‘You’re boxing the senior place in among rentals’: Three Rivers commissioners approve Brownfield Plan

Voting 4-1 Tuesday, the Three Rivers City Commission approved an amended Brownfield Redevelopment Plan.

Commissioner Pat Dane voted against the plan, while Mayor Tom Lowry and Commissioners Chris Abel, Steven Haigh, and Carolyn McNary voted for it. Commissioners Lucas Allen and Torrey Brown were absent Tuesday.

Nearly 40 people were in the audience for most of Tuesday’s city commission meeting, which lasted just over two hours. The Brownfield vote came after a more than 90-minute public hearing on Allen Edwin Homes’ proposed $9 million, 38-home, rental complex.

Just before the vote, Brian Farkas, Allen Edwin’s director of workforce housing, agreed to keep the company’s tax abatement period at 16 years rather than 18 years. Saying that the proposed expanded abatement appeared to be a condition for including development agreement items to mitigate citizen concerns, Lowry told Farkas it’s “bad optics.”

Three Rivers City Manager Joe Bippus’ report stated that Allen Edwin asked for a Brownfield Plan so they could be reimbursed for a portion of their development costs and lost rent related to the new project. According to Bippus, Allen Edwin has also accepted agreement terms including:

• Wider roads and additional or expanded parking lots
• Setting aside $80,000 to install a gate for mitigating traffic concerns on Bush Boulevard
• Paying the $2.5 million PA 425 payment until the end of the agreement
• Paying an annual emergency services fee to the City of Three Rivers starting three years after constructions begins, with the fee beginning at $10,000 and increasing by 2% each year
• Amending their leases to not allow motorized ATV or gas-powered golf carts in the development
• Erecting and maintaining left turn only signs for vehicles exiting the development

The report, and comments by Farkas, also mentioned items including the community having additional housing options, the City of Three Rivers getting $50,000 for sale of the property, and Three Rivers Community Schools getting debt millage revenue and any money gained from additional students.

Allen Edwin’s other properties in Three Rivers include The Meadows, a development for ages 55 and older that would be adjacent to the rental development. Dane lives in The Meadows, and several of its residents attended Tuesday’s meeting.

Saying the Brownfield Plan vote should be held when all commissioners were present, Dane also questioned why Allen Edwin was pursuing rental homes.

“If they are so strong about this wonderful community that we have, and how the houses could sell here, why aren’t we building homes for these people to move into, and not putting them into houses that are 10 feet apart?” she asked.

When The Meadows’ residents bought their homes, Dane said, they all thought the land around them would be used for senior housing. She acknowledged that times change, but also said what it means for The Meadows’ residents.

“You’re boxing the senior place in among rentals,” Dane said.

Saying that he understands a “not in my backyard” attitude, Abel also said he wants to grow the Three Rivers community and see Allen Edwin’s project happen. Three Rivers has a very old housing stock, with properties having foundation and other issues or needing to be demolished.

Abel was interrupted by Lynn McLeod, who exited the audience.

“You should not be holding this hearing tonight,” McLeod said with a raised voice. “You did not vote on this Brownfield Plan. Plain and simple. You’re in violation of the Open Meeting Act. You let (Farkas) speak up here longer than anybody else got to speak. He just has an opinion. He’s the developer, not any more important than any other resident here. You screwed up!”

Farkas made most of his comments while presenting in the hearing. His presentation came after the general comment period, where audience members received up to five minutes to speak.

Frank Stanko is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.