Shared from the 2/6/2021 Gaston Gazette eEdition

Habitat to develop blended neighborhood in Belmont

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This Habitat neighborhood in Charlotte closely resembles the appearance of the planned Dixon Village community in Belmont. [HABITAT CHARLOTTE REGION] [HABITAT CHARLOTTE REGION]

The Great Recession of 2008-09 killed a lot of dreams and put a lot of others on hold in Gaston County.

One of those dreams was of a new subdivision in northern Belmont, a subdivision that would be a combination of Habitat for Humanity homebuyers and other families who paid market value for their houses.

The development was to be named Dixon Village in memory of Belmont civic leader and longtime Habitat volunteer Bill Dixon who had died in the spring of 2007.

The tract of land, containing 28 housing lots, had been donated to Habitat by the late Geneva Abernathy who had taught public elementary school in Mount Holly and then North Belmont for a total of 33 years.

Before the full brunt of the recession came down, hitting the housing market especially hard, the subdivision had been approved by the Belmont City Council, the state Department of Transportation, and local planning agencies.

The dream was not killed, however, by either the Great Recession or the COVID-19 pandemic, which struck the nation more than a decade later. Instead, it was simply deferred.

Belmont City Council gave its OK to the project again last week and Habitat officials are hopeful clearing and grading on the property will begin in May and actual home construction will start in September.

The neighborhood

"Dixon Village will be a very attractive neighborhood," explained Gaston Habitat Executive Director Kay Peninger. "The housing will be a mix of single-story, three-bedroom houses and two-story, four-bedroom houses."

The neighborhood, Peninger continued, will in no way be constructed with a "cookie cutter" approach.

"The architectural design of the houses will be in the style of a Craftsman bungalow," she said. "Design elements such as cedar shutters, fish scale shingles, and rock accents will be used to add variation, visual interest, and color to the exteriors."

Peninger also said the neighborhood will focus on "livability" and will feature "community-building amenities such as front porches, sidewalks, and a park-like green space with a playground, picnic tables, and a walking path."

So who qualifies?

Peninger explained that to qualify for a Habitat home, applicants need to have lived or worked in Gaston County for a year, demonstrated stable income for the past two years, and have a low debt to income ratio.

Future homeowners, she added, must put in 200 hours of "sweat equity" labor that is a combination of actual construction hours and time spent in education classes on financial literacy and homeownership.

"We want to set people up for success," said Peninger of the educational requirement. "We give them information about budgeting and planning for the future. We want to ensure their continued financial stability."

Why a blended neighborhood?

Of the 28 homes to be built in Dixon Village, Peninger explained that eight to 10 of them will be occupied by Habitat families, while the other homes will be purchased by first-time homebuyers.

"The entry-level, marketrate homes will fill a gap in the regional housing market which has an extremely low inventory of new home construction below $250,000," she said.

"The neighborhood is designed to encourage interaction among the market rate and Habitat families," she continued, "and to foster a sense of community among all residents."

Homeownership , Peninger said, builds both stronger families and stronger communities. Among the benefits she listed are:

Stable, affordable housing often leads to better performance of students who are freed from worry of frequent moves.

Stable housing leads to fewer mental health issues.

Well-built, well-maintained homes have fewer health and safety issues.

Home ownership can lead to improved self esteem and increased community involvement.

Homeowners pay property taxes which support local government services.

The Project Team

In addition to Peninger and the Gaston Habitat board of directors, members of the project team for Dixon Village include:

Tom Ras, owner of Thomas Construction, a successful builder with more than 20 years experience in the construction industry on projects that range from commercial to $1 million homes.

Cathy Young, with Allen Tate Realty, a successful Realtor/broker and former mayor of Cramerton with extensive knowledge regarding the real estate market and the zoning process.

Jeff Howe, owner of Custom Building Systems, a third-generation construction company that is a leading construction and paving firm in the Charlotte region.

Brent Cowan, with the Isaacs Group, the project engineer who is designing the site plan, storm water system, and roadway system, as well as drawing up the construction documents.

Peninger concluded by saying that volunteers are always welcome on this and other Habitat projects. More information about volunteering or applying to become a Habitat homeowner may be had at www.habitatgaston.orgor by calling 704-864-6536.

Bill Poteat may be reached at 704-869-1855 or bpoteat@ gastongazette.com.

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