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Ohio-based residential builder Epcon Communities presented plans to the Westfield City Council this week for an 80-home development for empty-nesters on the community’s south side.
In addition, the council approved plans this week for Vita of Westfield, a 13-acre age-restricted community with more than 160 cottage or assisted-living units (see below).
Courtyards of Cielo Ranch
Plans call for the proposed Epcon’s Courtyards of Cielo Ranch to be built on 36 acres at a former equestrian facility east of the intersection of West 161st Street and Oak Ridge Road. The property is north of the Viking Meadows subdivision and east of the Ridgewood neighborhood.
The houses, which would be a minimum of 1,400 square feet and priced between $450,000 and $1 million, would be marketed toward empty-nesters older than 55. Each house would have a two-car garage and its own backyard courtyard.
A 2,500-square-foot clubhouse building near the entrance along West 161st Street would feature a fitness center, community room, restrooms and an outdoor gathering area. A swimming pool and pickleball courts would be built adjacent to the clubhouse.
Matt Skelton, an attorney with Hamilton County-based law firm Church Church Hittle + Antrim, told council members that The Courtyards of Cielo Ranch would be a “low-maintenance community” with lawn care and snow removal provided for residents.
“Epcon’s market niche really centers [on] providing a higher-end, resort-quality-of-living experience for folks that like to live in a closely connected community,” Skelton said.
The Courtyards of Hazel Dell would be Epcon’s second project in Westfield. The company is developing The Courtyards of Westfield along Towne Road, south of West 151st Street. The company also has communities in Carmel, Fishers, Franklin and West Lafayette.
Epcon is also planning a 110-home neighborhood on the west side of Noblesville and a 150-home development on the west side of Zionsville.
“These courtyard homes have been very popular and well received throughout Hamilton County and points beyond,” Skelton said.
Near the proposed site of The Courtyards of Cielo Ranch, the city of Westfield is planning a $9.9 million tunnel under West 161st Street for Monon Trail users. City Council members asked if a trail planned at the subdivision would connect to the Monon, but Mayor Scott Willis said that is unlikely because surrounding properties are controlled by other landowners.
“I’m not big fan of eminent domain of land for taking land for trails,” Willis said.
A neighborhood meeting about The Courtyards of Cielo Ranch will be held at 6 p.m. June 19 at The Courtyards of Carmel clubhouse at 13900 Grisham Dr.
The Westfield Advisory Plan Commission is scheduled to discuss the development at its meeting on July 1.
Epcon is based in the Columbus, Ohio, suburb of Dublin and operates a regional office and design center at 11555 N. Meridian St. in Carmel.
Vita of Westfield
Members of the Westfield City Council voted 6-1 on Monday night to approve plans proposed by Noblesville-based Vita Investment Holdings LLC for a 13-acre, age-restricted community at 17748 Spring Mill Road.
Vita of Westfield will be a Western Europe-inspired development that will focus on senior living and living options for people ages 55 and older with a continuum of care from active adult to assisted living to memory care.
Plans for the development call for a total of 164 units with 44 garden-style cottages, 80 assisted living units in a four-story building and 40 memory care units in a one-story building. Each cottage will have a one-car garage.
Vita Investment Holdings CEO Zeke Turner told councilors that Vita of Westfield will be targeted toward the “middle market” of potential residents who work as teachers, firefighters, service industry employees, government workers, nurses and in other occupations.
“That would be people who otherwise either can’t or don’t want to afford the highest end of senior housing,” Turner said. “In senior housing, broadly, if you want something nice, sometimes you can’t afford it. And if you can afford it, it’s not very nice. And we’re really filling that middle gap.”
The assisted living and memory care residences will be built in a four-story building that will have a spa, salon, indoor and outdoor restaurant-style dining areas, a cafe/bistro, pub, shared laundry areas and multiple lounge areas. Outdoor amenities will include a dining terrace, fire pit and two courtyards.
The campus will also have multiple outdoor gathering spaces and activity courts with pickleball and bocce ball, an outdoor dining patio and grill, community garden, pet wash station, dog walk park and walking trails.
Chad Huff was the only city councilor who voted against approving Vita of Westfield.
Vita Investment Holdings’ first senior development, Vita of Marion, opened last year at 4211 S. Adams St. in Marion.
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Zeke Turner has no business doing business again. Beware folks.
100% on Zeke. And someone needs to dig into the affordable aspect to see if he’s planning on bonds and low income housing tax credits. Zeke’s other Vita development in Marion that used this programs that are for low-income tenants.
Having sat thru the council meeting on Monday night and listening to the presentation, it seemed well presented. A comment like yours, without some reference to why you think that way, seems a little unfair. The council voted 6-1 to approve, so you must have inside knowledge.
I agree with Tony C. To Michael Q., some facts or reference to support your “beware” would be appropriate. To Erika S., I don’t see a reference to affordable housing in the article other than that they are targeting the “middle market”. Nonetheless, what’s wrong with using affordable housing programs, such as you cited, to make certain units affordable to those who qualify?