Zoning approval for a planned Middlebury apartment complex has been delayed, as developers look to revise their plans. The developers of the Riverbend Townhomes withdrew their rezoning requests before the Elkhart County Commissioners and Middlebury Town Council on Monday, drawing applause from audience members at both meetings.
But Elkhart County Zoning Administrator Jason Auvil told town council members that a new plan will likely be submitted. “There are some details that need to be worked out, and this is kind of a unique project because it falls both in the county’s main jurisdiction, as well as the town,” Auvil said at Monday's meeting.
The plans called for 19 two-story apartment buildings on the north side of County Road 16. Each building would have included eight units, with two spaces of garage parking, plus another 13 outdoor parking spaces.
But the plan drew opposition from nearby residents, especially those living in the Villas of River Park townhouses across the street. Robin Shoup told the Middlebury Town Council earlier this month that high-density housing doesn’t fit with the town’s character.
"I understand we need housing in our area," Shoup said at the town council's October 6 meeting. "I’m not against housing. I would like to see it at a smaller scale."
At the time, residents cited concerns about traffic, noise and crime. Some said they’d rather see single-family homes than rental apartments. Some also accused the developers of changing the plans, by removing a proposed landscape buffer to add more buildings.
Any revised proposal would have to go back to the Elkhart County Plan Commission, before going to the county commissioners and the Middlebury Town Council for consideration.
