Most of the Ranson City Council meeting on February 3 was taken up with a discussion about rezoning a 161 acre parcel located on Cranes Lane. Forestar Group, a subsidiary of homebuilder D.R. Horton, is requesting to change the zoning on 125 acres of the parcel from “Rural Reserve” to “R6” (suburban residential). The developer has not yet submitted a concept plan for the site, but the R6 designation would allow for several hundred homes to be built on the site.
During public comment prior to the council’s discussion, speakers from the Jefferson County Foundation raised several concerns about the rezoning, notably the single access route via Crane’s lane which is currently a very narrow lane running through farm fields and crossing a railroad track before it connects to Mildred Street at a very tight intersection.
Brooke Perry, a project manager with Integrity Federal Services, presented the rezoning proposal for Forestar. At the conclusion of her presentation, she emphasized that the question at hand is a rezoning request and that the City would still need to review detailed site plans (a plat) to allow any subdivision to proceed. In her remarks, Perry noted that the City would be well within its rights to reject any subdivision plan that did not include a connection to Old Leetown Road (slide text below). The Council expects to hold a public hearing on the rezoning request and a second hearing on the in March.
Photos From Cranes Lane
