14-06-2025
Winfield housing base expected to grow with Grand Ridge, other new homes
Available new houses in Winfield will soon increase by 44 with proposals for some 342 additional residential possibilities in the future.
The Winfield Plan Commission on Thursday gave secondary plat approval to Phase 3 of Grand Ridge subdivision located at 10317 Grand Boulevard.
Those plans include the building of 44 new homes, Providence Real Estate Development president John Carroll said.
Planners also gave positive feedback but held discussion only, on proposals for 146 new homes to be built by Lennar Corp. at 5510 E. 117th Ave. and 196 new homes to be built by Diamond Peak Homes at 11500 Randolph St.
The town of Winfield, incorporated in 1993, continues to grow given the increased housing stock being constructed. The population was 2,298 in 2000 and in 2020, according to the 2020 U.S. Census, jumped to 7,000. A recent census population estimate put the current figure at 8,557.
A snapshot of the town, as presented by the Veridus Group of Indianapolis in 2023, showed that Winfield increased its population by 212% between 2000 and 2020 with it ranking ninth-largest in growth rate for a town or city in Indiana.
The plan commission, in addition to granting secondary plat approval, also approved a $1.5 million performance bond for Phase 3.
Carroll said plans are to proceed with building the homes, in Phase 3, this month with 28 termed Signature and 16 termed Sterling.
Grand Ridge subdivision, initially approved by the Winfield Town Council three years ago, is located on 87 acres off Grand Boulevard and south of E. 103rd Avenue.
Plans by developers are to build a total of 134 traditional or Signature homes between 2,000-3,000 square feet and 55 maintenance-free, age-targeted cottages or Sterling homes between 1,600-2,000 square feet, Doug Ehens, vice president of Providence Real Estate said at a previous meeting.
The cost to build the traditional homes, a mixture of two-story and ranch-style, would be in the low- to mid-$400,000 range.
The cost to build the age-targeted cottages would be in the mid-to upper-$300,000 range, Ehens said.
In other business, Todd Kleven presented plans for a residential subdivision called Heron Landing to be located at the northwest corner of 117th Avenue and Gibson Street.
Kleven serves as director of land acquisition for Lennar Corp. based in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The subdivision would include some 146 home sites with an average house size approximately 2,500 square feet and average cost in the $500,000 range.
Kleven said Lennar Corp. developed the Aylesworth subdivision, with some 515 homes when completed, and was responsible for being in a partnership with the town when it came to paying for the completed roundabout on 109th Avenue.
In the same way, Kleven said Lennar would help the town when it came to completing the roundabout planned on 117th Avenue.
Kleven said he is hopeful that other developers, south of 117th Avenue, might also contribute to the cost of the roundabout.
'We have no problem taking the lead on the roundabout,' he said.
Kleven said that there would be a way to work around traffic issues while the roundabout is undergoing construction by building a temporary road.
'So we aren't shutting down a major thoroughfare,' he said.
Plan Commission President Jon Derwinski, who also serves on the Winfield Town Council, said he is concerned about the additional traffic the subdivision will bring to the already trafficked roadway.
Planners agreed that a traffic study would be part of future presentations and a traffic engineer would need to provide a report.
'There's a ton of school traffic and you'd have to work around that,' Derwinski said.
Kleven said he plans to return to the Plan Commission next month.
Plans for a yet-to-be-named subdivision at 11500 Randolph St. were presented by Michael Herbers, director of land acquisition and development for Diamond Peak Homes.
The proposed subdivision is located to the west of Jerry Ross Elementary School.
Plans are to build 196 homes in the 2,500 square feet to 3,000 square feet range, priced in the $500,000s, with some at $650,000.
Plan Commission member Tim Clayton, who also serves on the Winfield Town Council, said the elephant in the room is the traffic, especially at the start of the school day and at the end of the school day, since the subdivision would be right across the street from Jerry Ross.
Debbra Gritters, who serves as the Winfield Assistant Town Planner, said that in her mom role, she'd like to see developers have a pedestrian or loading box area for school-age children living in the subdivision.
'I highly recommend getting a hold of school officials. This will definitely affect all Winfield residents and Jerry Ross students,' Clayton said.
Overall feedback from planners was positive.
'You are on the right track,' Derwinski said.
