A rendering of Arbor Homes’ Genesis development planned for Columbus’ north side.
Republic file illustration
Columbus is among many cities its size and larger with a shortage of quality affordable housing.
According to Realtor.com, the median home price in the Columbus market last year was $239,900 — a jarring 20% year-over-year increase in an already sizzling housing market. That tells us that people really want to live in this area and make their homes here, but it also signifies something troubling: Young people and first-time homebuyers worry that because of soaring prices, the American Dream of homeownership is becoming unattainable.
That’s a problem, but it also could be an opportunity.
There is clearly a need in the market for new, quality affordable housing, and Arbor Homes is responding to it. Arbor, a leading regional homebuilder based in Indianapolis, is proposing to build a new addition along County Road 200W south of Lowell Road. The development would be south of Arbor’s existing Abbey Place subdivision.
As The Republic’s Jana Wiersema reported, Arbor proposes a development of about 280 new homes on 98.9 acres, including 92 of its “Genesis” designs — smaller homes clustered around a shared motor court. The Columbus Plan Commission has recommended the city council approve Arbor’s requests for annexation and rezoning, though residents have voiced concerns.
The council will consider final approval in March, but it should take into consideration neighbors’ concerns about drainage, traffic, landscaping, and the development’s impact on local school enrollment.
There is every indication that is happening. City Councilman At-Large Tom Dell spoke up for the project at a public meeting but vowed the council “will do everything we possibly can … to make sure that the development is done correctly.”
There is every indication that is happening, too.
For its part, Arbor agreed in its rezoning application to commitments sought by planning staff regarding aesthetics, pedestrian connections, buffering, road improvements and more. As a housing industry leader, Arbor has a keen interest in its new Genesis design being desirable to homebuyers beyond just the unit price. To be sustainable as a business model, affordable units will have to appeal to the desires of buyers as well as the demands of the community.
In short, it’s in everyone’s interest to be good neighbors, and it’s in the city council’s interest to facilitate responsible development that is responsive to the concerns of residents and builds on what makes Columbus special.
The challenge of providing affordable housing isn’t going away anytime soon, but what we’ve seen so far gives us confidence that the city is moving forward with due deliberation and commendable consideration of the community’s concerns.
