Not everyone excited about Quail Run-Low-income subdivision concerns neighbors
|
Down are the spirits of some local residents, and up are the ‘For Sale’ signs in ‘The Place To Be.’ The ironic words are written on the Falcon Place sign at the entrance to the subdivision.
While some neighbors talk about hiring an attorney, others are dealing with what seems like an inevitable loss of their nice, quiet way of life.
‘We have a nice, quiet neighborhood,’ said Falcon Place Drive resident Melissa Donalson. ‘The girls down the street and my boyfriend’s little boy, he’s over here a lot, ride their bicycles in the street and we don’t have to worry about traffic. It’s nice and quiet. That’s over I’m afraid.’
Donalson’s house is the last house on her side of the street. Before the subdivision began, the only traffic on her end of the street was her neighbor’s across the street and herself.
When the Quail Run development is finished, the occupants of 50 units will be passing in front of her home.
As if matters couldn’t get worse, her property line is only a few feet from her house. As she sits on her porch, she wonders how close her new neighbors will be.
‘I think about it everyday,’ she said. ‘They could build right on the property line and there’s nothing I can do about it. When I bought the house, I didn’t know the end of my property was so close. Now I have to sit and wonder how close they will build to my house.’
For those who sit on their porch in the evening to enjoy the peace and quiet, Donalson has a warning, ‘This could happen to you. This could happen to anyone. You can’t control what your neighbors do with their property.’
In the case of the Falcon Place subdivision, the land was zoned a R-2 medium density residential district back in 2000, as well as the land adjacent to it. The purpose was to build a subdivision in two phases.
While Falcon Place was built as single-family houses by Donald Hillis, the rest of the land changed hands twice. The new owners, Quad States Construction, chose to build single-family houses and two family duplexes, acceptable in the district, subsidized for low-income families.
Some homeowners, Donalson included, want out. That feeling is clear from the number of ‘For Sale’ signs that decorate well-manicured lawns. However, the damage to their property values is a major concern.
‘I figure it has cost me about half of what I paid for my house,’ said Duck Hawk Drive resident Charlie Andrews. ‘I’ll never get what I’ve got into it. If I can’t sell it, I’ll have to rent it. I’m leaving.’
About a year ago, Andrews relocated from Indiana with his wife. After seeing the house and the neighborhood in Falcon Place, he loved the quiet, open, spacious area. Now, he sees the future as anything but enjoyable.
While in Indiana, he lived in a nice subdivision much like Falcon Place. Within 30 days of a subsidized housing development being built adjacent to it, the police, drugs and alcohol were seen regularly, he says. Because of his past experience, he plans to sell his home.
With tempers high, rumors are spreading. One of the rumors says Donald Hillis removed the restrictions on the Quail Run property within days of selling it to Kathryn Bryant, who sold it to Quad States Construction. Another rumor accuses the city of ‘secretly changing the zoning’ to allow development.
According to the Register of Deed’s office, the land has no restrictions, and they have no record of any restriction on the Quail Run subdivision land.
By their records, approximately 40 acres of land, without restrictions, was purchased by Donald Hillis in 1999. His intent was recorded as to develop Falcon Place phase one and phase two. Approximately 15 acres of that land was developed into what is now Falcon Place and restrictions were placed on the individual deeds as the houses were built.
In 2005, Hillis removed approximately 20 acres from the development plans, what was supposed to be phase two, and sold it to Kathryn Bryant. Once again, the land was sold without restrictions.
According to Planning and Zoning director Jim Brock, his records show the area has been R-2 medium residential since February 2000. No changes have been made since that time.
Holding off the development are the existing codes the city has in place. During the last meeting of the McMinnville Regional Planning Commission, the request by the developers to move forward was denied.
At that time, city planner David Baird said the developers had not met all the codes requirements. Also, their attempt to submit the final papers and drawings to the commission before his department had a chance to examine it angered him.
After strongly suggesting the request be denied, he added, ‘We won’t have this shoved down our throats.’
Since that time, Brock reports the developers are working diligently to get the final papers in order before the next commission meeting. If the papers are in order and all the codes met, the city will have to give its approval.
‘We have a subdivision book that’s about 50 pages,’ said Brock. ‘If they meet all the requirements, we are required by state law to give it to them. If we don’t, the state will give it to them. If something comes up, we’ll deny it again. We are holding them to every single code.’
The next meeting of the McMinnville Regional Planning Commission will be July 7 at 5 p.m.