COLUMBUS — The footprint of the City of Columbus is set to expand southward following a key vote by the Columbus City Council. On Tuesday night, council members granted initial approval for the annexation of 139.36 acres in Wayne Township to make way for Timberland Springs, a new residential development by Arbor Homes.
Located at the northeast corner of Deaver Road and County Road 150W, the project represents a significant addition to the local housing stock, situated just north of the former Walesboro airport and in close proximity to major employers like Cummins and Toyota Material Handling.
The heart of the project is the Timberland Springs subdivision, which will occupy 107.25 acres of the newly annexed land. Arbor Homes plans to build approximately 250 to 282 single-family homes across a variety of lot sizes.
To achieve the desired density, the developer successfully petitioned to rezone the residential portion from Agriculture to Residential: Two-Family (RT). Despite the “two-family” designation, Arbor Homes emphasized that no duplexes or multi-family units are planned; the zoning simply allows for the smaller lot sizes requested for this specific project.
The council’s first-reading approval came with specific strings attached to address concerns from neighboring property owners. Residents in the predominantly rural area had previously raised questions about traffic on County Road 150W and the impact on private wells.
In response, the council passed the rezoning with an amendment requiring a 50-foot setback and the installation of a landscaped berm to serve as a buffer between the new homes and existing neighboring properties to the north. Arbor Homes has also committed to conducting a traffic study to identify necessary improvements for the surrounding road network.
Timberland Springs will be the fourth active or recent development for Arbor Homes in the Columbus area. The builder is currently seeing steady progress on several other fronts:
- Sutter Place: A 273-lot subdivision on County Road 200W, which recently received approval for its third section of “starter homes.”
- Abbey Place and Abbey Commons: Two established communities located near US-31 South and Lowell Road.
Planning Director Jeff Bergman noted that bringing more housing closer to the manufacturing hub in Walesboro addresses a critical community need, potentially shortening commutes for hundreds of local workers.
Construction on the homes is expected to be phased over a four-to five-year period.
The annexation and rezoning must pass a second and final reading at a future City Council meeting to be finalized.
Once approved, Arbor Homes will submit a preliminary plat for review by the planning and engineering departments to finalize drainage, stormwater, and street alignment.
