Representatives of Pulte Homes approached Marysville Council Monday night with plans for a new 300-home development across Route 31 from Mill Valley. Above, the large red square shows the development’s proximity to Mill Valley, while the inset photo shows a proposed preliminary layout of the area. (Graphics submitted)
Council approached about new 300-home development across Rt. 31
What was intended to be a bit of an informational session and an opportunity for a developer to get some ideas from council at Monday night’s work session, turned into a philosophical discussion about housing.
Representatives from Pulte Homes were at Monday night’s Marysville City Council work session. The group wanted to talk about annexing about 103 acres, on the southeast corner of the intersection at Route 31 and Amrine Wood Road.
To move forward with a 300-home development, Pulte is asking to have the land annexed into the city and to have it rezoned.
City Public Service Director Jeremy Hoyt introduced the project and told the council the developers were not looking for full approval on the project at this point, but wanted to know if it was, “generally OK, before they spend a lot of money.”
Pulte officials said the development would offer a wide range of house sizes and styles, with prices starting in the low- to mid-$300,000s and ranging to the lower $400,000s. It would be managed by a homeowners association that would be turned over to the residents when the development is complete.
Matt Callahan, of Pulte Homes, said the development would be “pretty similar, pretty compatible” with Mill Valley North, though it would offer updated house plans and more green space.
The development is designed around a pair of drainage swales and would include more than 23 acres of open green space.
The development would have two entrance and exit points, onto Route 31 and onto Amrine Wood Road.
Hoyt said the project fits into the city’s comprehensive plan.
Tom Hart, with Pulte Homes, explained that to annex the ground, the city would need to give approval for the developer to ask the county.
“The city has to put us in the game, so to speak,” Hart said.
City council members expressed their concerns for this development and housing growth general.
Councilman Allan Seymour said the city, “needs a concept plan for traffic before we can move forward with anything.” He also questioned if this is the area city officials want to develop. He said he would rather have a plan for growth to “steer it in the direction we would like it to go.”
Councilmember J.R. Rausch said his concerns centered around “traffic, traffic, traffic.”
He said the city recently spent $12 million on Route 31, “just to get it where it wasn’t a nightmare.”
Member Henk Berbee said he was also concerned about traffic, but more about the budget. Berbee said each rooftop in the city costs the city about $2,500 a year in city services. He said that homes in that price range only generate about $1,000 in income tax. Using that math, he said the development would cost the city about $300,000 per year.
Berbee and others also expressed concerns the development would be an island and not connected to the rest of the city for pedestrians.
Councilmember Donald Boerger called the development, “very concerning.”
“I am going to have a hard time with this development,” Boerger said.
Pulte officials said there is a growing housing shortage in Central Ohio.
Economic Development Director Eric Phillips said residents do cost the city money, but they also fill jobs.
“We have major workforce challenges in our community,” Phillips said. “You have to have houses for the workforce of tomorrow.”
Mayor Mark Reams said the homes would help with the city’s ratio of owner occupied homes compared to rental units and acknowledged that, “adding some residential growth is going to add to the people able to fill jobs.”
Boerger said the jobs argument was flawed. He acknowledged that local businesses have many jobs they cannot fill but those jobs are service and retail, meaning the people in the proposed homes would not work in Marysville. He said he would like to see the city work on generating high-end jobs.
City Manager Terry Emery said city council was “getting way ahead of ourselves.”
He reminded council the meeting was not to give a final thumbs up or thumbs down on the development, but to allow the developer to get a feel for council’s thoughts on the specific project. He did note the developer may have its answer.
“I don’t know what they will do at this point,” Emery said.
Pulte said it has an annexation application prepared and ready to file, though officials gave no indication of when and if they will file the application.
He said that regardless of what Pulte decides, there is and will continue to be a need for housing in the region if jobs are going to continue to come.