Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates running for Spring Hill City Council to address leading up to the Nov. 4 election.
Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to Spring Hill residents.
Each day this week, we’re publishing the candidates’ responses to one question.
Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
Housing: Many factors driving Johnson County’s tight and expensive housing market are out of local cities’ control, yet there are some things cities can do to try to address this issue, from incentivizing affordable housing developments to tweaking zoning codes that allow for more diverse types of housing. What policies would you like your city to pursue to make housing in your city potentially more affordable? Is this a priority for you?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on this issue:
At-Large
Rodolfo Arevalo
Affordable housing is a priority that must be considered as the city continues to grow. As a member of the Spring Hill Planning Commission, I have been supportive of diverse types of housing units and subdivisions that provide a mix of housing types. The Planning Commission has reviewed housing codes and has made changes and adjustments in the past few years. I would continue to support periodic review of housing codes as the city grows.
Steven Boswell
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Ivan Delgado
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Michael Grant (incumbent)
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Brian Peel (incumbent)
A variety of living options is critical to Spring Hill’s future. People go through different stages of life where their housing needs can change. They all prioritize their needs differently, affordability, ownership vs. rental, square footage, acreage, accessibility, access to services, maintenance and upkeep, taxes, convenience, etc. We need to have a wide variety of housing options to accommodate people at different stages of life. One of the reasons we struggle to get more industrial developments is because of housing affordability. People want to live near where they work. Businesses and industries don’t want to build their facilities in places where they will struggle to recruit and retain employees. Our school district is the #1 attraction for the growth we see in Spring Hill. They hire several new young teachers each school year and many of them struggle to live in the district because of affordability.
At-Large (two-year unexpired term)
Rodolfo Arevalo
Affordable housing is a priority that must be considered as the city continues to grow. As a member of the Spring Hill Planning Commission, I have been supportive of diverse types of housing units and subdivisions that provide a mix of housing types. The Planning Commission has reviewed housing codes and has made changes and adjustments in the past few years. I would continue to support periodic review of housing codes as the city grows.
James Savage
Did not provide the Post with a response.
Phillip Thron (incumbent)
Did not provide the Post with a response.
