The Portage Plan Commission voted 5-2 Monday to reject Habitat for Humanity’s proposal to build eight homes on the old Crisman School site.

The city owns the two-acre site and would give it to Habitat’s Porter County chapter for the subdivision.

Current zoning would allow six houses on the site, Habitat board President Jessica Vargas said.

“As we all know, there is a housing crisis,” Vargas said, so Habitat wants to develop this small subdivision.

Habitat plans to put $270,000 into engineering and infrastructure for the site.

“We’re looking at a total investment of approximately $1.9 million,” counting construction of the homes, Vargas said.

“We are not below market value by any means” when the homes are appraised, she said. “We are definitely adding value to the community.”

A two-bedroom home costs about $220,000, with a three-bedroom home at $250,000 to $260,000, she said, but appraises for more.

Three people spoke in favor of the project at Monday’s public hearing. More, however, spoke against it.

“It’s not something new for Portage. What’s kind of new is the size of this project,” Habitat board member Luke Weinman said.

“The quality of these houses is amazing. We pass inspections with flying colors,” he said.

“When we build them, we build them extremely efficient,” with lots of insulation, and often get awards as a result, he said. “I would live in a house like this anytime.”

Project manager Bernie Hohner, a former Porter County building inspector, said insulation in ceilings is R60 to reduce homeowners’ energy bills. “We build everything above code,” he said.

“I design all these houses. Every house you see is custom,” he said. Homes are tailored to each family’s individual needs, factoring in ages and genders to decide how many bedrooms to include.The homes don’t have frills, Vargas said, to keep costs down. Counters are plastic laminate, not stone, and a kitchen can be designed around donated cabinets.

“We do care about aesthetics for the homes,” she said, and try to fit in with the neighborhood.

“We want you to drive down the road and not be able to pick out the Habitat homes. We don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb in the community,” she said.

Residents’ comments ranged from traffic to possible contamination on the site to the nearby church using it for extra parking.

The former Crisman School was demolished after a fire in 2015.

Daniel Vickery said he is concerned about asbestos possibly being at the property as well as other contamination.

Planning and Community Development Director Tom Cherry said the city would have to conduct soil tests to make sure there is no contamination before the property is given to Habitat. The contractor that did the demolition said in a letter that wasn’t the case, but the city would have to verify it, Cherry said.

Frank Komenda asked where church attendees would park and suggested using the property for parking for the Iron Horse Trail and church.

“We don’t need new houses in Porter County. Traffic is already terrible in Portage,” the 53-year resident said.

“My family has owned this property for over 100 years,” neighbor Carla McGann said. “I can remember as a child playing there.”

“Potholes have increased on Crisman Road at an exponential amount,” she said, because of heavy truck traffic.

Trucks would be needed to build the subdivision, but that’s only temporary, Vargas said. Maintaining roads is the city’s responsibility.

“It’s not a safe place to add eight houses on that corner,” Crisman and Portage Avenue, McGann said. “The traffic is going a minimum of 20 mph over the speed limit.”

Add eight houses with children, and you’ve created a nightmare, she said.

Plan Commission members grilled Vargas on the effect on traffic. Commission President Denise Little asked if a road could be built inside the subdivision so the homes wouldn’t face the busy streets.

“A road would be great if someone could find me the money to build it. We’re not road builders, we’re home builders,” Vargas said. The road would cost about $300,00, and Habitat is trying to keep the homes affordable.

When Habitat builds homes, it calculates how much the homeowner can afford and structures the 30-year mortgage accordingly. Habitat pays the balance of the cost of the home.

Everyone 18 or over in the family has to put in sweat equity, either helping build their own home or another or volunteering for Habitat in another capacity, Vargas said.

Councilwoman Melissa Vargas, who sits on the Plan Commission, explained her vote against it. She, like other Plan Commission members, supports Habitat’s mission, but she campaigned against new homes being built in Portage, she said.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.