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Position on Oberlin College's new student housing
I know this is a sensitive issue for many residents, especially those who directly abut the proposed developments. Although the College must address these neighbors' parking, light and noise concerns, I believe that in the long run more on-campus housing will yield better maintained apartments and more owner-occupied homes in our city. I therefore support the College's plan to build more housing, as modified with the smaller parking lots. (The initial lots were much too large and have been reduced following residents' input.) I wish the parking lots were smaller still but it is true that more and more students are bringing cars to campus.
It is interesting to observe the shift in public opinion about off-campus housing over the last two years. A few years ago, the College was short on housing and the number of students living off campus was particularly high. Many residents were concerned about the loss of affordable housing, as well as the increase in the usual concerns about noise and so forth that arise in any college town.
Today, with The Firelands housing students and several new privately-owned rental units on the market, the prospect of additional College housing has many residents concerned about lost rental income. While I realize some residents depend on this rental income, we need to keep things in perspective; these houses can still be rented out to non-students. There is a demand for housing in southern Lorain County and I believe attentive landlords who have maintained their properties well will not have trouble finding tenants.
Should there be insufficient demand for rental housing in the coming years, it is perhaps for the best that some of these units be returned to their original use as single family homes. I would not support an ordinance that resulted in the city subsidizing this conversion process because I believe such a conversion is the responsibility of the property's owner. However, I would support allowing condominium conversion since some Oberlin houses are too large for a single family.
Specifics on the Johnson House site
Now that the amount of parking has been reduced, I believe this is a good project. The added "cottages" will be behind the line of trees on the left side of the photograph below. I think they fit the site well. The historic barn/carriage house will be restored and adapted to new use. If the project does not go forward, this structure will continue to decay. As for the new construction, it is completely outside the Arb and will largely be constructed on disturbed land, a good portion of which is currently a cinder road. The environmental impact of this project is thus relatively light compared with its benefits for students.
