Deerfield housing study to guide future growth

DEERFIELD TWP. – As this Warren County community experiences a boom in multifamily housing developments, township officials are now eyeing a plan that would usher in a zoning strategy for the future.

Deerfield Township trustees voted Tuesday to spend up to $20,300 to commission a multifamily housing analysis and study by the University of Cincinnati's Economic Center.

The study, expected to be released June 30, will look at the financial impact of residential multifamily development in the community of about 38,000 residents.

Issues to be considered include the spending habits of single-family homeowners versus those of multi-unit tenants, how the increase in tax revenues from multifamily developments compare to the increased demand for public services, and the demographics of multifamily unit dwellers and how that could affect the Kings and Mason school districts.

Deerfield Township Trustee Chris Romano said the township has fielded more than a dozen multifamily housing development requests from developers in recent years.

Cases now are considered on an individual basis, but officials say they want a more comprehensive look at multifamily housing trends in order to make recommendations for future developments.

"We've ended up looking at it in a vacuum," Romano said. "We've had a desire to look more broadly of 'How does multifamily fit in the township? What does it contribute and what does it draw?'"

Developers say the Deerfield Township and Mason area is an area of high demand, especially among young professionals and empty-nesters.

Within miles of the development are some of Warren County's top employers – Procter & Gamble's Mason Business Center, Cintas and Luxottica – as well as the Deerfield Towne Center shopping center and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's Mason campus.

Add to that a school district consistently rated among the top districts in the state, the area's low crime rate and local attractions such as Kings Island and the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament.

Romano said that multifamily unit renters account for less than 12 percent of Deerfield Township residents, but about 11 percent of the township's 16 square miles is available for development – an enticing draw for real estate developers.

"It's a really viable market," he said. "Younger people are making conscious choices to postpone buying a house. While there's a big drive for it in downtown Cincinnati, there's also a big drive for it to be closer to work in the suburbs.

"For decent restaurants or entertainment, you used to have to go down to the city. Now a lot of that stuff has made its way to the suburbs," he added.

The multifamily housing boom here has not been without its critics, however. Some residents have expressed concerns about the abilities of local school districts to handle the anticipated influx of students, increased traffic and higher demands on public services.

Township officials say they plan to share the results of the study and any resulting policy decisions with neighboring municipalities and the Kings and Mason school boards.

"Certainly when we're writing checks in the millions of dollars to the school district, knowing what's coming and what's not coming is really advantageous," he said. "We'll get more than $20,000 benefit out of this, I'm positive."