City council will vote on the ordinance at its next meeting on Aug. 26. Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval of the zoning map amendment.
Mains said Drees plans to build a mix of single-family detached to townhomes on the property with 2.45 units per acre. He said the smaller lots will allow Drees to have a price point in the $400,000 range.
Smith said this development addresses a community need in housing stock diversification. Drees intends to develop single-unit detached homes toward the south side of the project, and attached housing to the northern part.
Attached housing has been identified as an important development type for Monroe to achieve since the city is nearly 90% single-family detached, according to a staff report.
The different products “fill a gap” in the city and the development is “a great fit,” Mains said during the hearing.
Three Monroe residents adamantly opposed changing the zoning, saying their concerns included increased traffic congestion, strain on public services and schools, loss of open space, and erosion of Monroe’s rural ambiance.
Steven and Robin Jones live on North Main Street and their property is “stuck in the middle” of the proposed development, he said.
This proposal “directly contradicts the community’s vision” as expressed through the extensive public engagement process that shaped the Advance Monroe 2040 Comprehensive Plan, Jones said.
Maintaining the current zoning is “critical to preserving Monroe’s rural character, low-density development, and quality of life,” Jones told council.
He said he understands a development is inevitable, but he wants one that’s less dense than proposed by Drees.
Molly Cloyd, who lives on Lynette Court, said she has lived in Monroe periodically for 42 years, and she’s a third-generation Monroe resident.
Rural Residential supports larger lots, more green space, and the preservation of natural elements, Cloyd said.
“It gives Monroe breathing room, supports small-scale agriculture, and helps prevent the infrastructure strain that comes when too many homes are packed into too little space,” she said. “Once we approve this kind of density, the precedent is set and it cannot be undone.”
About the Author
