County opens public hearing on CDBG-funded comprehensive plan update; grant writer says county needs more affordable housing

The Ashland County Board on June 23 opened a public hearing on a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) supporting a county comprehensive plan update. Eric Hannle, the county grant writer, told the board the grant has funded a review of the 2016 plan, a countywide survey, updated land-use maps and a communications plan and that all CDBG reports have been completed on time.

Hannle said remaining steps include continued plan updates, a public open house planned for September or October, a 30-day public comment period and a final public hearing and ordinance adoption likely in November or January. He emphasized that the update is not a construction project and “there is none” in reference to displacement of persons tied to the plan.

The presentation also set out housing needs for Ashland County. Hannle said the county continues to need “more affordable workforce housing, by and large, renovations for aging homes, a whole lot more senior housing, and net new construction in general.” He noted Bay View Apartments will add 151 market-rate units but said lower-cost housing remains needed and estimated that someone in Ashland would need to earn about $18 an hour full time to afford a two-bedroom apartment.

Public commenters urged that the plan and grant be used to prioritize affordable housing and local capacity-building. M. Cardinus, who identified themself as having a degree in sustainable community development from Northland College, urged investment in affordable housing, UW Extension and worker-owned co‑ops and said, according to materials they referenced, “about 30% of Ashland housing units are considered vacant,” a figure they urged the board to address by discouraging short-term rentals and encouraging long-term affordable units.

A resident identified as Pat described insurance-premium increases and linked them to contractor shortages, saying they had learned premiums went up “17.9%” because of difficulty finding contractors. Pat urged expanding local training and businesses in construction trades to support home renovation and affordable housing.

Several supervisors relayed constituent interest in whether the comprehensive plan would include a moratorium or ordinance restricting data centers. Supervisor Elizabeth Franic said the county “may not as a county have the authority to limit construction,” but members discussed zoning and ordinance tools—such as requiring health reports or setting maximum sizes—that could be used to manage impacts if data centers arrive. The board scheduled a separate presentation on data centers by UW Extension’s Carl Green for the July 28 meeting.

The public hearing on the CDBG grant was left open during the meeting to accept additional input; the board later closed the hearing by motion. Hannle and staff reiterated the county will hold further public engagement opportunities and publish updated draft materials online for comment before adopting the comprehensive plan.