A proposal to rezone land near The Ridges to build supportive housing hits a costly delay

By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
Posted on: Thursday, February 5, 2026

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – After an initial push, a project for rehabilitation housing will be set back several months.  

Before Monday night’s council meeting, the 317 Board, which is leading the project, was informed by the developer it could not get the paperwork in order in time. The delay makes it impossible for City Council and the 317 Board to meet a March 12 deadline for a $2 million grant application. 

The board needs the council to rezone property on Dairy Lane near The Ridges, currently owned by Ohio University, from educational use to multifamily housing. Rezoning property requires a public hearing with 30 days’ notice. 

The council was just barely going to have enough time to get the property rezoned to meet the March 12 deadline. With the delay, it will no longer be possible for the 317 Board to apply for the $2 million grant from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. The grant would permit the board to build 15 units of housing for at-risk Athens residents.  

Despite the setback, Athens City Council continued to move the proposal forward, without the expedited timeline. Councilmember Alan Swank, chair of the Planning and Development Committee, said getting the property rezoned now would allow the 317 to move forward when it’s ready.  

“This would be housing for those who need it in a sober situation,” said Swank. “The nice things are the Clem House and the 317 Board office are right there.” 

The Clem House is a recovery home on Dairy Lane that supports people in recovery from alcohol and drug use. 

Mayor Steve Patterson, who gave the project a strong endorsement when it was brought to the city’s Planning Commission, supported the council continuing the rezoning process on a regular timeline. The rezoning will now have its first reading on March 2, the second reading and public hearing on March 16 and a vote on April 6.  

Councilmember Paul Isherwood expressed sadness over the delay on the project.  

“It sounded really great that we were asked to rush quickly with this because progress was being made,” said Isherwood. “It’s a shame it slowed down, but I agree, I think this is a fantastic project.”  

Councilmember Jessica Thomas also endorsed the project.  

“I was excited to see this come out of the Planning Commission,” she said. “The plan looked like a really nice plan, and the building was stunning. So yeah, let’s keep it going.”