The Bridgeport Planning Commission gave its approval Monday to a rezoning of roughly 35 acres that will potentially lead to the next residential development in the city. The rezoning, or rather rezonings, will still need to go through the approval process of Bridgeport City Council.

 

Council, however, will have the recommendation from the Planning Commission to give the green light to the rezoning of multiple lots operated by Trailhead Investments, LLC.

 

The property in question is off of U.S. Route 50 East and Corpening Drive. The acreage is behind the Harron Square building across from the old Tom Davis Garden Center and, while going in both direction, the bulk of the property stretches west. The majority of the property that will make up this development, eventually, will be accessed from Platinum Drive.

 

Beau Henderson and Rhea Dyer, whose families make up Trailhead, were on hand at the meeting. Both were there to explain the reason for the rezoning and the residential project they have in mind.

 

One adjoining property owner spoke during the rezoning request. John DePolo said he and his family have parcels that line up with the property in question that will be rezoned. DePolo said he was not opposed to the rezoning, but was on hand for “informational” purposes to provide information to his family members.

 

The first rezoning will take 10 small parcels in the city that are currently zoned Business-2, which allows for large-scale commercial business, and convert it to Residential-3. An R-3 zoning is for single family, multi-family residential and duplex structures. Bridgeport Community Development Director Randy Spellman said the acreage total in the rezoning is in the five-acre range.

 

All 10 parcels border Corpening Drive.

 

“Our focus there was for patio homes under R-1, but we requested R-3 because of the way the land lays,” said Henderson. “We’d like to get as many patio homes in there as we can because we know there’s a need in the community for the one level … Unfortunately, as the property continues up that road it gets very steep and, hence, that’s why we’ve requested the R-3 for some multi-units in the back.”

 

Henderson said if all of the property can be used for patio homes that’s what will happen. However, he did not want have to come back to the Planning Commission and request another rezoning if that wasn’t possible.

 

A second rezoning is of a large single parcel to be converted from B-2 to Residential-1, which allows for only single family residential. The property in this one tract is for nearly 25 acres.

 

“They’re trying to make five acres mini-estate lots,” said Spellman. “It’s a pretty good idea.”

 

Although it was not on the agenda, Trailhead officials did say during the meeting that they also intend on annexing – by petition – additional acreage into Bridgeport that will make the entire development for the R-1 area around 70 acres. The additional property, which will be brought in as R-1, covers 45 acres. That request will be in front of City Council.

 

“When you annex by petition, you bring it in by the existing or intended use,” said Spellman. “If it was existing, it would have to be brought in as agricultural, but they intend on it to be used for residential purposes.”

 

All of the property, with the possible exception of the 10 parcels, will be part of the bigger development of Trailhead on the residential front. That would mean the annexed property would also be part of the “mini-estate lots” project Spellman mentioned above and he estimated up to 16 homes could come in the large lot concept.

 

Eventually, a site development plan or a request for a subdivision will have to be brought back before the Planning Commission; depending on what direction Trailhead opts to take. Unlike the rezoning, if either of those are approved by the Commission it does not move on to Council.

 

“That request will be down the road for the actual development,” said Henderson.

 

Henderson was asked by DePolo about the time frame was for the project. He didn’t have an exact answer.

 

“That’s a good question. We’re at the early stages and we’re not trying to rush it. We’re trying to do this right,” said Henderson. “I don’t want to give you the wrong time frame.”

 

Henderson did offer a reasonable period for things to begin. He said “within a year” would be likely. Henderson added that it was also too early to speculate what the price range would be for the patio homes or the homes that would be in the large tract of rezoned and eventually annexed property.

 

Council can approve or reject the recommendation and the first of those readings could take place as early as this coming Monday’s City Council meeting. The matter will require two readings in front of the city’s governing body.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Bridgeport Community Development Director Randy Spellman, while Beau Henderson, middle, and Rhea Dyer, of Trailhead Investments, addressing the Planning Commission.