FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Townhomes are the latest addition coming to housing development in the area around northwest Fort Wayne and Huntertown.

This month, Oakmont Development Company II is proposing to build 74 townhomes on nearly 18 acres on Hathaway Road. The townhomes will be built just north of where Oakmont’s lead developer, Jeff Thomas, is building 322 homes on 165 acres off Bethel Road. Both developments are called Sonora.

The latest proposal is zoned agricultural as much of Huntertown, Perry and Eel River townships is. This proposal lands in Perry Township, one of the two fastest growing townships in the county. It is within Northwest Allen County Schools’ district, which is looking at expanding a middle school and Carroll High School to accommodate its growing enrollment. The high school is projected to grow by 500 students, but school officials say it’s near capacity right now.

In May, when the Sonora residential development was introduced, Thomas also proposed 57 more lots in Emrich Hills and seven in Cascata Estates, in developments off Shoaff Road, further north in Allen County.

Brandon Seifert, Huntertown council president, says when he looks over the numbers he is astounded.

The town is making improvements to the Huntertown and water and sewer district equipment and plan on building another water tower off Shoaff Road.

“We are planning for the future,” Seifert said. He counted 1,676 connections to the water and sewer district just at Hand and Carroll roads where the subdivisions The Fens, Broad Acres and Silverstone will be under construction. November was a record month with 45 new connections.

In 2022, 2,448 residential lots were platted, Seifert added.

With all the new residents pouring into Huntertown and the area, he sees the population growing from 9,142 estimated by the U.S. Census in 2020 to an estimate of today’s population at possibly 13,000.

“We have a great community and that’s the reason why people are coming out here,” Seifert said. “We have a great school district, low taxes and this is one of the areas to move to in Allen County and build a home for their family.”

Thomas is also busy in southwest Allen County. In May, he added 174 lots on an 83-acre parcel, 76 lots in Tiburon and 98 lots in Livingston Lakes Extended.