Eaton to consider first new subdivision in 5 years

EATON — For the first time in five years, major residential construction could be coming to town.

The Eaton Town Board next month will hear plans for 170 rooftops in a large acreage between the town’s two main subdivisions. 

The site is a large, yet empty, pocket of land bordered on the east by Cheyenne Avenue, on the north by Collins Avenue, on the west by Aspen Meadows Subdivision and on the south by Fagerberg Produce fields. Such infill is planned for a total of 843 rooftops at full buildout, which could increase the town’s population by 36%, or another 2,100 people, based on an average 2.5 people per household. U.S. Census numbers show Eaton’s population sat at 5,802 in the 2020 count.

“The current developer has had it in his ownership for a couple decades,” said Greg Brinck, Eaton’s assistant town administrator. “It’s been contemplated and planned for a long time, but only in the last few years it has gone through the formal process. In all of our future planning, school and fire district, everyone’s planning had included this particular subdivision. It’s been kicked around a long time.”

Indeed, the Eaton Town Board approved the Planned Unit Development of the Farm in 2022.

The plans for the Brown Farm’s first subdivision passed muster at the Eaton Planning Commission on July 11, and will go before the Town Board in a public hearing on Aug. 15.

At present, the 173-acre farm is planned for 180 housing units (144 single-family homes and 36 townhomes). The number at present is capped there, because it is limited by the amount of water that is dedicated and available.

The new development would eventually require improvements to South Cheyenne Avenue, but at this point, the town is prepared and ready for the new housing, Brinck said.

The development comes at a time when the town is working to recreate its downtown into a more thriving business district. The school district recently stepped up by upgrading the schools, as well. 

“I think that the town especially over the last handful of years has kind of looked at how we not just plan for the future and future new residents but also take care of current infrastructure and how to make it more enticing for current businesses to expand, where community wants to spend their time,” Brinck said.

“Over the last few years, there have been a few things that have fallen into place that puts us in a position to hopefully support not only this new subdivision but current residents with new downtown, and schools had their big redevelopment, and rec center in the last decade.”

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