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Commission debates new development

Stephanie Miles

Oxford Planning Commission approved the preliminary Planned Unit Development (PUD) of a residential area to construct a condominium community between Contreras and Fairfield Roads, at their meeting last Tuesday.

The plan, arranged by the Foundation Development Group, LLC, proposed that a total of 88 units in 22 buildings be constructed on 22.46 acres. The original plan wanted to build 112 units in 28 buildings on the same acreage, but after receiving feedback from city council, the Foundation Development group decide to downsize the PUD.

Currently the 54.77 acres of land between Contreras and Fairfield Road is used for farming and agricultural purposes and is located west of the Knolls of Oxford Retirement Village.

The 22-acre planned condominium community is part of the total 55-acre development.

The proposal includes developing the remaining acreage into a residential subdivision of single-family homes.

The Foundation Development Group's builder and developer David Labus said they are only using 60 percent of the allowed density, meaning that there will be fewer than four dwellings per acre, compared to the maximum of 6.4 dwellings per acre. Labus also said that there will be a clubhouse and swimming pool.

"The fact that because our target market is the empty nester and typically looking for single floor living," Labus said. "We're predominantly doing single floor which inherently takes up more land just by nature."

Planning Commission Chairman Bill Brewer said there is a similar condominium community located in Hamilton, which served as the model for the proposed development.

Labus proposed constructing a private street for the development to be maintained by the residential homeowner's association, but the commission questioned the issue of private and public streets.

"We're finally getting around to making connectivity between Contreras and Fairfield which I think is a great part of both these plans," committee member David Prytherch said. "From the point of view that I respect your right to have private streets. My hope is for the good of the surrounding community is that you don't prohibit or obstruct casual public through."

Labus said there was a concern that if the proposed development built private roads, the public would not be allowed to use the street. But Labus said he has no intention of restricting road access to the public if it is constructed into a private street.

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The preliminary PUD still has to be approved by Oxford City Council for the final decision, according to Brewer.

After that, the final PUD will have to be approved by the Planning Commission and then by City Council a second time.