COLUMBUS, Ind.–Columbus City Council met in the Cal Brand meeting room at city hall on Tuesday night to accommodate the large gathering of concerned citizens.
Residents of the Spring Hill Lakes area of Tipton Lakes neighborhood showed up in force to oppose a request by Hooker Construction and Spring Hill Lakes Development, LLC, to rezone the 10-acre Harts Run area from single-family residential to two-family residential. Tom Hooker and Jeff Bush, respectively of those companies, declared their intent was to create duplexes for the 55 and older demographic. This initiative also won the support of the Tipton Lakes Community Association, which said it would hold the new proposed residents to the same standards as everyone else.
Neighbors surrounding the proposed development implored the city council not to grant the rezoning request. They argued that when many of them moved into that neighborhood it was stated at the time that the disputed zone would be earmarked for single-family residential use when developed. They felt the move by Hooker and Bush contradicted that intent. In a rare display of heavy criticism, council members and residents denounced the duo for their alleged lack of communication with area homeowners to effectively sell their plans.
City council and planning commission member Frank Jerome made the motion to deny the request and councilperson Elaine Wagner seconded it. The request was defeated by a 5-2 vote, with members Frank Miller and Tim Shuffett dissenting.