An 80-acre stretch of farmland on the north side of Sawin Drive in Columbus Township is one step closer to becoming a new residential development, after the Columbus City Council passed the first reading of an annexation and rezoning ordinance by a 7-0 vote. The property, located about 1,300 feet west of Talley Road, would shift from Agriculture: Preferred to Residential: Two-Family zoning to make way for a mix of twin-patio homes for residents 55 and older and single-family houses.
Developer Abundant Home Solutions LLC has a deal to take official ownership of the land as the project moves through city government, according to The Republic. The land is currently owned by Larry and Susan Cooper, and the company also has an option agreement to close on an additional 65 acres to the west within two years, meaning the overall project could eventually span 145 acres. Company representative Daryl Hodgson told the council the development will include owner-occupied twin-patio homes aimed at older adults as well as standalone single-family homes, describing the planned residences as a “step-up” product priced between $300,000 and $450,000.
That price range sits above current local benchmarks. The median home sale price in Bartholomew County reached $275,000 in June 2026, up 2.8% year-over-year, while housing inventory climbed 8.2%, per the same Republic report on the county's market conditions. Bartholomew County's median home listing price had risen even further to $295,000 by July, according to Realtor.com, even as median monthly rents fell 14% month-over-month to $1,375.
Utility Poles and a Transmission Tower Stand in the Way
Before any homes go up, the project faces a significant infrastructure hurdle. Duke Energy owns a large transmission tower and more than ten utility poles that will need to be relocated to accommodate the development, and the utility may be required to move them at its own expense, the Republic's reporting notes. Developers will also be required to make improvements along 1,300 feet of Sawin Drive road frontage, where pavement currently narrows to just 20 feet wide between Taylor and Talley roads.
The developer did not have a rendering of the planned homes to show the council, though renderings are not an explicit requirement for annexation and rezoning requests. The exact number of units also remains undetermined; the developer could not provide that figure, and it's expected to come into focus at a future Plan Commission meeting when the preliminary plat is reviewed. That plat will detail road locations and engineering specifications, including drainage.
Stonecrest Neighbors Raise Traffic and Drainage Fears
Residents of the adjacent Villas of Stonecrest voiced concerns during public testimony about additional traffic on Sawin Drive and possible effects on their property values. Those worries carry extra weight given recent weather: in mid-August, Bartholomew County Emergency Management issued flood warnings for Columbus and surrounding areas after severe thunderstorms dropped 1 to 4 inches of rain, flooding low-lying roads and creeks, according to a Facebook post from Councilor Grace Kestler. Stonecrest residents specifically cited existing drainage and road conditions in their testimony to the council.
A wider fix for Sawin Drive itself is still years away. City plans call for widening the road, but that project is not likely to happen until 2030 or 2031, and it will come before the Columbus Area Metropolitan Planning Organization next month for prioritization. Councilor Frank Miller recused himself from the vote because he lives near Villas of Stonecrest, while councilors Chris Bartels and Jerone Wood were both absent.
Part of a Broader Push for Housing
The Sawin Drive proposal follows a pattern the council has repeated in recent years as it works to meet demand identified in the 2024 Columbus Housing Study, which found a need for roughly 300 new housing units annually through 2035 as well as more housing options for homeowners aging in place. City officials say Columbus is on target to meet that annual construction goal. Kestler's Facebook post also detailed the exact advisory vote: the Columbus Plan Commission voted 11-0 on July 8 to recommend approval of the annexation and 10-1 to recommend the rezoning petition before the matter reached the full council.
It's a familiar playbook in Columbus. In April, the city approved farmland for 282 homes at Timberland Springs, a subdivision built with dedicated green space buffers and road upgrades. And in 2025, the council approved annexing 107 acres at State Road 46 and 500 West for the Chase Point Capital development, adopting a 15-unit-per-acre density cap and a required tree buffer after neighbor pushback, according to a Facebook post from Cole Bennett.
State law is also shaping how these projects come together. Indiana House Enrolled Act 1005, enacted in 2025, created state residential infrastructure loan programs that help municipalities finance site development and utility extension costs for new subdivisions. Separately, HEA 1001, enacted in 2026, set updated statewide zoning guidelines encouraging municipalities to streamline approvals for missing-middle and age-targeted housing — a policy backdrop that aligns with the 55-and-older twin-patio homes planned for Sawin Drive.
What Happens Next
Annexation and rezoning ordinances require two approvals to become final, and the Columbus City Council is set to take up the second and final reading on September 1, 2026. If approved, Abundant Home Solutions will prepare a preliminary plat for review at a later Plan Commission meeting, with developers expecting a five-year build-out and construction potentially beginning within one or two years.
