Editorial: It's Too Late for Council to Flip-Flop on Senior Housing

Terms like "flip-flopped" and "not-in-my-backyard South Countians" were used in a recent editorial regarding the low-income senior housing project in Oakville  in regards to some county council members' wavering stance on the development.

See the below excerpt. Click here for the full article.

"...Councilman Steve Stenger is taking a John Kerry stance: He was for it before he was against it. Mr. Stenger, a Democrat from Affton, backed the privately owned three-story, 45-unit project financed by U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development when it was first proposed. He signed a letter supporting developer National Church Residences of Ohio. He voted for the rezoning when it came before the council this year. Now’s he against it. So what changed?

His constituents got mad.

On Monday, many of those angry, not-in-my-backyard South Countians are expected to turn out in force to a county Planning and Zoning Commission hearing on the senior housing project."

The editorial describes an upcoming public hearing, in which residents  have an opportunity to voice opinions regarding the project, as one that never should have been scheduled.

"Mr. Stenger and other council members flipped-flopped last month on a project they previously had supported unanimously.'

The best solution here would be to cancel Monday’s public hearing on a zoning matter that has already been settled...Stopping the project now cannot be a serious option, not if the county cares about its reputation and all of its taxpayers."