A proposed 328-home and townhome subdivision called Copperstone received a favorable recommendation by the Winfield Plan Commission.
The subdivision, which will be located on 122 acres at the southeast corner of Gibson Street and 117th Avenue, will go before the Winfield Town Council for a zoning change request from agriculture (AG) to planned development residential (PDR).
The lone remonstrator during the public hearing held Thursday was Winfield resident Lawrence Pfeiffer.
Pfeiffer, who lives on a hobby farm located on 117th Avenue just east of the proposed subdivision, said he had several concerns, primarily water from the subdivision running off into his acreage.
“My concern is the wetland (there) can’t take any more water,” Pfeiffer said.
Pfeiffer, who has animals on his farm, said he is worried about how any water runoff might affect his horses and chickens.
He said he’s not opposed to development, but he remains concerned about his property and his animals.
“You are infringing on me pretty badly,” Pfeiffer said.
Plan Commission member David Anderson, who also serves as a town councilman, said the subdivision will be required to retain all the water.
“Your drainage issues will be improved,” Anderson said.
Pfeiffer also questioned whether or not pesticides from the properties in the subdivision might flow onto his property and seep into the water used for his animals.
Town Manager Nick Bellar assured him it wouldn’t be a problem.
Anderson told Pfeiffer to contact Bellar if there were any future issues.
“And if they (the developers) don’t take care of the problem, there they won’t be building,” Anderson said.
Ed Recktenwall and Todd Olthoff, both of Olthof Homes, said the subdivision is geared toward young families building their first home, active seniors and young professionals.
Amenities planned for the subdivision will include a pickleball court, a professional putting green, a playground, a fire pit with seating, and a walking path.
The subdivision would include 135 single-family homes as the majority of the structures.
In addition, plans for two other areas include 86 two-story townhomes geared to young professionals and 107 single-story or ranch-style homes with “active adults” in mind, Recktenwall said.
Olthoff said his development company is also pledging $350,000 toward the construction of a roundabout in the planning stages at Gibson and East 117th Avenue and any improvements on Gibson.
In other business, the Plan Commission gave conditional approval to a commercial development plan presented by Peter Andreou, vice president of development for Family Express.
Andreou said the company is planning a major refresh to the Family Express location located at 8010 E. 109th Ave., which was built in 1995.
Family Express, a gas station and convenience store with some 87 locations, was started in 1975 by owner Gus Olympidis, Andreou said.
“The Winfield location was his 14th store,” Andreou said.
The updates include a new 1,300-square-foot car wash that would be located to the east of the store. The existing car wash would be renovated and used to enhance the existing store.
Changes to the exterior of the buildings would include repainting and new landscaping. Indoor and outdoor seating for customers is also being planned, Andreou said.
“We’ll dress up the whole site,” Andreou said.
The Plan Commission granted him conditional approval pending Andreou getting the okay to use the town’s preference for materials that will wrap the columns of the buildings.
Deborah Laverty is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
