15 years later, plans for last Emerald Lake subdivision phase under review in Fairfield

The plan for the final 30 lots in the Emerald Lake subdivision is now under review by city staff, more than 15 years after the third phase was approved.

There are 108 homes constructed in the high-end subdivision off Pleasant Avenue. Two of the remaining lots are under construction, one is in pre-construction and the other 10 are vacant.

Emerald Lake is the city’s largest active residential development in the city, said Fairfield Development Services Director Greg Kathman.

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“There are a few more land sites that could possibly accommodate new residential subdivisions, but none of these sites are in development at this time,” he said.

The first three phases of Emerald Lake were approved between January 2005 and October 2007 by the original developer, Welsh Development. The developer for the final phase is K&M Communities. The current homebuilder in Emerald Lake is Berkey Homes, but previous builders included Fischer Homes, Ryan Homes and M/I Homes.

There are multiple reasons why it is taking more than 15 years to complete the development, said Kathman. The Great Recession had the largest impact where there were fewer homes built.

The subdivision was also saturated with available new home lots as the first three phases came online in quick succession, and there were lags between the transitions of builders and developers, Kathman said.

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Development plans for the final phase were recently submitted to the city, and the staff is reviewing them. The final plat will need Planning Commission approval before the phase can proceed. According to the proposed plans, the lots will be on a new street named High Point Court and the area to be developed is around 12.6 acres. High Point Court will be accessed by Edmorr Way.

Plans call for a pedestrian-only connection from the southern cul-de-sac of High Point Drive to Embassy Drive, a no-outlet road in the subdivision to the south of Emerald Lake.

Kathman said all new homes will be required to meet the conditions in the subdivision’s existing planned united development agreement related to construction standards, including house sizes and building materials. Home prices for the new section of Emerald Lake have not yet been established but should range between $375,000 to $450,000, according to Huff Realty.

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