Houses to get bigger in Hobart

BY CARRIE RODOVICH
nwitimes.com


HOBART | The Hobart Plan Commission will hold a public hearing next month on an ordinance that would increase house sizes in the city.

The ordinance will increase house sizes by 250 square feet, bringing the new minimum sizes to 1,250 and 1,400 square feet in areas zoned R-1 and R-2, respectively.

City Planner Sergio Mendoza said the move was consistent with the size homes currently being built within the city.

"There's an increasing demand for square footage," he said.

At the February Plan Commission meeting, Mendoza suggested a potential developer should consider creating a higher-end subdivision on property north of 61st Avenue near Turkey Creek. The developer had proposed building moderately sized homes priced near $160,000.

Creating a development with larger homes at a higher price point could fill what some see as a void in the community, he said.

"We have a lot of moderately priced housing, but we need more housing geared towards seniors and more high-end housing," he said. "We have a market that allows for that."

Mendoza said people who work at the hospital or are managers at businesses along the U.S. 30 corridor, along with a variety of other professionals, can have a hard time finding housing that meet their needs in the Hobart.

"People want to stay within the community. They identify with the Hobart community and like the amenities," he said. "But they don't have the housing style they want."