By ANNIE GOELLER, Daily Journal of Johnson County staff writer
Development on a nearly 700-home Center Grove neighborhood hit a snag this month.
Lone Pine Farms, planned for the southeast corner of Smokey Row Road and State Road 135, still needs more approvals before construction can begin. But now, the development also needs someone to build the 681 homes planned for the neighborhood.
In February, county commissioners rezoned the 266 acres where houses, townhomes and businesses would be built.
But in the past month, development and the approvals needed to start construction have stalled because the previous homebuilder, Michigan-based Pulte Homes, pulled out of the project, county planner Michele Canon said.
David Compton, vice president of land acquisition for Pulte, confirmed the group is no longer developing the subdivision, but he could not give any details as to when or why that decision was made.
Businesses planned for the property still are being developed by Indianapolis-based Zinkan and Barker, said Stephen Zinkan, with the development company.
A homebuilder has not been announced, and none of the plans on file with the planning department have been changed, Canon said.
A change in developers or builders doesn't necessarily mean the neighborhood will need to go through the approval process again, she said.
If the new developer does not make significant changes to the plans, there is no need to come back for approvals already granted to Lone Pine Farms.
But before homes or businesses can be built, commissioners still need to approve construction plans, the final permission needed from county officials, she said.
Pulte's plans were to build 557 homes and 124 townhomes and set aside 20 acres for commercial development for businesses such as restaurants and a 75,000-square-foot grocery store.
The subdivision was not planned to include starter homes but ones that range in lot size and price, with the top-level homes likely costing more than $300,000.
Construction was planned to last for seven to 10 years in six phases.
