By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

AMBERLEY VILLAGE - More than 600 people packed the Rockdale Temple meeting room Tuesday to voice their opinions about a proposal to build 137 homes on the former Crest Hills Country Club property.

In an orderly but passionate meeting, some Amberley Village residents said they want the property to remain a park.

"They don't need to disturb this property and fracture the village completely," Stanley Cohen said.

Others said the housing development would boost village revenue and give elderly residents who want smaller homes a place to live.

"It would give alternative housing for Amberley residents who want to downsize," Courtney Heldman said. "Now the elderly who want to downsize have to leave the village."

Hal Homes Inc. of Blue Ash wants Amberley Village to create a new zoning classification - planned unit development - that would permit construction of the homes on a 133-acre site at Ridge and Galbraith roads.

The planning commission will decide on Feb. 2 whether to recommend that village council approve or reject the zoning request.

If approved by council, Hal Homes would submit its plan and apply for planned unit development zoning.

The planning commission held the meeting at the Rockdale Temple because of the high degree of community interest.

Its customary meeting place, council chambers in the village administration building, can accommodate only 100 people.

The Crest Hills property is owned by the Ridge Club, which also owns the Losantiville Country Club in nearby Pleasant Ridge.

Ivan Silverman, president of Hal Homes, presented a plan for 30 homes on lots of at least one acre, 38 homes on half-acre lots and 69 single-story homes on smaller lots that would be attractive to the elderly.

He said 20 percent of the property would remain greenspace.

The cost of the homes would range from $450,000 to $1.5 million.

Opponents of the development say it would create traffic and water runoff problems, overburden village services and harm the rural ambiance.

But Silverman said the new housing would boost Amberley's annual revenue by $426,000.

Resident Edward Hattenbach angrily disputed that estimate, calling it "pure garbage."

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com