Residents speak out on Minoa Farms proposal

VILLAGE OF MINOA – The Village of Minoa held a public informational session at its Oct. 17 meeting to address a proposal for new additions to the Minoa Farms neighborhood.
Over three phases, Brolex Properties LLC is looking to have 85 rental homes constructed on sections five, six and seven of the development area started in 1997.
According to Brandon Jacobson, a managing member from the company, the yet-to-be-approved project would contain living arrangements ranging in size from 1,280 to 1,450 square feet. One plan calls for a single-level style of abode with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, another is a ranch with three bedrooms and the same number of baths, and the third is a two-story model.
During his presentation to a packed court room that evening, Jacobson said the objective includes the idea to keep the households painted different colors. The stays at each would be priced somewhere between $2,100 and $2,500 a month for renters, he said.
One resident responded that people would be better off in the long run taking out a mortgage and buying their own house than renting at those costs.
Minoa Zoning Board Chair Chris Beers said that although he does not oppose rounding out the development of the neighborhood or the idea of people renting a home, he said he does object to the building of single-family homes for those who can not or choose not to buy their own house without “appropriate protections to preserve the value and community of Minoa Farms.”
Beers suggested for Minoa Mayor Bill Brazill to refuse to provide his signature for any aspect of the project until the concerns of the community are heard and alleviated.
“As you can see from tonight’s participation, the issue is of particular importance to your residents,” he said at the podium.
Going along with Beers’ recommendation that the traffic engineers for Brolex take into account the “considerable amount” of foot and biking traffic in the neighborhood, a different resident of Beresford Lane said putting in 85 houses would bring in an influx of cars that would be difficult to deal with on a daily basis. He said that would be combined with the tendency for motorists to speed down his street and go through stop signs.
A woman who has lived in her Minoa Farms house since it was built in 2007 came prepared with a list of signatures from 229 Minoa residents expressing opposition to the proposal. She said the signatures were collected by a team of volunteers over the span of three days.
“The resounding concern is that we are against the commercialization by Brolex Properties of our residential neighborhood,” she said. “A large swath of rental properties owned by one group was never discussed with us as an option when we moved into this community or at any prior stage of its development and evolution.”
Several other villagers said that the board should look into the integrity and prior track record of Brolex Properties before approving an undertaking of such magnitude.
Brazill said there will be other public meetings about the proposal in the future.