Ground was broken this week for Fulton's newest subdivision.
Joe Ellsworth Construction, based in New Bloomfield, is planning 10 houses on a yet-to-be-paved road off Collier Lane. But that's just the beginning, Joe Ellsworth said.
"We're putting streets in for 20," he said. "We have the possibility of having around 150 total."
At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Fulton council members heard the first reading of an ordinance to approve Willow Creek Subdivision's creation. A map shows a triangle of land between Collier Lane and Tennyson Road, southeast of Business 54. In total, 127 lots are demarcated around curving roads, along with patches of common ground.
These first 10 houses will have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two-car garages and will be built on slabs.
"We'll probably be building in the fall," Ellsworth said. "Up til then, we're getting infrastructure in."
Ellsworth said he's targeting first-time homeowners and each will be in the $140,000 price range. Future homes will be largely single-family but may include a few duplexes.
"(I've heard) chatter from realtors and colleagues, thinking that Fulton is prime for not some higher-end homes but some affordable ones," he said.
By dipping a toe in Willow Creek with this first batch of houses, Ellsworth hopes to find out whether he's read the Fulton market right.
"I am a big community guy," he said. "I've been in Holts Summit (and) developed two properties there, one single-family and one multi-family. That part of town really could use something like this."
Fulton City Engineer Kyle Bruemmer said the construction company has been doing everything by the book.