The Hounder does look like a good option (name aside ), and it does have the necessary braze-ons (holes) to mount racks. Geometry looks nice too -- more "roadie" than "track," so it should feel stable with a load and not squirrely. Nice that it comes setup with a freewheel, but has the option to do fixed as well.

I say go for it. Being 5'6", I think you'd probably either want the 52 or 54 cm, depending on your build.