BY RICHELLE THOMPSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON -- Instead of an upscale subdivision with 76 $300,000 homes, Markey Road residents can expect to see the construction of 72 $100,000 homes.
Despite developer Jeff Harris' offer to compromise, city council Tuesday ignored a request to reconsider the higher-density proposal that called for smaller lots but left nearly 10 acres of woods.
Mr. Harris said council's actions left him no choice but to begin work on an alternate plan: to cut down the trees and use nearly every inch of the 49 acres to develop the 72 lots. This proposal fulfills the requirements of the city residential zoning.
Mr. Harris had requested a zoning change to planned unit development, which allows greater flexibility in lot size.
With that zoning, Mr. Harris planned to save 20 percent of the woods and develop a subdivision with homes worth $250,000 to $300,000 but on lots of about 20,000 square feet. On Tuesday Mr. Harris offered to reduce the number of lots to 76, hoping to ease council's concerns of high density, but Councilmen John McComb said he would only consider 72 lots.
Mr. Harris said such a move would eliminate any profit. So he intends to move forward with another development plan. This plan calls for larger lots, but would have homes with market values of $100,000 to $110,000. And the woods would be cut down.
Markey Road residents petitioned council to deny the zoning change, saying it would infringe upon their quality of life.
Their arguments against development are a constant refrain in the city, which has grown from 10,453 people in 1990 to an estimated 13,700. During the same period, 1,017 houses have been added.
