Voting against the proposal were council members Ryan Farmer, James Gorman, Kenny Henning and Tina Kelly.
Mayor Mike Stevens and councilmen Brendan Bachman and Greg Merkle voted in favor of the proposal.
The plan proposed construction of a new residential subdivision on a 183-acre site on the south side of Sweet Potato Ridge Road, just west of Main Street (Ohio 48).
The vacant site is sandwiched between two other residential areas, but representing three different communities, because city borders meet in that area. The neighborhood immediately to the south is in Englewood, and the one to the north is in Union.
The Clayton property in question is currently zoned residential single unit district. SDG Warner Village requested a change in the zoning to planned development district.
Project documents outline plans to build 529 single-family homes, approximately 100 of which would be rental homes. An estimated 68 acres of the 183-acre site would be designated as open space or for use as park space.
The Clayton planning commission previously recommended approval of the project, with certain conditions, including that any concerns voiced by city staff be addressed.
At a recent public hearing, a representative for the developer said the proposed housing will meet a need that currently exists within the region.
But at least one member of council disagreed with this assessment.
“It’s always interesting to me when a developer comes to a city and says they know what the city needs ... but then there are packed houses of public hearings with residents saying (otherwise),” said Councilman Kenny Henning, who voted against the project.
Henning’s main objection to the proposal, and one he said he’s heard from members of the community, is the inclusion of 100 rental homes.
“The biggest thing is a fear that the (renters) won’t be as invested in upkeep of the property,” he said.
Recent Montgomery County studies by multiple agencies have cited a need for more new housing, saying a low supply of up-to-date housing options is one of the reasons housing prices have spiked.
But local opinions about adding housing have varied widely from community to community. Kettering has added more rental housing the past few years, and Huber Heights continues to grow the Carriage Trails development, while Clayton, Brookville and others have seen an anti-development push from the “Keep it Rural” group.
Other concerns voiced by Clayton residents before council’s vote included issues with traffic, grading and stormwater drainage, and potential effects on first responders and the Northmont school district.
New housing development has been a prominent topic of discussion for Clayton residents in recent years.
In March 2024, voters soundly rejected plans for Arbor Homes to construct 125 houses at the southeast corner of Phillipsburg-Union Road and Haber Road.
A rezoning request to facilitate that project had previously been approved by city council, but a group of residents organized the “Keep it Rural” campaign, which successfully gathered nearly double the required amount of signatures to qualify the referendum for the ballot.
Just over 77% of votes were subsequently cast in opposition to the housing proposal.
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