Allen County Commissioners approved rezoning April 1 that will allow a 764 lot subdivision to be developed in northwest Allen County.

Previously zoned A1 Agricultural, the land is now rezoned as R1 single-family residential. The 439 acres is located on the south side of Woods Road, east side of Hand Road and north side of Hathaway Road.

The applicant is New Venture Development Corp., and the subdivision will be called The Fens. There will be 17 detention ponds storing water in this plat.

At a public hearing on Feb. 17 before the plan commission two people spoke in favor of the project and five spoke against it. At the plan commission’s Feb. 24 meeting the plan commission voted 5-0 in favor of the rezoning, sending it back to the Allen County commissioners for a final vote.

Allen County planner Patrick Rew said the five in opposition to the rezoning cited property values, the condition of the existing roads near the proposed development, and overcrowding of schools as among their concerns.

Commissioner Nelson Peters asked Rew if the development plan complied with the five tenets of the county’s comprehensive plan.

Rew said it is in compliance with the comprehensive plan, citing several examples. He said it is compatible with existing and ongoing residential development of the greater Huntertown area. He said it will not have an adverse impact on current conditions in the area. An adequate review of flood plain and traffic impact has been conducted.

As for school overcrowding, Rew said, “(Schools) will take as many students as they can get.”

Additionally, Northwest Allen County Schools built Aspen Meadows Elementary School east of the site.

Peters asked Rew if new subdivisions adversely affect the value of adjacent homes.

“I’ve never seen any evidence of that,” Rew said, adding that usually adjacent neighborhoods will see their property values go up.

The commissioners unanimously passed the rezoning.

Read a fact sheet on the development at https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/1307317/REZ-2022-0006_The_Fens_Fact_Sheet.pdf.