Ross Rejects Highland Country Club Housing Plan: What Commissioners Said About Their Votes

A divided Ross Township  Board of Commissioners voted Monday night  to reject tentative approval for 167 townhomes and 134 single-family homes on the former site of the Highland Country Club. 

After the crowd of more than 100 people left, and the commissioners finished up a number of other, routine matters, some offered explanations for their votes.

Dan DeMarco, who voted for the plan: "I think we put a lot at risk tonight in terms of what the developer was offering to us. A lot of concerns were around traffic and I think we got a lot of concessions offered by the developer that I’m worried we will not get, depending what the future holds."

Chris Eyster, who voted against the plan: “We gave the developer an opportunity to come forth with a traffic study and a plan, and they failed to do so. And they presented evidence that was unreliable and inaccurate at one of their initial meetings.  Personally, any reasonable person that would visit that site would have to conclude that’s an impossible situation there and no remedy, however delusional would work in that area. If they would come back with something more palatable in terms of a plan that doesn't cram 300 homes in this site, I would certainly entertain it. But I think they should come with a reasonable possibility of ameliorating these traffic problems.”

David Mikec, who voted for the plan: “This is a golden opportunity for us to solve these traffic issues. Give them the tentative approval and see what they can come up with as far mitigating the traffic. Maybe we can finally get some relief from all of the accidents in that area. I think this is a golden opportunity for us to move forward.”

Jerry O'Brien, who voted against the plan: “I was a very strong advocate for this, but there’s something just not right here.  If Mr. Kamin could drop 300 homes in there tomorrow, ready to roll, I have no problem with that project. But for seven years, you’re going to have concrete trucks, dump trucks, and semis, 18-wheelers. I’m looking at the safety of the kids from the 7th Ward. They’re going to be on a bus a lot longer because of the traffic over there. I think these projects should be kept to a minimum of three years. As I asked one of the engineers, I think they built the pyramids is less than five years."

Pete Ferraro, who voted for the plan: "I think we missed the mark. I think we should have imposed those conditions and I hope the courts don't rule in favor the developer.”

Lana Mazur, who voted against the plan: "I’m confident in my vote to turn it down because there was nothing that would prove that they could fix any of it. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Our attorneys say the traffic study they were supposed to have, they didn’t have it, they didn’t meet the criteria because of the traffic study."

Grant Montgomery, who voted against the plan: “It’s all opinion and perception. They believe they met the standard and moving forward that way is going to be proper for them. As a board, we decided not moving forward was the right decision. As information becomes available and things change, decisions may change.”

Do you agree with the commissioners’ vote against the Heartland homes plan for Highland Country Club? Tell us in the comments box below.

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