Housing development plans presented
JACKSON TWP — A local developer presented plans at the Monday morning supervisor's workshop meeting for a residential development he'd like to bring to Youngblood Road.
Mike Newman of Newman Properties is hoping to bring a 98-unit residential development to the township, with special attention given to maintaining the “character” of the surrounding neighborhoods as well as high standards for aesthetic and environmental preservation.
As a resident of the township, Newman said that he is personally invested in making his development contribute to the look and feel of Jackson and that he realizes this is not always the case with developments in the region.
“I'm a resident of Jackson. I live off Zehner so I know what Zehner used to be like,” he said. “When I drove down Zehner it was tree-lined, like a tunnel. In the winter, it was beautiful,”
This changed when developments went in, he said, and while the road is “still nice,” Newman doesn't want residents to feel the same about his development.
“I'd like to make this as nice as I possibly can,” he said.
The plan will feature 98 single family homes and would be half as dense as the maximum a allowed by township ordinance.
Newman chose to forego duplexes or townhomes to preserve the look and feel of the surrounding area.
The development plans to make use of cul-de-sacs to preserve drainage areas and wooded parts of the property.
The plan is still in its early stages and has yet to go before the planning commission.
Newman emphasized his personal involvement in the success and positive reception of the development, adding that he's not a developer who can build it and leave.
“My family lives here,” he said, “so it's not like we're going somewhere else.”
