Oxford City Council voted down two ordinances that would have paved the way for an affordable housing development in Merry Day Park off College Corner Pike.
By a vote of 2-5, council declined to change the designation of the 4.7-acre park from “preserves and greenspace” to “employment corridor” in Oxford’s comprehensive plan.
Following this vote, council unanimously voted against amending the zoning map for that area. The Oxford Planning Commission recommended against both measures.
“Kids don’t have a place to go, there are no other parks,” said Angela Jones Wright, who lives in the nearby mobile home park. “If they don’t have an outlet like this, it will cause more problems.”
Proposed in partnership with the non-profit St. Mary’s Development Corporation, the 50-unit apartment complex would have been for seniors and families at 30%-70% of the area’s median income.
Douglas Brooks says it was a gift “given to the city with the intention that it remains a park.”
Based on that notion, Councilman Glenn Ellerbe said, “Word is bond; I can’t come up here in good conscience and break that bond.”
Councilman Jason Bracken also added to the discussion saying that he grew up in a mobile home similar to the one by Merry Day Park and understood how essential a place like that could be for the community.
Sam Perry, the community development director, said he will have to look for other properties for affordable housing.
City council also passed the resolution to construct the Lake Forest Drive Sanitary Sewer as part of the 2006 agreement with 4-Leaf Development. This will cost $746,000.
The funds for this project were initially intended for roads in the development, officials said.
Oxford must provide roads and a sewer before construction of two housing developments can be finalized. The two housing developments are South Forest Edge Section 1 with 36 lots and South Forest Edge Section 2 with 21 lots.
Councilman David Prytherch said he was glad all parties could be flexible to meet shared demands and that while “it’s not affordable housing, we still do need housing.”
The council also approved an ordinance for the final subdivision and record plat for Heron Pond, a 4.5-acre parcel located on Kehr Road. The goal is to eventually build eight single-family homes.
