In an about face from what was indicated would happen last week, the Henderson City Commission has decided to hold a public hearing centered around a development in Braxton Park subdivision.
After Feb. 13’s city commission meeting, Mayor Brad Staton told the Hendersonian that the commission seemed likely to approve a recommendation and accept the findings of fact of the Henderson-Henderson County Joint Planning Commission which came from its Dec. 5 meeting.
“That does seem to be the will of the commission,” Staton said last week, adding that City Attorney Dawn Kelsey was in the process of writing a resolution, that subject to the commission’s approval, accepts the recommendation of the amendment that allows for 60-feet-wide lots instead of the previous 80-feet-wide for the development and would have essentially ended the issue, paving the way for the building to begin.
But that resolution wasn’t read at Tuesday afternoon’s city commission meeting. Staton opened the piece of the meeting dealing with the resolution by asking commissioners if they’d like the resolution to be read or if they want a hearing to be held. All agreed to hold a hearing.
Staton said he was conflicted saying that he doesn’t want developers to take on extra obstacles in doing business in Henderson and that he doesn’t want it to become habit for the city commission to hear appeals of planning commission recommendations—especially one with a 7-2 vote as this one had—but he did say there’s group of people who want to be heard out. He then asked Kelsey to set up the hearing.
Developer John Hodge said he was surprised at the decision but was confident it will turn out his way in the end.
“I feel confident that we’ll prevail,” Hodge said. “I’m optimistic we’ll get this done. I’m sorry this has caused angst among the residents.”
He added also that the development he’s planning is a “radical reduction” of residences from a plan that was approved for Braxton Park some 20-plus years ago, which is in response to residents’ concerns about added traffic to the subdivision once the new homes are built.
Greg Billiter, who lives on Culpepper Court in the neighborhood, called the change of opinion a “pleasant surprise.”
Billiter and neighbor Charlie Nunley said they believe the development will be built, but both said the hearing might allow for Hodge to clear up some of the problems they see with it.
“There are some things that can be fixed,” Nunley said.
Billiter was the sender of an email Friday to city commissioners and officials that stated the planning commission’s findings of fact were inaccurate and listed 17 points of contention.
Among the complaints were that the planned smaller homes were incompatible with existing homes in the neighborhood; that the new amendment allows for medium density development which contrasts with the approved low-density for the subdivision; and adding the number of new houses requires a traffic study. The traffic study is a point of argument—some say it has occurred, others say it hasn’t.
Commissioner Austin Vowels said he doesn’t believe the hearing will produce a different outcome.
“I think the planning commission made a logical decision, but at the same time, let’s hear (the residents) out and see,” he said.
