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Council selects Oak and Willow Builders to develop Highland lots; debate centers on affordability
Summary
Gastonia picked Oak and Willow Builders to develop bundled Highland-proposal lots after staff evaluation. Oak and Willow proposed resale prices of $230,000–$300,000 with extended affordability periods (20–30 years). Council debate centered on whether those resale prices meet local affordability objectives.
The Gastonia City Council voted to accept a development proposal from Oak and Willow Builders for a bundle of Highland-area lots after the housing committee recommended the selection based on staff scoring.
Oak and Willow’s proposal listed resale prices in the $230,000 to $300,000 range and offered a 20‑ to 30‑year affordability period for the homes — a feature staff and committee members characterized as an innovative approach to long-term affordability and community stabilization. Staff told the council that Oak and Willow scored highest under the evaluation rubric because of the long affordability commitment and design approach, although the proposal’s projected resale price was higher than competing submissions.
Council discussion turned to whether the price range would be affordable to longtime neighborhood residents and workforce households. Several council members urged that the city work with lenders and housing counseling to stack down-payment assistance and other financing tools so potential buyers could access homes even when contract prices appear above the local median. Others pressed for alternative approaches that would expand non‑traditional financing or partnerships that might directly subsidize lower resale prices.
After debate, the council voted 6–1 to move forward with Oak and Willow Builders as the selected developer. Council members said final agreements would include affordability deed restrictions and that the specific financing and buyer-selection mechanics would be confirmed in later development agreements. Staff said some lots would be combined to accommodate duplex or small multifamily structures where appropriate, and noted that site conditions on some lots could make construction costs higher than in other parts of the city.
Council members and staff said additional outreach and housing-counseling services would be made available to potential buyers; staff also noted that programmatic down-payment assistance and state and federal mortgage programs could lower the effective purchase price for qualified buyers.
