Westfield hearings spotlight proposed 496-acre agrihood, Towne West and Northpoint changes with resident objections

The Hidden Oaks proposal would convert 496 acres owned by the Lang Family Farm Trust at the intersection of Ind. 32 and 166th Street into an agriculture-forward planned unit development with retail and roughly 1,000 homes in a mix of single-family attached, detached and multi-family units. At the Sept. 9 public hearing, resident Kevin Welsh, speaking for neighbors, urged commissioners to deny or amend the plan, citing sewage odors, fan and pump noise, bright lighting from a nearby wastewater treatment facility and what he called an insufficient transition from rural parcels to dense housing; he suggested reserving some lots for custom homes.

The commission also heard public comment on the 94-acre Towne West PUD by Old Town Companies, which acquired an extra 5 acres connecting to 151st Street and amended its proposal to cap drive-thrus at three, dedicate at least 4 acres for senior-oriented use and add a 30-foot buffer between new multi-family and adjacent single-family properties. Speakers included Liberty Ridge HOA president Mark Robiak, who said attaching apartments to single-family lots raises crime concerns. A Northpoint PUD amendment would add a gas station out of view from Ind. 38 and a “food forward” convenience store; one resident warned about traffic safety. The three applications are expected back to the Plan Commission in November, then to the Westfield City Council for final consideration.

BusinessIndy examines this development and its implications for Indiana businesses and communities using the linked sources.