London City Council adopts planning commission recommendation for Madison Reserve after hours of public comment

London City Council on Tuesday adopted the Planning Commission's recommendation to advance the Madison Reserve planned unit development, a proposed neighborhood off U.S. Route 42/State Route 142 that the developer says would include roughly 245 to 271 houses priced to reach first-time buyers.

The vote to adopt the Planning Commission recommendations (Resolution 1-80-25) passed on a 6-1 roll call. Councilman Eads voted no; the motion received affirmative votes from Councilwoman Jacqueline Jackman, Councilman Stall, Councilwoman Shannon Trainer, Councilman Andrew Hitt, Councilman Hayes and Councilman Brent McDaniels.

The decision follows a nearly three-hour public hearing in which about 32 people signed up to speak. Supporters said the project would create attainable homeownership for young families, teachers and factory workers; opponents raised concerns about density, traffic on East High Street and whether the development would meet the city's open-space rules.

"This will add to the tax base to support city services and the school system," said Bernadette Willard, a nearby resident. State Sen. Michelle Reynolds, chair of the Ohio Senate's housing committee, described state programs and grants designed to encourage local jurisdictions to adopt pro-housing policies and to help rural and suburban communities build workforce housing. "Homes are where jobs go to at night," Reynolds said during an overview of recent state budget actions that include funds for residential…