CROWN POINT | Apartments, one of Crown Point's hottest issues, likely will be discussed at the city's December Plan Commission meeting.

The developers of the Preserve at Beacon Hill, a development of about 40 acres at the southeast corner of Summit Street and Broadway, will ask the Plan Commission to rezone the land from business to a planned unit development. That zoning allows for mixed uses, such as the developments proposed almost 600 rental units, 34,300 square feet of commercial space and two commercial outlots.

The companies involved in the development include Crown Point-based Rossman and Associates, Indianapolis-based Kite Realty and Indianapolis-based Buckingham Cos.

Ashley Bedell, a project manager for Kite Realty, said in an e-mail there haven't been any major changes to the development plan since its October workshop except for "further refinement" and work to better address the concerns raised.

At the workshop, one of the main concerns of the Plan Commission members were that the residences were not owner-occupied units.

The project will be watched closely not only by city residents who have said they're not interested in more apartments, but also by other local developers.

In 2006, local developer Fleming Realty had a workshop with the commission about 57 acres at 101st Avenue and Broadway to build a mixed use development that included retail, offices and apartments. However, minutes of the June meeting show that most of the commission members were against the apartments. The developer went before the commission again that October having changed the apartments to townhomes and was asked to meet with a subcommittee.

After meeting with the subcommittee the company was told Broadway was a commercial corridor and there shouldn't be residences there, said Ryan Fleming, of Fleming Realty.

Fleming said Fleming Realty still does consulting for that development's property owners, and they plan to try and schedule a workshop at the December meeting about a development that includes apartments at 101st Avenue and Broadway.

Fleming said the catalyst to retry for apartments on that property was The Preserve at Beacon Hill.