sewer line would be ran and if it would run through the alley in front of her duplex property. City engineer James Emans said at this time, the petitioner is not required to provide all the information, but it shouldn’t have any impact on existing structure. Taylor said if there was work that would take place on that, property owners would still have access to their property. Hay said the alley was their only alley in and out from their property and it is a paved alley.
Cary Groninger, petitioner, had his consultant on the project give a presentation. Tim Saylor, with Innovative Communities that is responsible for the planning and conceptual design of Gateway Grove, laid out the development.
The common area for the 62 lots will be owned and maintained by the homeowners association, while the public park is intended to be dedicated to the city for the enjoyment of all. The recreation building is intended for the entire city as well.
The development will be completed in multiple stages over three to five years. All streets and alleys will be dedicated to public use, with no private drives.
On-street parking will be limited to specific locations, Saylor said. It exists primarily for guests and deliveries, with each property owner to have a total of four parking spaces, two of which will be in their garage and two in the driveway.
Gateway Grove will be connected to all the existing surrounding neighborhood streets and alleyways.
Gateway Grove will be comprised of four distinct neighborhoods, he said. There will be single-family homes, cottage homes and town homes, and Saylor gave a description of them. Home prices will be in the range of $260,000 to $290,000.
The Plan Commission approved the preliminary plat for Gateway Grove subdivision 6-0.
Groninger-Groninger Group also petitioned for a favorable recommendation from the Plan Commission to the Warsaw Common Council to establish Gateway Grove subdivision as a residential PUD on the 12.9 acres.
The PUD is necessary to accommodate the desired density for this development, according to Taylor. He said the logic of making this a PUD is that the petitioner won’t have to go before the Board of Zoning Appeals “five or six times.”
The Plan Commission had to make one of the following three recommendations to the Common Council: favorable, unfavorable or no recommendation.
In addition, Taylor said, the Plan Commission should then decide on one of the following two statements: All development requirements are in detail terms and the PUD ordinance is eligible for final approval; or all development requirements are in general terms and the PUD ordinance requires secondary review approval by the Council or Plan Commission. Taylor said they’d typically bring it back before the Plan Commission for that.
He recommended that the Plan Commission pass on a favorable recommendation for the Gateway Grove subdivision in general terms to the Council, which they did.
Groninger said they were excited about the project they were putting together. “We really want to do this right and we want it to be something that’s really a bright shining star for the community ... we think it’s a win-win for everyone involved in this,” he said.
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