Estridge Homes proposes high-end subdivision in Westfield with 125 homes

A new 125-home subdivision could be built in Westfield north of the Harmony neighborhood on Ditch Road if the city council approves the project.

Estridge Homes and 11^th Street Development have filed plans with the city of Westfield to build 125 single-family homes on about 80 acres along the west side of Ditch Road between 156^th Street and 161^st Street. The neighborhood has yet to be named.

This week, the Westfield Advisory Plan Commission voted to send a change in zoning for the development to the city council with a favorable recommendation. The proposal will go before the council later this month or early in June.

The land is currently zoned agriculture/single-family rural. The developer has requested the land be rezoned for a planned unit development.

Paul Estridge, president of Estridge Homes, told IBJ the homes would range in price from $500,000 to $750,000 and would vary in size.

If the rezoning is approved by the city council, development could start in the fall and would come in two phases, Estridge said.

The project would be divided into five areas to allow for diversity in the sizes of homes.

In areas A and B, up to 78 homes would be built, ranging in size from 1,800 to 2,400 square feet, plans show.  

In areas C and D, as many as 44 homes could be built, ranging in size from 2,400 square feet to 3,000.

Up to three homes, between 3,000 and 3,500 square feet, would be constructed in area E.

If approved, the city would require that 27 percent of the land be dedicated to open space.

Plans for amenities in the neighborhood include bike and pedestrian paths, picnic tables, a playground and gathering areas.

In documents filed with Westfield, the developer said the higher-than-average price points of the homes complement more affordable prices found elsewhere in Westfield.

The median price of an existing home sold in Hamilton County in March was $280,000, according to MIBOR Realtor Association. New homes are in demand in Westfield. More than 220 single-family building permits have been filed there so far this year, according to the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.

The neighborhood will be attractive to a wide variety of homeowners, including first-time buyers, families looking for more space and empty-nesters, Estridge said.

Estridge Homes launched the nearby Harmony community, a 270-acre neighborhood with homes starting at $375,000, in 2013. About 200 homes have already been constructed. The builder expects to build another 500 in coming years.