A new subdivision will be likely be coming to Oxford, although it has been tabled twice in City Council since originally being proposed in September 2005.
The Oxford City Council Planning Commission approved the construction of a 32-acre subdivision on U.S. Route 27 South at its Oct. 10 meeting.
Concerns about roadways, sewer drainage and density initial arose with the previous two proposals. The revisions submitted to the planning commission in October included a recess for natural draining, additional roadways for increased accessibility and a reduction in the number of lots.
The tract of land has been divided into 61 lots for single-family homes. The subdivision, Heather Meadows, will require the extension of water and sewer lines to the edge of Oxford, enabling the unused land to the south and west to be opened up for development in the future.
Oxford Community Development Director Jung-Han Chen said that although the subdivision is geared toward single families, the target market would be up to the developer.
James Rubenstein, professor of geography at Miami University, said the city has become more receptive to the requests of developers lately. However, he said these subdivisions do not meet the needs of the Oxford community.
"The city's population is not growing, so there's not a whole lot of need for new housing," Rubenstein said. "Oxford does have a need for affordable housing, which we have a shortage of ... most workers can't afford to live in Oxford."
The subdivision is also not intended for student housing, so Rubenstein and Chen said it would probably not have a direct impact on many students. But junior Shannon Burkey, an education major, voiced concerns because she routinely travels on U.S. Route 27. Burkey said she worries about the traffic delays that extending Oxford's infrastructure, such as stop lights and pipelines, could present.
"When we have student teaching placements, a lot of the schools are in the Cincinnati area and we all have to take (Route) 27 to (Interstate) 275," Burkey said. "Added delays from school buses or road work would mean getting up even earlier."
Like many student teachers, Burkey said she already wakes up at 5 a.m. to make the drive to school.
Miami senior Adam Evans raised concerns similar to Burkey's.
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"The main thing that would affect me is the construction phase," Evans said. "I live just outside of Cincinnati and (Route) 27 is the quickest route home."
The Oxford City Council will vote on the proposal at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7. Chen said it is likely that the proposal will pass.
Following Council's approval, the developer, Bayer Becker, will begin work on the infrastructure. House construction will begin after it is complete, in two to three months.
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