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Residents and Fitzgibbon Hospital Official Urge Council to Pursue Proposed Marshall Housing Development
Summary
Public commenters, including a Fitzgibbon Hospital representative, told the Marshall City Council that a private housing development could ease the town's housing shortage, help recruit physicians and bring outside spending; council members asked for an update and an engineer to brief the body at a future meeting.
At a Marshall City Council meeting, residents and a hospital official urged the council to move forward with a proposed housing development they said would boost the local economy and address a shortage of housing for workers.
Sandy Heisel, a Marshall resident, told the council the project would generate income for local realtors and businesses and asked that the council place “this builder” on the agenda within two weeks so the public could meet the developer. Heisel said, “If he brings his own crew into town, the hotels, the campgrounds, and the restaurants will prosper in the short term.”
Amy Weber, director of payer, public and governmental relations for Fitzgibbon Hospital, said housing shortages have hindered the hospital’s ability to recruit physicians. “We employ almost 500 employees,” Weber said. “On at least two occasions in the last two years, we’ve been successful in recruiting those physicians, but both of them are living out of town. They were unable to find adequate housing in Marshall.” She urged council members to have “an open mind” about the development and said the town needed “middle income professionals’ housing” rather than subsidized housing.
Longtime resident and former planning-and-zoning volunteer Bill Riggins said Marshall has lacked affordable housing projects for decades and argued that a development would increase the town’s tax base and local spending. Riggins said a 100-house development would bring “at least 200, 250 people” to town and criticized delays in moving the proposal forward.
Council members acknowledged the comments and sought follow-up information. One council member asked for an update on “the progress on the housing development” at the next meeting or sooner; a city representative offered to invite the engineer from Lamp Ryerson to brief the council after the meeting.
Discussion only; no ordinance or formal action on the development was taken during the meeting. The public comments were followed by a request from the council for staff or the engineer to provide an update and for the developer or builder to be placed on a future agenda if available.
