Erie's Development Landscape has Changed

Dear Erie Neighbors,

At the last Board of Trustee meeting, Erie’s development landscape changed.  I am concerned we are no longer a town that prioritizes quality in the long term and errors on the side of health and safety.  For the first time in Erie’s modern history, housing development is no longer required to pay it’s own way.

I watched in amazement as the developers of Bridgewater (2700 Homes) and Summerfield (2200 Homes), Community Development Group (CDG), dazzled the majority of the Board. 

The Mayor led the way in two votes that forever will change Erie. 

First, Erie annexed Summerfield outside of our Unified Development Code (UDC) which was created to ensure high quality development.  This was done using a recently passed change which allows for developers to write their own standards.  We don't even know the complete details of what was changed from the UDC.  One thing we know for sure is that natural gas well setbacks were reduced by over 40% to 200 feet.

In the second vote, the majority approved developer incentives to the tune of $2.8 million and a deferral of another $1.2 million for sewer services.  The $2.8 million came in the reduction of transportation and drainage impact fees.  To put this into perspective, each new Bridgewater home in Phase I will be subsidized by over $3500.

Equally important, this reduces funds available to mitigate impacts of this development.  For example, Erie will not collect $800,000 that was in the original annexation agreement for transportation impacts.  So when Erie Parkway needs to be expanded to accommodate the increase in traffic caused by Bridgewater, there will be less money to do this and ultimately it will have to come from the taxpayers of Erie.

I first asked for an extension to make the Bridgewater decision since the information was only shared with some of the Trustees hours before our meeting.    When I could not get the majority of Trustees to agree, I spoke out against the resolution to provide financial incentives.  To me, the future of Erie and our finances spoke louder than to rush through an approval.

In defense of those who voted in favor of housing development incentives, I believe that they felt in their hearts Bridgewater is the answer to many of Erie’s long term economic challenges.  More people sooner means more consumers in Erie which would draw a second grocer and possibly other big boxes our way.   

I spoke out against the incentives not because I am against development, I’m not, but because I believe adding more housing supply at your expense will not increase housing demand.  

We already have over 1000 build-able lots in Erie today and have exceeded our budgeted number of new houses sold in Erie in the past year by 125%.   In the past, Erie did this without waiving the developers responsibility to pay for the impacts they bring to our community.
 
Current approved development can satiate any demand for the next 3-4 years.  Basic economics will say that more housing supply will reduce current housing values in the short term.

There is more to be said.  For now, know I will continue to work to ensure your tax dollars are not used to mitigate housing development impacts.  I want quality, fiscal responsibility, and safety to be high priority considerations for Erie.

Take care,
Janice

Watch the meeting by clicking here.
Find the Bridgewater incentive agreement by clicking here.