Planning Commission may get response to Shady Grove complaint

Correspondence to the county’s Planning Commission regarding the plans of KB Home to downsize models in the Shady Grove development was discussed by the Planning Commission April 4 and may produce a response from the county’s Department of Planning and Land Use at a future Planning Commission meeting.

“We’d be happy to come up with a response,” said acting DPLU director Eric Gibson.

The original plans for the 101-home development called for houses between 2,600 and 3,500 square feet. The development has taken place in phases, and 65 homes remain to be built.

During a March 20 meeting between Shady Grove residents and KB Home project manger Eric Scheck, Scheck informed the residents that KB Home would no longer build the current models and would offer homes ranging from 1,600 to 2,200 square feet throughout the remaining phases.

Scheck also informed the residents that the new homes would sell for prices between $300,000 and $500,000, a significantly lower sum than the cost of the existing homes.

KB Homes cited the downturn in the economy and the lack of a market for higher-end homes. Residents expressed concern that the smaller homes would decrease the value of the existing homes and alter the demographics of the neighborhood.

On April 1 Shady Grove resident Mickie St. Pierre notified the Department of Planning and Land Use of the situation. St. Pierre’s letter indicated that demand for the higher-end homes still exists and requested an opportunity to meet with DPLU.

The three-day period between the letter and the Planning Commission meeting didn’t allow for comprehensive discussion April 4, but Gibson noted that DPLU had more control over the Shady Grove development than over a regular subdivision.

“It’s a planned development with a Major Use Permit,” he said.