Saturday, July 17, 1999
Mason growth shows no sign of slowing
Home construction on record pace
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MASON — If this city had a mascot, it would probably be the Energizer Bunny. The residential housing boom that has come to define Mason over the past five years just keeps going. And going. And going.
Housing construction will reach record numbers this year, officials predict. The city expects to issue building permits for more than 800 homes if the pace continues, said City Engineer Richard Fair. That would beat the 1997 record by 141 homes.
Mason, already Ohio's second-fastest growing city behind Hilliard (a suburb of Columbus), is helping propel Warren, the state's second-fastest growing county. Experts have projected that Warren County will experience an 85 percent leap in housing development between now and 2010.
That's good news for the people wanting to move into Mason and those wanting to stay and move up to larger homes or condominiums.
“It is definitely a seller's market in Mason right now,” said Marianne Culbertson, an agent with Sibcy Cline Realtors. “New and existing houses here are selling very close to asking prices.
“Current homeowners are getting good returns on their investments, because we are seeing a shortage of older homes on the market,” she said. “Because some buyers don't want to wait on new constructions, the older homes are selling sometimes within two days after they hit the market.”
Why Mason?:
• Some new residents are drawn from the big city by the availability of landscaped, green half-acre lots with spacious two-story homes.
“People are moving to the edges of the city for the housing opportunities, and moving away from perceptions of problems in the city,” said David Varady, a housing and community development expert at the University of Cincinnati's School of Planning.
• Top-quality schools are a strong attraction. The district has had three national Blue Ribbon schools in recent years, and its schools have been scoring well consistently in proficiency testing.
Russ Carter, Mason's school board president, commented that families often put higher priority on schools than on proximity to workplace.
“Because we're such a transient society, if you have to drive to Dayton, Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky to work, it's a small price to pay for driving from an area you want to live in because you do it for your kids,” Mr. Carter said.
• For those following the real estate mantra of location, location, location, Mason is strategically situated near both Interstate 75 and Interstate 71 — ideal for two-income families in which one spouse works in Cincinnati and the other in Dayton, or for those who travel often.
Curtis and Michelle Zimmerman, of Centerville, were house-shopping there on Friday. The Zimmermans are considering homes in West Chester and Loveland also, but are leaning toward Mason because of its location.
“Mason appealed to us because it put us smack dab in the middle of I-71 and I-75,” Mrs. Zimmerman said, explaining that their jobs involve travel to Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati and cities in Kentucky. “Plus, we feel like we can get more house for the dollar than where we are currently living.”
• There are many other magnets, from nearby large employers such as Procter & Gamble, General Electric and other companies to popular attractions such as Paramount's Kings Island and The Beach water park.
“There's just so much activity going on around the Mason area,” said Jeff Thomas, a Sibcy Cline real estate agent. “It just creates a nice family atmosphere when there's plenty of recreational and other activities in the immediate area.”
Joining the Mason movement doesn't come cheaply these days.
Mrs. Culbertson said newer housing in Mason ranges from $175,000 to $1.2 million. On average, shoppers looking for a new four-bedroom, two-story house can expect to pay around $220,000, she said.
“It's tough to find something under $200,000,” she said. “Homes in Mason can command a little higher price than some neighboring communities, but there are still some values to be found here.”
Mrs. Culbertson noted that out of 141 homes currently on the market, 104 fall in the $200,000 to $350,000 price range. Twenty-three are going for between $150,000 and $200,000, while just 14 are listed below $150,000.
City Manager Scot Lahrmer said continued growth is inevitable.
“It's always a challenge to control growth,” Mr. Lahrmer said. “That's why we try to direct it and manage it, not stifle it. Growth is going to happen, regardless, and you can't pretend like it won't.”
Mason's population leaped from 11,450 in 1990 to 18,850 in 1998, according to data released June 30 by the U.S. Census Bureau. That was a 65 percent increase in less than 10 years.
Mr. Lahrmer said the figures are stunning, considering City Council's increased efforts to control housing density.
“We try to keep all of our residential developments to around two units per acre,” Mr. Lahrmer said. “We strive for low densities because we are not interested in the quantity of developments that the city has so much as the quality of developments.”
Three residential subdivisions with a total of 390 single-family lots have been approved this year. The subdivisions will bring available residential lots to more than 3,000:
• Arbor Creek, by Robert C. Rhein Interests: 150 single-family lots on 91 acres off Bethany Road, 1.7 units per acre.
• Whispering Springs, by Cobblestone Development: 96 single-family lots on 56 acres off Mason Road, 1.7 units per acre.
• Weatherstone, by Monogram Properties: 144 single-family lots on 80 acres off Ohio 741, 1.8 units per acre.
Single-family residential building permits in Mason are up 6percent over last year. Through June 30, Mason had granted 260 single-family permits, more than the 243 building permits issued during the first six months of 1998.
Multifamily dwellings are also on an upswing. City officials report a 20 percent increase in the number of permits issued this year — 25 permits through June 1999 vs. 20 for the same period last year.
So far this year, Mason has issued 728 building permits. The city issued 718 permits through the first six months of 1998.
The city building binge has worried some residents who fear Mason's charm and small-town ambiance could be trampled. Some warn that more homes and commercial projects will worsen already-congested arteries, such as Mason-Montgomery and Fields-Ertel roads.
UC's Mr. Varady said that here, as in other cities growing on the edge of urban sprawl across America, newly arrived residents may find that they have traded one set of urban problems for another set of woes.
“One obvious issue is the continued generation of additional traffic. We could see that,” said Mr. Varady, who journeyed Wednesday with his wife from their North Avondale home to a Mason nursery. They found congested roads both ways.
Mr. Varady added that “edge cities” usually bring proliferation of strip development and a gradual loss of the local identity.
However, Mr. Lahrmer said city officials have been keeping up with development by working on ways to improve infrastructure, control traffic and expand water and sewer service.
“Maintaining a small-town feel is difficult, especially since Mason no longer fits into that category because of our population,” Mr. Lahrmer said. “But the downtown, the municipal pool, the parks, our parades and community events all help to promote that small-town feel.”
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