EATON — Wednesday, May 3, the Board of Preble County Commissioners addressed the possibility of low-income housing being developed on Preble Drive, adjacent to Vancrest Care Center and Jobs and Family Services (JFS), in a meeting with Brad Kramer of the Land Use Management department, and legal counsel Katie West.
“We were given a request of the board from MHRB to go and really carefully consider the property that the board owns on Preble Drive,” began Commissioner Adam Craft. “To consider the property for a housing facility to serve the residents of Preble County. The board has — we have all independently looked at this — we have all kind of sat down with different stakeholders from the county and I’ll give the board the opportunity to speak with what they have come up with.”
“So, I know with myself, I went over and took a gander at the property, and I have some concerns, too,” said Commissioner Rachael Vonderhaar.
“With the kind of surrounding or enclosing, or encroaching toward the space that exists around the jail. We don’t know what the future holds; there is a potential for expansion, and I mean, I like to — when I’m planning something – I like to think about the future and I would hate to shrink that available space in that area, just for that potential alone,” Vonderhaar stated.
“My concern was that I see this need growing, that it’s just not a one-step thing, and that would be it. What they want to build would be it. There’s no room for expansion on this property,” added Commissioner David Haber.
“I talked to Amy Raynes (of MHRB) and we talked about the CAP property at the north end of town, and we had a good discussion about it, and she’s going back to look at it. There’s not city water and sewer up there, but there are other options up there. And plus, they could build as needed, four units with septic, you know, four one-bedroom units, they could do that as needed,” Haber said.
Haber also expressed his concerns that drug-related issues may cause the housing development to lose value and become an issue for both residents in the area and put additional strain on law enforcement.
“I want to echo both of my fellow commissioners’ concerns on this but would also like to add, this kind of project hits near and dear to my heart, because of different folks I have known who have struggled with addiction,” remarked Craft.
“Just the havoc it wreaks on their lives, their children’s lives, and their family, their extended family. I just really want to say thank you to Amy and to those who are willing to step up and serve the members of the community that, really, no one else wants to,” he said. “No one else wants to deal with it, and I appreciate what she does and appreciate what MHRB does every single day.”
Craft continued, “But that brings us to that property on Preble Drive, and what Commissioner Haber and Commissioner Vonderhaar have both stated, it just doesn’t seem to be the best use. Not only because of our expansion, potentially, of the jail, but for JFS or any other government services we have out there.”
In closing, Craft stated, “So, for these reasons, the commissioners are going to bow out of this discussion. We love you; we love what you’re doing, but just not here, not on this particular parcel of land. Hopefully, in the future, something becomes available for this, or the CAP land becomes available for them to build their facility on that site. So, we appreciate the offer, but we will have to decline.”
Reach Nathan Hoskins at 937-683-4057.
