BIA Opposes Talk of Development Moratorium in Marysville

During Tuesday night's general comment period of Marysville City Council, Council President Donald Boerger discussed his desire to see the City implement a residential development moratorium.

Stating that there had been continued discussion around a citywide residential moratorium, Boerger referenced a 15 to 18-month moratorium while Council tackled “urgent” issues including the City's "rebranding," discussions of updating the City's economic strategic plan, and "identity master planning," which, among other items, will include mandated colors for Marysville's City Hall.

BIA Executive Director Jon Melchi stated, "It's disappointing to hear an elected official propose an extreme position on housing that will increase housing costs and threaten economic development in the City. We are unaware of a community putting a moratorium into place and simultaneously maintaining housing affordability and prosperity."

Melchi stressed the negative impact that a moratorium would have on construction workers, suppliers and those with jobs tied to the residential construction industry. "It would be awful hard to tell someone they can't go to work because City Council needs to work on branding." 

Melchi added, "By all accounts, the City is growing at approximately 2% annually, and it's baffling to understand how this low to moderate growth warrants the extreme action as proposed."

Like much of central Ohio, housing affordability and availability have become a significant challenge in Marysville, where the last new single-family subdivision was approved by Council more than two years ago.

According to data from Columbus REALTORS, the average sales price of a home in the Marysville Exempted School District is now $381,121, up nearly $50,000 from the same time last year ($338,986). The market research firm Zonda has stated that only 34% of Marysville residents can afford a home within the City, down from 70% when Council President Boerger took office in 2020.

The BIA has consistently advocated for communities to proactively plan for the growth coming to the central Ohio region. However, these updates must be done concurrently, allowing landowners the legal opportunity to discuss changes to their property.

Melchi added, "Clearly, the City should plan for growth, but countless communities in our region are doing so while also managing new projects. City staff and leaders are capable of working on both tasks concurrently, but perhaps that viewpoint isn't shared."

Recent polling in Ohio's 4th Congressional District, which includes Marysville and is represented by Jim Jordan (R-Urbana), done by the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), showed that 78% of district residents wanted elected officials to consider housing affordability when considering new laws and regulations and 79% of district residents thought city and county officials should do more to encourage the production of housing that is affordable.