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Contractor and resident urge council not to raise minimum home size in Thayne
Summary
During public comment at the Nov. 15 meeting, contractor Jake Berdar and resident Ben Pensyl opposed a proposed increase to minimum new-construction square footage, saying it would price out starter-home buyers and younger families.
Two members of the public used the council's public-comment period to urge council members to reconsider a proposed increase to the minimum square footage for new homes.
Jake Berdar, a contractor building homes in the Meadows subdivision, said his firm's 900-square-foot design "addresses a need for a certain group of people" and warned that raising minimums would make homes unaffordable for buyers with lower incomes. He said larger mandated minimum sizes would eliminate opportunities for people who cannot afford bigger homes in Thayne.
Ben Pensyl, who said he is a younger family member of the community, similarly opposed the proposed increase. Pensyl said higher minimums would push starter homes out of reach for families like his and cautioned that more trailers or doublewides could follow as an unintended consequence if affordable starter options disappear.
The transcript records these public comments but does not show a formal council response during the public-comment portion. The building-requirements ordinance on the agenda (Ordinance No. 387, Title 9) was approved later in the meeting on third reading. The council did not announce a change in course on the proposal during the meeting record.
