Final approval of a plan by Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity to build nine houses on a South Toledo lot in the Beverly neighborhood was postponed Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, by the Toledo City Plan Commission after community testimony.

The project is planned for the site of the former Beverly Elementary School at 4022 Rugby Dr. The building was torn down in 2012, and the land has been vacant since, according to The Blade.

Of the nine houses, two would be sold on the open market, while the other seven would be sold to Habitat homeowners through the organization’s homeownership program. The program offers flexible financing that ensures monthly payments are no more than 30 percent of the owner’s monthly income.

More than a dozen people who live in the area spoke during public testimony, including Toledo City Councilman Adam Martinez, whose district covers the Beverly area.

Many of those who spoke said they enjoyed the green space the vacant land offers. Resident Nicole Knight said the property has served as an informal community green space for more than a decade.

“Children play there, neighbors walk their dogs, families enjoy the open space,” Knight said. “Although it may not be officially designated as a park, it has become a meaningful part of the Beverly neighborhood. It already is a community asset and once that space is developed we cannot get it back.”

Speakers also said residents do not have enough information about the project and what it is going to look like. Knight questioned why informational meetings were not held before the Plan Commission’s meeting Thursday, and said residents were being asked to consider a permanent change for the neighborhood without all the information needed to understand its impact.

Other residents questioned putting nine houses on just over two acres of land. Resident William Patterson said nine houses in a 2.5-acre area was “overkill.” Habitat and its engineer, Greg Feller of Feller Finch & Associates, responded that the lots as planned are wider and thicker than those surrounding the site in the neighborhood.

Members of the commission pointed out that deciding to keep the property as green space is out of their purview.

Habitat CEO Erin McPartland described the project as well-oriented to the organization’s mission of creating homeownership opportunities for working families. She said the single-family homes would be between 1,200 and 1,500 square feet, with attached garages, and would be designed to complement the character of the rest of the neighborhood.

“This is a market-rate homeownership development,” McPartland said. “This is not a rental development and these homes are not being given away for free, which is a common Habitat misconception. Habitat homes are sold at appraised market value, which we currently expect to be around $220,000 for this development.”

McPartland said the houses as planned would cost closer to $260,000 to build, but Habitat’s philanthropic model fills in that difference for buyers.

Plan Commission Chairman Brandon Rehkopf asked McPartland to consider deferring the case for 60 days so Habitat could work with Plan Commission staff to schedule a public meeting specifically about the project.

“Let the neighborhood come and answer questions and then consider based on the feedback if there are any potential amendments in this plan for this body to consider,” Rehkopf said.

After the meeting, McPartland said she was satisfied with postponing approval until January and looked forward to talking with neighbors. She said the organization always planned to do community engagement about the project and was planning to attend upcoming Beverly neighborhood block watch meetings to begin that process.

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