Beverly development decision delayed after community testimony

Final approval was postponed Thursday on a plan from Maumee Valley Habitat Humanity to build nine houses on a South Toledo lot.

“Would you consider deferring this case for 60 days so that you can ... not just go to previously scheduled meetings, but actually work with the plan commission staff to schedule a public meeting specifically about this project?” Brandon Rehkopf, chairman of the Toledo City Plan Commission, asked the CEO of the nonprofit.

“Let the neighborhood come and answer questions and then consider based on the feedback if there are any potential amendments in this plan for this body to consider,” he said.

The plan commission’s meeting Thursday was conducted before a pretty close to full house of attendees at One Government Center. Many attending the meeting were residents of the Beverly neighborhood where the houses are set to be built.

The project is on the site of the old Beverly Elementary School at 4022 Rugby Dr. That building was torn down in 2012 and the land has been vacant since.

Of the nine houses, two would be sold on the open market while the other seven would be sold to Habitat homeowners through the organization’s homeownership program. That program offers flexible financing that ensures monthly payments are no more than 30 percent of the owner’s monthly income.

More than a dozen people who live in the area spoke during the time for public testimony including Toledo City Councilman Adam Martinez, whose district covers the Beverly area.

Many of those who spoke said they enjoyed the green space the vacant land offers.

“For more than a decade, this property has served an an informal community green space,” said Nicole Knight, one of the residents.

“Children play there, neighbors walks their dogs, families enjoy the open space,” she said. “Although it may not be officially designated as a park, it has become a meaningful part of the Beverly neighborhood. It already is a community asset and once that space is developed we cannot get it back.”

Members of the commission pointed out that deciding to keep the property as green space is out of their purview.

Ms. Knight also spoke to another common theme among the meeting’s speakers: those who live in the area don’t have enough information on the project and what it is going to look like.

“We are being asked to consider a permanent change for our neighborhood without all of the information needed to understand its impact,” she said, also questioning why informational meetings were not held before the plan commission’s meeting Thursday.

Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity, represented by CEO Erin McPartland, described the project as well-oriented with its mission of creating homeownership opportunities for working families.

“Today we are requesting your support for a project that aligns with that mission while also advancing proper goals related to housing production, neighborhood reinvestment, and responsible residential development,” she said.

Ms. McPartland said the single-family homes would be between 1,200 and 1,500 square feet with attached garages and would be designed to complement the character of the rest of the neighborhood.

“This is a market-rate homeownership development,” the CEO said. “This is not a rental development and these homes are not being given away for free, which is a common Habitat misconception. Habitat homes are sold at appraised market value, which we currently expect to be around $220,000 for this development.”

Ms. McPartland added that the houses as planned would cost closer to $260,000 to build but Habitat’s philanthropic model fills in that difference for buyers.

The organization always planned to do community engagement about the project, she said, and was planning to attend a few of the Beverly neighborhood’s upcoming block watch meetings to begin that process.

Others questioned the efficacy of putting nine houses on just over two acres of land.

“I really feel that nine houses in a 2.5 acre area is overkill,” said William Patterson, another resident. “The city of Toledo has a ton of vacant properties. Habitat for Humanity would love to build nine houses and have support for nine families. You can piece those out through a lot of the area.”

Habitat and its engineer Greg Feller, of Maumee-based Feller Finch & Associates, responded to that concern by noting the lots as planned are wider and thicker than those that surround it in the neighborhood.

After the meeting, Ms. McPartland said she was satisfied with postponing approval until January.

“I am looking forward to talking to the neighbors and being able to explain a little bit further about our mission,” she said. “It is hard to do in five minutes when you are standing at the podium. ... It is going to be an open dialogue.”

Ms. McPartland said the first block watch meeting Habitat representatives plan to attend is Monday.

In other business, a plan to convert the Thurgood Marshall Building in North Toledo into senior housing was approved by the commission.