The Portage City Council will make another attempt at annexing land for a new subdivision.
About a third of the proposed 120-acre Carlson Farm development still needs to be annexed into the city limits. The previous council approved the annexation in December but held off on a fiscal plan. The current council members then repealed the annexation, after the new city attorney determined that the fiscal plan had to be approved first.
On Tuesday, the annexation and fiscal plan were re-introduced to the council. A planned unit development may be considered in a later step.
Mayor Austin Bonta noted it could be the first subdivision approved by his administration and the current council. "To be starting with this much control — I don't mean that in a power trippy way — but it's really a great learning experience, too, to see the steps about how a neighborhood gets created," Bonta told council members.
City Attorney Edward Graham encouraged council members to review the fiscal plan carefully before taking a final vote. "That is an important element of understanding the impact on a financial level, both as to revenue that would come in but also servicing that with police, fire and other services," Graham said.
The Carlson Farm development would include a mix of single-family homes, cottage homes and paired villas, totaling about 325 units. Providence Real Estate Development says the mix of options is designed to target different age groups and fill various needs in the community.
