Local developer Bob Fett presented a revised set of drawings to the Village of Bluffton Planning Commission on February 21. The panel had called the public hearing to consider Fett's "Overall Development Plan" for a grouping of new residential duplexes he's calling Chestnut Lane. After a round of questions and answers, the Commission's three members approved the plan with conditions, which means Village Council will next evaluate the plan, probably in late March, in a meeting that will also be open to the public.

Mayor Richard Johnson called the meeting to order and Village Administrator Jesse Blackburn led the proceedings from there. The three members of the Planning Commission are Bob Amstutz, Mitch Kingsley, and Dick Ramseyer. Fett was accompanied by an engineer from the design firm that's handling the project. Several members of the public and neighbors of the project were also present.

In addition to ruling on the Development Plan, Blackburn suggested that members of the Commission change the zoning designation for the project property from R1 Residential to R2 Residential. The project had originally been proposed as a Planned Unit Development, or PUD. The switch to R2 is a procedural tactic that would ultimately provide the developer with more flexibility while simultaneously giving more opportunity for neighbors and Village Council to evaluate the plan. (Visit this link for information on Zoning classifications.)

Commission members asked numerous questions of Fett revolving around lot sizes, drainage of stormwater, landscaping plans, truck turnarounds, mowing of ditches and responsibilities of a homeowners' association. Blackburn pointed out that many issues raised in earlier meetings had already resulted in plan changes, and that other specific issues would be addressed in more detail at a later stage.

Community members and neighbors were given the opportunity to ask questions. An informal post-meeting poll among this group revealed that while they still had concerns, they felt that the path taken by the Village to assess the development gave them opportunity to be heard, and that Fett had thus far been willing to make accommodating changes.