A proposed amendment to the Copper Creek development in Huntertown drew ire from a nearby homeowner during an Oct. 8 public hearing of the Allen County Plan Commission.

The resident cited concerns for public safety and the environment.

The Copper Creek development includes 677 lots on the east side of S.R. 3, north of Hathaway Road and west of Dunton Road. The proposed amendment, if passed, would allow for the removal of a through-street from the Highlands of Copper Creek to the rest of the development, and instead include a cul-de-sac where that road was originally meant to cross over Willow Creek within the subdivision.

Ric Zehr, of developer North Eastern Group, said the structure needed to cross the creek comes at the cost of an extra $600,000, which would add about $1,000 per lot within the development, due to significant issues with construction requirements and permitting through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Army Corps of Engineers. Removing the through-road, he explained, would eliminate through traffic for the Highlands neighborhood and set aside an area that is exclusively for units by Majestic Homes, the sole builder in that section of the development. It would also create more desirable and efficiently priced lots, Zehr added.

That land was annexed by the town of Huntertown in March, and the development is expected to dramatically increase enrollment at Northwest Allen County Schools, which is one of the reasons the district is currently constructing a new elementary school on Hathaway Road.

Three sections of Copper Creek have already been developed, and three are currently under construction. The north section of the development includes 402 homes on 155 acres of land, and the southern portion includes 272 homes on 116 acres. The plan includes interconnectivity between various neighborhoods.

“There’s a lot of building happening here — a lot of interest,” Zehr said. “It’s been very successful so far.”

Huntertown Town Manager Beth Shellman spoke in support of the amendment to the plan during the public hearing, telling the plan commission that the Huntertown Town Council unanimously supported it.

Darin Hadley, a Dunton Road homeowner who shares a property line with the development, asked plan commission members to vote against the proposed amendment due to concerns related to public safety and environmental impact. Hadley noted he has served as an elected official in a sewer and water conservation district, and has worked closely with IDEM to improve the conservation of natural resources.

“Today, the developer is not just asking to eliminate a road, but for approval to not comply with IDEM’s water-quality requirements for crossing streams,” he said. “… The developer does not want to invest in their project in the community it resides, and I am disappointed to find a developer does not want to see the value in complying with IDEM’s water-quality requirements.”

Hadley, a licensed Indiana firefighter, said he believes removal of the interconnection would also increase response times to structure fires.

“Today’s proposed amendment limits the access points for police, medical and firefighters by removing the interconnection road,” he said.

In response to Hadley’s comments regarding public safety response, Zehr said the development includes a number of entrances off Dunton Road, Lima Road, Tally Ho Drive and two on Hathaway Road, creating access for fire response from other directions. He said he also believes not building a structure over Willow Creek would be a benefit to the environment.

“Not putting a structure in a legal drain, not having to have the permitting that goes right into the wetlands, I believe is a benefit as opposed to interrupting that drain,” Zehr said.

Also during the meeting, the plan commission heard plans for a 25-lot, single-family villa development planned within the Coves of Carroll Creek, on the north side of Carroll Road, east of Preserve Blvd. and immediately to the north of Carroll High School’s athletic fields. Shellman told the plan commission the Huntertown Town Council supports that project as well.

The Allen County Plan Commission is set to vote on both proposals Oct. 15. If passed, the final decision will be made by the Allen County Board of Commissioners.