Re: Mr.Connors writes: Explains impact of Westfield Meadows on Evansville Housing stock mix

(Ed. note: This post was in the comment section but I have posted it separately for better view)

billconnors <noreply-comment@blogger.com> wrote:

billconnors has left a new comment on your post ""Grumps" has a good question":

As promised, here is the information about the zoning of Westfield Meadows Subdivision for minimum house size. Of the 152 lots zoned for single family houses (although duplexes will be constructed on some of these lots), 35 lots (23%) are zoned R-1A (minimum total of 1,300 square feet on the first floor or above), 88 lots (58%) are zoned R-1B (minimum total of 1,450 square feet on the first floor or above, and 29 lots (19%) are zoned R-1C (minimum total of 1,600 on the ground floor or above).

By way of comparison, most of the houses in the Abey Koth Subdivision and on S. 6th St., W. Main St., and Millard Ct. in the Berg Woodworth & Petterson Subdivision are 1,300 to 1,500 square feet on the first floor or above (some are smaller than 1,300 square feet). Most of the houses on Hillside Ct. or over 1,600 square feet on the first floor or above, as are some on Wyler Dr. There are some much larger two-story houses on the south end of S. 6th St. in the Southgate Subdivision.

So Westfield Meadows probably will not do much to help re-balance the housing supply to include a greater percentage of somewhat larger homes (a 1,600 square foot house is not a large home in today's market). The city expects more help with that issue from Capstone Ridge and the potential residential subdivision north of Porter Road.

Bill Connors
Evansville City Administrator

Evansville Observer at 4/18/2006 09:57:08 AM