By Lizzie Stone, city council reporter
A wider range of households will be eligible to purchase homes at the Bluestone Town Center development after the city council’s decision Tuesday.
The development’s initial plan made purchasing homes available to buyers “between 80% and 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI).” Now, eligibility for purchasing will be open to all households up to 120% of the AMI.
Development contractor Ryan Homes said their financing options will make it possible for people with incomes lower than 80% of the AMI to buy homes.
Council member Dany Fleming said the initial language wasn’t intended to be exclusionary, but its specificity was limiting. This change is “opening it up” to more buyers, he said.
The development has stirred controversy, with some residents pushing back on its size and impact on the city. However, council members ultimately decided the project would address ongoing gaps in the housing supply within Harrisonburg.
Also part of the master plan for the development are required unit proportions. Half of the housing units will be sold, while half of the units will be reserved as rentals.
Council member Monica Robinson said the change will allow more affordability which is great for the city.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting:
- City council members decided their meeting schedule for the rest of the year. They canceled the Oct. 28 meeting and will not meet a second time in October. The Nov. 11 meeting was moved to Nov. 12 to accommodate the Veterans’ Day holiday. Council members will meet normally on Nov. 25 and Dec. 9, but the Dec. 23 meeting was canceled for the Christmas holiday.
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