More new homes may soon be coming to Hamlet. Builders told the town’s zoning board Wednesday that they’re in the process of buying two lots on the west side of Jefferson Street near the intersection with Davis Street. They plan to build two 1,200-square-foot spec homes that would sell for around $139,000.
Board President Dave Kesvormas welcomed the idea. “We do have a campaign in town, ’22 by ’22,’ 22 buildings by 2022,” he said. “We had raked out some incentives for doing that, but we never really hammered out what the incentives would be because you’re the first one that’s come forward.”
Board members agreed to waive the building permit fees, once the sale closes. Kesvormas also suggested offering six months of free water and sewer, and installing the water meter and other equipment at cost.
The builders said that if the two homes are successful, they would like to build more. Kesvormas noted that housing has been in high demand, and that could continue as people look to get away from the higher cost of living in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte counties.
He said the new housing is just one of the ways Hamlet is moving forward. “You know, when we all got on this board at one point in time, we said that one of our major goals was the sidewalk down Starke Street from the gas station down into town, and we all thought it would be impossible and we set it as a goal and we achieved it,” Kesvormas said. “We got the railroad tracks fixed. We set that as a long-term goal, and we got that one. And I said ’22 by ’22,’ and this is a step forward. Wonderful.”
The builders hope to close on the property and start construction in the coming weeks.
