Council voted instead to approve an ordinance that first affirms its previous approval decision, but which further authorizes the placement of a referendum on the March 19, 2024 ballot to allow the city’s voters to have the final say on whether or not the plan by Arbor Homes can ultimately proceed.
Paul Metzger, director of land acquisition and development for Arbor Homes, on Friday declined to say whether any of the company’s previous proposals have gone to the ballot, but did note they have no intentions of pulling out of the project.
“We’re a homebuilder that is trying to build obtainable housing in the area, and obtainable is defined for us by meeting the needs of the market,” Metzger said. “We’re not building $800,000 homes, we’re typically building homes from about $250,000 to $400,000, which is what is needed in that area.”
Metzger said the company made changes to its original plans in order to accommodate some of the concerns from residents by reducing the lot count and making each lot wider. He said Arbor Homes is prepared to wait and see how the March election turns out and ultimately hopes the council’s original approval decision will be upheld.
“We put forth a good plan that was approved by council and our hope is that the voters will see it that way, as well, and see what is needed in the Clayton community,” he said.
The Arbor Homes project has been a hot-button topic in the community since its proposal in March, with dozens of residents voicing concern during multiple council meetings leading up to Thursday’s vote.
As part of a grassroots campaign with the slogan “Keep it Rural,” Clayton residents successfully gathered nearly double the required amount of signatures to qualify the referendum for the ballot. Thursday’s vote to then authorize its placement was held in accordance with the city’s charter.
Clayton resident Doug Bias, who has helped lead the charge behind the “Keep it Rural” campaign, has said the group is not against development as a whole but that Arbor Home’s plan fails to address several issues, including land flooding and traffic congestion.
Multiple residents have also shared a desire to keep the area rural, as the campaign’s name suggests.
“(The rural feel) is a big selling point for this area, and I think we’re making that abundantly clear,” Bias said during the public comment segment of Thursday’s meeting. “Our movement is growing; we’re getting more and more people behind us here, and we’re just getting started.”
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