City takes steps to annex on northwest side
Arbor Homes plans to build 300+ homes at more than $300,000 each
The City of Kokomo is set to grow again. On June 27, The Kokomo Common Council passed on first reading a plan to annex approximately 116 acres on the city’s northwest side near Judson and Dixon roads to accommodate the construction of as many as 358 homes in the new Walnut Heights subdivision, planned by Arbor Homes.
According to Arbor Homes Land Entitlement Manager Julie Smith, the subdivision is aimed at filling a housing need for the city.
“We recognize the need for housing in Kokomo,” said Smith. “We feel it is a natural extension to continue housing into this area.”
However, Arbor Homes realizes that the housing market is becoming financially unattainable for many people, especially first-time home buyers. To that end, it is asking the city to allow for a variation to its zoning laws to accommodate a new product it calls Genesis.
Genesis is intended to be nine clusters of homes built in closer proximity to one another on smaller lots.
“Arbor Homes initially got into business because we saw the need for first-time home buyer housing,” said Smith. “There was a gap in the market. In the past five years, our standard Arbor product has gone from $175,000 to over $300,000 with rising land costs and the issues with materials and labor costs going up. Everything has really elevated the price.
“With that, we felt there is still that missing market. We have done research to determine what can get us back to a first-time home buyer price point of the low to mid-$200,000.”
Arbor’s research showed that home buyers want detached homes with two- or three-car garages and their own private back yards. The Genesis cluster plan allows for these features on smaller lots. Smith said the company hopes to target first-time home buyers, single-parent households, and first responders with the Genesis product.
The homes will be two- or three-story structures between 1,150 and 2,000 square feet. A homeowners association will be established to handle maintenance of the homes’ front yards and fences.
The larger subdivision features 26 acres of open space, including a one-mile trail which will connect to Berkley Park and will intertwine through the subdivision. The plan is to maintain a right of way to extend Columbus Boulevard to the west as part of the project.
Smith said that Arbor Homes will use local construction crews when needed. Ground-breaking on the first homes is expected to take place within the next 18-24 months. Arbor constructs homes in groups of 60-80 homes at a time, so the subdivision will be developed in five to six sections.
The council approved the annexation on first reading and will hold a second and final reading at its July 11 meeting.