Representatives from John Wieland

Homes came before the Tyrone Town Council in December with a plan for

a conservation subdivision. The project provided a tremendous amount of

greenspace, but many of the houses would be on half-acre lots. Concerned

citizens and members of the council worried about the density of the project,

as well as the use of a pressure drip sewer system and increased traffic.

Last Thursday, John Wieland

Homes came before the council again, this time with two plans. The first

plan had 200 houses in the 265-acre parcel on one acre lots with 16 acres

of open space along the wetlands. The project would be on septic tanks

instead of a pressure drip system. The second plan was a redone version

of the conservation subdivision that addressed many of the concerns from

the previous meeting. On Mann Road, there would be five houses on four

acre lots, 120 acres of open space, 200 lots, still on half-acres, but

down from the original number of 265, an amenity area and a buffer on

each side of the proposed cross county connector. The project would be

on a pressure drip system.

Resident Scott Bodkin spoke

in favor of the project, stating that John Wieland Homes was a good neighbor

to Tyrone and that the project appeared aesthetically pleasing. Several

residents spoke against the project, citing concerns about changing the

approved lot size from one acre to half an acre and damaging the rural

appearance of Mann Road. Council still worried about the density and Lyn

Redwood, the new councilwoman in her first meeting, urged the representatives

from Wieland Homes to build a project that had two acre lots, which would

then take out the need for a pressure drip system. Councilman Paul Letourneau

stated he would like to see a project with somewhere near 150 homes, while

councilman Mike Smola stated that if the project was built under the current

zoning only 70-100 home could be built.

John Wieland Homes will go