Nearly 200 new homes proposed in new Sugarcreek Twp. development on farmland

Developers hoping to build a housing development in Sugarcreek Twp. say the plans are unique because of the amount of green space that would preserve the land’s existing attributes.

Cincinnati-based HPA Development Group, Inc. submitted plans to the township’s planning and zoning department earlier this month. The plan calls for 189 homes to be built on the Ralph D. Black property at Swigart and Darst roads, according to planning documents.

The property borders neighborhoods in Beavercreek.

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According to the developer’s plans, there would be 2.86 units per acre with 30 percent of the property maintained as green space.

“We envision a community with multiple access points and abundantly landscaped boulevards … What makes this community unique is the extensive amount of open space,” according to a Sept. 4 letter from the developer to the township.

The single-story, two-story and patio-style homes would range in size from 1,400 to just more than 2,500 square feet. The various home designs are set up to attract both families and empty-nesters, according to the documents. The homes would range in price from $325,000 to $400,000.

HPA’s proposal is “consistent with the Sugarcreek Twp. Long-Range Land Use Plan,” Graham Parlin, vice president of HPA Development Group, Inc., said in a prepared statement.

“We have put an incredible amount of thought into the land plan to preserve the natural resources on the site, including the existing creeks and wooded areas,” Parlin said. “The neighborhood will be heavily landscaped, including mounding and buffering on Swigart Road and Darst Road.”

Township officials said a builder has not yet been selected.

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The owner of the property is listed as Ralph D. Black Inc., based in Laguna Woods, Calif., according to the planning documents. Janice Dunlap, president of Ralph D. Black, Inc., said the property has been used for farming and has been in her family since around 1911. She declined further comment.

The developer has included a playground and a community garden in the plans, and the subdivision would be governed by a homeowner’s association.

Township zoning officials are expected to consider rezoning the land from agricultural to residential during the Oct. 2 zoning meeting.

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Consideration of a development proposed in the area of Wilmington Dayton and Conference roads initially scheduled for the same meeting has been tabled to the Nov. 13 zoning meeting, township officials said.

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