A family homestead in Springfield Township is slated to become a modern residential development, but most of it will still be family.
The township board last week gave conditional approval to an application from William Leddy to create “Leddy’s Woods,” a 13-unit, single-family site condominium on about 40 acres on the west side of Ormond Road between Shaffer and Big Lake roads.
A unique aspect of the development is a cluster concept to help meet stipulations of a resource protection overlay district passed by the township board in March. The property is zoned R-1A (Suburban Estate Residential), and would normally require lots of at least 2.5 acres.
The property includes wetlands and vegetation now protected by ordinance, however, so the site plan has 13 sites of much smaller size toward the east end of the property, thus preserving most of the natural resources as open space.
Supervisor Collin Walls said Leddy and his development consultant, Kieft Engineering’s Jim Scharl, have taken the protection of natural resources seriously. He said he walked the site earlier in the day and saw technicians “sitting on the ground with microscopes and magnifying glasses having a ball.”
“We’ve tried to preserve the wetland to the greatest extent possible,” Scharl told the board.
The design is not without some challenges. The property is accessible only by a winding strip of land about 70 feet wide and 1,000 feet long. The proposal is for the entrance drive to be built as a private road.
Even questions to the plan were couched in praise for Leddy and Scharl.
“Bill has shown the community that he is a really good neighbor and a terrific steward of his property,” said O’Neill Road resident Del Fishman. “I think it’s reflected in that plan. It’s a terrific plan.”
Fishman wondered if the narrow road would accommodate fire department apparatus, and asked for a special designation for the open space.
“If the park portion could have a hunting restriction, I’d sleep better in the morning,” he said.
Another question concerned storm drainage from the home sites and the new pavement. Scharl admitted a potential problem, but said they will seek use of “natural absorption” as much as possible.
“We have extreme limitations with Mr. Leddy’s property,” he said, but noted “natural pockets” in the landscape that could help with runoff.
Many of the sites will be purchased by members of the extended Leddy family, Scharl said.