At a meeting of the Niverville City Council on November 16, it was decided that a plot of land that currently contains the Old Drives Run driving range should be rezoned.
The proposal came from Len Peters of Sunset Estates, the developer of the property, who requested to change the zoning of the property to allow the creation of three high density residential lots, three park and open space lots, and one medium density residential lot.
A letter of objection was read into the minutes. The writer of the letter pointed out that such a reallocation of the land could be fiscally irresponsible as he believed the land could better serve as commercial space.
It should be noted that the facade along the Old Drivers Run is still an industrial park and the property in question is actually behind the industrial park.
However, the letter’s writer indicated that the proposed area would provide a prime location for more businesses looking to benefit from the customer base created by the high school, the new hotel, the Community Resource and Recreation Center, and other established businesses in the area.
Peters was available to answer questions. When asked to deny the objection, he argued that land adjacent to a golf course is typically considered prime housing and is in great demand. This property overlooks the existing golf course.
Peters also pointed to the fact that there is a lot of vacant commercial space and commercial buildings under construction in the area, but there is often a shortage of residential land in the city – a need this project would meet.
In the end, the proposal was approved and the project will continue. There is currently no schedule or further details of what types of homes will be built here.