Скачать или смотреть Developer sues over ballot referendum on Ohio housing project

A legal battle has erupted in Clermont County as M/I Homes, a developer, has filed a lawsuit against the county's Board of Elections.

The dispute centers on a referendum concerning a proposed housing development in Batavia Township along State Route 222. The development plan includes 239 homes, each on less than half an acre.

The project received zoning approval, but local residents John Gray and Dale Howell have opposed it, arguing that the high-density housing does not align with the existing neighborhood.

"If you look around, we've got one- and two-acre-sized lots across the street here at Stonegate. If you go down the road towards Batavia, most of those are multi-acre lots. It just doesn't fit. It's the wrong place to put in high-density housing," said Gray.

"We want the subdivision to have larger lots, preferably a half-acre or larger, in order to lower the density," said Howell.

In response, Gray, Howell, and other residents gathered enough signatures to place the issue on the November ballot, allowing voters to decide the development's fate.

"We found out everybody was unhappy with things the way they are and aren't happy with the way the growth has been so strong. We went door-to-door knocking. And if people were home, by far almost everybody was interested in signing it," said Howell.

Despite M/I Homes' protest, the Board of Elections voted unanimously to keep the referendum on the ballot.

The developer has now taken legal action, claiming the referendum is misleading, inaccurate, and could confuse voters. The lawsuit alleges that the description of the referendum misstates the changes, among other issues.

The case is currently before the state Supreme Court, which is expected to act swiftly given the upcoming November ballot. Local 12 reached out to M/I Homes for comment but has not received a response.

In addition to the referendum on the development, the group behind it has proposed a second ballot question. This question asks residents if the township should eliminate the planned development zoning designation to prevent similar situations in the future.

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