By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
As Bowling Green works to bolster housing options in the community, the city planning commission on Wednesday approved plans for 21 new lots and learned that single family housing projects this year outpaced the year before.
City Planning Director Heather Sayler reported the city has issued 28 permits this year for single family home construction, compared to 21 the previous year.
During the meeting, the planning commission acted to pave the way for more housing. Members approved the preliminary plan for Stone Ridge Plat 9, located at the end of Pine Valley Drive. Twenty-one homes are planned, with construction by Tony Buff Custom Homes.
The first homes in the Stone Ridge development, on the west side of Bowling Green, were built in the late 1990s.
Sayler also reported that other housing plans are moving ahead, with the preliminary plan for Falcon Point Subdivision being submitted and the construction plan for Cogan’s Crossing Plat 9 being approved by the city planning office.
Approximately 130 homes, with starting prices of $225,000, are planned for the new subdivision at the southwest corner of Newton and Brim roads.
She noted City Council’s approval of a moratorium on city fees for new housing until the end of 2025. It is hoped that will be further incentive for builders to construct homes in Bowling Green, she said.
Sayler also reported on repairs made to existing housing stock in the city. ARPA funding has been used for housing repairs in the city – for people in need, but who perhaps did not quite meet the income requirements.
“It’s meant major improvements to some neighborhoods,” she said, with 63 repairs made to 40 homes.
“That really is substantial,” she said. “We were able to use that in a very meaningful way.”
Sayler updated the planning commission about continued progress on the East Wooster corridor – considered to be the entrance to Bowling Green from Interstate 75. She mentioned the new median with trees installed, with lighting to be the next step. A decade ago, it was a goal of city leaders to upgrade that entrance to the community.
“I know a lot of you sitting in these chairs were part of that,” Sayler said to the planning commission members.
And Sayler also reported that the permit for an Applebees at 1175 S. Main St., continues to be on hold, with the city still waiting for payment to rehab the right-of-way for the project. The payment is approximately $4,000.
“We’re just waiting for a check from them for escrow. They say it’s in the mail,” she said.
