There’s a big push to continue approving housing developments, Bloomington Planning Commission is greenlighting what is being referred to as Phase Five for Wittenberg Woods at Prairie Vista. The development consists of approximately 12 acres of land located near the northwest corner of Lutz Road and Morris Avenue.
The existing property will be subdivided for 40 housing units; 13 single family homes, 20 two-family units (10 duplexes) and seven single family attached dwelling Units (townhomes). The detached single family homes will sell in the $400,000 range while the duplexes will be in the $300,000 range. Fifty-six multiple family units were previously approved by the Bloomington council on the northwest corner at Lutz Road and Morris Avenue.
“It’s a mix, as is really called for by the housing crisis that we have in the community, and it is a variety of different styles of homes, everything from single family attached to single family detached full blown lots with one unit per lot,” said Neil Finlen, who leads Farnsworth Group’s Civil Engineering/Land Development team.
“We also have what would be townhouses, seven townhouses that will be abutting what already has been approved with an apartment complex next to it,” said Finlen.
The previous 56 units mentioned above refer to the apartment complex referenced by Finlen. Their will be four buildings.
That development met opposition last November.
Residents complained about the “substandard” nature of Morris Avenue which is not built to city standards having no curbs and inadequate shoulders. They also complained about traffic that will be generated by the apartment complex.
However City Engineer Craig Shonkwiler best described the lack of congestion at Lutz Road and Morris Avenue when he spoke of visiting with the developer on the site and stated that they stood out there several minutes without any traffic going by. The city engineer and developer think both Lutz Road and Morris Avenue have excess capacity that will be able to handle additional traffic at the intersection.
City Councilmember Donna Boelyn, who represents Ward Two, responded to the concerns of neighborhood residents with well thought out previously prepared remarks. Boelyn pointed out that the entrances to the apartment development will be on Lutz Road, which was recently improved to city standards. Boelyn had some words for residents who spoke about Morris Road being substandard.
“For those of you who think I am failing to represent their best interest, please note, Morris Avenue is likely to remain as is without development of Wittenburg Woods Phase III.” said Boelyn.
There was no one that spoke against Phase Five at the Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday.
According to Finlen, the land for both Phase Three and Phase Five is being cleared now with plans to move dirt and start building homes next spring.
In response to a question regarding whether or not there is a local housing crisis, Bloomington Planning Commission Chair Justin Boyd said, “I’m no an expert on whether or not we are having a housing crisis but I think that we definitely need more housing. There is a balance in their somewhere, right?”
“We want to make sure that we don’t overbuild and that’s why these processes are in place so they have to come in front of commissions and councils to make sure we are being appropriate with everything and we are building for the future not just for the need right now,” said Boyd.
Regarding the housing crisis Finlen said, “We are very, very deficient. Studies have shown how many homes are necessary, literally thousands is what we have understood from the Economic Development Council studies and others.”
Bloomington-Normal’s largest private developer has suggested that those studies are exaggerated.
“The employment numbers still continue to rise at Rivian,” said Finlen. They are at last count 8,300 employees and that was about two weeks ago. People are driving from quite a distance for employment and the thought is if they had housing, they would probably elect to move this way.
City of Bloomington Planner Alissa Pemberton said, “With the number of units we have seen come through, we are still in a housing crisis. We are still in a shortage. The problem is that as we permit houses that doesn’t automatically make them appear on the ground. So it’s a combination of we have to get things in the pipeline and ready to go and then the builders have to get them built.”
“But even the number of units that we have permitted. If you put all of them on the ground tomorrow, we still don’t meet the numbers that we need to be able to house our workforce,” said Pemberton.
Finlen and Pemberton admit that interest rates and construction costs are having an impact on the market.
“The interest rate has had an effect, no question abut it, not only for the buyer, but for the builder as well, said Finlen. “Construction money is very expensive to get past the construction itself. So yeah it has had an impact, so we are in a squeeze. But there is still housing necessary and it’s up to that free market to get that accounted for.”
“It’s a combination of a lot of things,” said Pemberton. Certainly the cost of construction has gone up. The cost of interest rates have gone up. And so it has slowed things. But it hasn’t stopped things and people are still needing housing so I don’t think it is going to stop anytime soon. People may be slightly more selective but you have to have a place to live if you want to work.”
