The Plymouth City Council members took action Monday night to deny a rezoning request made by Garden Court officials to accommodate a proposed housing project in the area of Bayless Street in Plymouth.
The request was to rezone eight acres of land in the area by Webster Elementary from R-2 Suburban Residential to R-4 Multi-Family Residential District – the first of its kind of zoning in the City of Plymouth. Garden Court officials planned to develop the eight acres with a combination of multi-family and single-family housing. Garden Court planned to put a 36-unit integrated housing project on the land. The plan was to have 12 one bedroom units; 8 two bedroom units; and 18 three bedroom units. They would have a community building, management offices, conference space, playground, computer room and a reading room. It is seen as a multi-building campus.
Eight of the 36 units would be permanent supportive housing where the resident will receive supplemental services such as therapy, counseling and other services. The remaining 28 are tax credit housing.
The property is currently farmed and is bound by residential development to the north and south and Webster Elementary School to the east. City water utilities lie adjacent to the property on Bayless Street. Sewer utilities lie about 70 feet from the property.
The rezoning request was first brought before the Plymouth Plan Commission Tuesday, June 4 to a crowded Council Chambers room and those watching online and the commission members heard passionate comments about the project. After lengthy discussion, the commission members voted 6-4 to send a favorable recommendation to the City Council for final consideration Monday, June 10.
When it was brought before the council for a vote, Councilman Randy Longanecker presented a motion to deny the request, which was seconded by Councilman Duane Culp. The council members spoke about the communication received by concerned residents and believe that the city needs to move on stricter guidelines on the hotels and bring them up to standards and to work together to find the right location for this project as housing is needed.
In the end, the council voted 5-2 to deny the request. Council members Dave Morrow, Duane Culp, Shiloh Milner, Linda Starr, and Randy Longanecker approved the motion while Don Ecker Jr. and Kayla Krathwhol voted against the motion.
Mayor Robert Listenberger presented a response to the project and upcoming processes.
“We need your help and we need your feedback. I challenge everyone who was for and against this proposal to join us in our continued quest to ensure that every man, woman, and child has access to safe, affordable housing in Plymouth and Marshall County,” stated Listenberger.
The entire speech can be found below.
Later in the meeting, the council opened a public hearing to take comments on the annexation of the eight acres into the city limits. More people supported that move to provide other type of potential housing options at that site as there are city amenities available.
An ordinance pertaining to the annexation was presented on first reading and the council typically takes no action on the first reading of any ordinance. However, the city council voted unanimously to table the resolution surrounding the proposed annexation. Joe Langfeldt, owner of the property, told the council that tabling the resolution would allow him to “go back to the drawing board” and decide on the future of the property presented for annexation.
*NOTE* The Pilot News Staff Writer Gavin Greer contributed to this article.
