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Upscale project updates old idea

by Tim Evans
tim.evans@indystar.com

Avon, Ind. - After five years of planning and false starts, work is under way on a residential development that will put a new spin on an old idea.

All the necessary permits have been obtained, sewer lines are being installed and work on the first homes in the Village of Turner Trace should begin this summer, said developer Darrell Brosius.

"This is extremely exciting," said Brosius, who proposed the project in 1997.

"It will be the only place on the Westside that is designed as a traditional neighborhood development."

Period architecture and pedestrian-friendly atmospheres mark historic communities such as Williamsburg, Va., Savannah, Ga., and Georgetown in Washington.  Turner Trace will replicate those features with modern upscale townhouses and custom homes in an old-style village setting.

The project will be similar in style to the Village of WestClay, a development in Hamilton County's Clay Township.

Brosius, who is developing the 82-acre site at the northeast corner of Ind. 267 and County Road 150 South with partner Dan Muehlenbein, calls it a "human scale" project designed for people, not cars.

Many of the same issues that concerned neighbors and town planners - small lots, homes close to narrow streets, rear-entrance garages accessed from alleys and a neighborhood commercial section - are what give the project its character, Brosius said.

"You will feel like you have stepped back in time, but with brand new, high-tech homes," he said.   The townhouses will range from 1,800 to 2,800 square feet and start near $200,000.  Home prices are expected to run from $250,000 to $500,000 or more.

Admittedly, Turner Trace is not for everyone, but that's the point, Brosius said.

"The market here for this type of project is not as deep as in Hamilton County, but there is a need and a market for this kind of development," he said.

Realtor Ira Wolff of F.C. Tucker Co. said projects such as Turner Trace help provide a balance of housing types, which he believes is needed in Hendricks County.

"Through what I hear from residents and other Realtors, it seems like the pendulum has really swung toward entry-level homes," Wolff said.

"I believe it helps the business climate, the schools and the county as a whole to have a mix of housing types, including custom projects."

Avon Town Council member Mike Rogers has followed the projects as a member of the town Plan Commission.

"If it all comes together like it was presented to us, this will be a real plus for the community," Rogers said.

He agrees Avon needs more high-end homes such as those proposed in Turner Trace to help balance out the large number of starter homes.

"We're not looking to establish this as the standard for Avon, but it does allow people who live here an opportunity to move up and stay in the town for a number of years, which will help us develop as a community, " Rogers said.

"Having a mix of housing types will be good for Avon."

Neighboring property owner Raleigh Ralston, who headed opposition to the project, still has concerns about it.

"If you want to see an example of a 'postage-stamp' lot, just watch.  There's nothing anyone can do to stand in the way now, but there's no way this project would have gone through today," he said.

"They hit at the right time. The town was not ready for it - there were too many new people."

The article also included this sidebar which chronicles the hurdles faced in the development of The Village of Turner Trace: