By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Wetherington, the Tristate's wealthiest community and its only gated subdivision, is about to grow and, yes, there will be more gates.

The developers of Wetherington, the second-richest community in Ohio with a median household income of $161,448, received approval this week from the West Chester Township Zoning Commission to build a new section onto the neighborhood off Tylersville Road.

The new portion, called Harbour Town Village, would hold 84 homes on a 26-acre parcel that formerly was a mobile home park until it shut down last year.

Township trustees are expected to vote on the rezoning at their Aug. 26 meeting. They would need a unanimous vote to overturn the commission's decision, which is considered unlikely.

Local real-estate experts expect good demand for new homes in the prestigious community, well-located near major highways in a booming township about midway between Cincinnati and Dayton. The new homes will range from $250,000 to $500,000 and will target the "empty-nest" lifestyle buyer.

Such homes have small yards requiring little maintenance and often are built near golf courses, country clubs and swimming pools. They are gaining popularity across the country with senior citizens, single professionals and couples without children.

"They sell very well. They have low maintenance and smaller square footage and yet you still have that country club lifestyle," said Darlene Todd, a Realtor with Re/Max in West Chester. "It's a very social community. It's almost like living a vacation every day, and that's what people are looking for."

Approval for Harbour Town was postponed at the commission's April meeting because commissioners wanted the developers, Great Traditions Development Group of Sharonville, to work out an agreement with the Wetherington Homeowners Association on gates.

Last year, Wetherington gated its streets, cutting off some 11,000 motorists daily who zipped through the subdivision as a shortcut.

Wetherington's back gates off Cincinnati-Dayton Road are closed at all times, but the front ones off Tylersville close only at night.

Residents in the homes, which range from $350,000 to $1.2 million, cited safety concerns for their children.

Now, to prevent cut-through traffic from Wetherington via Harbour Town's new entrance off Hamilton-Mason Road, Harbour Town will have two gates. One set will be at Hamilton-Mason and the second will be inside Harbour Town where it links to Wetherington.

The Wetherington Homeowners Association has control of the second set of gates. The gates off Hamilton-Mason will be open during the day and the ones inside likely will be closed at all times.

Reaction has been mixed at Wetherington over the new section.

Members of the Wetherington Golf and Country Club recently told the zoning commission they favor the new development, saying it could help boost membership to offset operation costs.

But other residents are opposed. They have drainage concerns and think the homes will be built too close together.

"Some people are very happy about it, some aren't," said Kevin Plank, president of the Wetherington Homeowners Association. "Some people are a little concerned about traffic. That's why it is so important to control the gate to keep the cut-through traffic from going through the neighborhood."

Harbour Town will form its own homeowners association and pay fees separately from Wetherington residents. They will, however, be permitted to use Wetherington's golf course and country club, which is open to the public.

West Chester Township Planner Bryan Behrmann said he is not aware of further expansions anytime soon to Wetherington. But it's possible there could be more homes there in the future, he conceded. There is vacant property surrounding the subdivision to the north, he noted.

"It's hard to say but that property will develop, whether it's homes or some type of light commercial," Behrmann said.

Plank said Wetherington residents, however, are opposed to more homes at this time - and they must give consent before more development is permitted.

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com