A motion made during the Russell County Board of Supervisors’ September meeting has officially been passed in October.
During the September meeting, a request was presented to waive $60,000 in permit fees on behalf of Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners. AHHP plans to move into the former Buster Brown building in Lebanon.
Board attorney Tyler Starnes said at the time that the motion was defeated when board members Andrew Hensley and Tara Dye voted against the motion and Rebecca Dye and Nate Kiser abstained, with Lou Wallace, Steve Breeding and David Eaton voting in favor. He said at the time that abstentions count as a no vote, thus the motion failed on a count of 3-4.
Following a closed session during the October 4 meeting for legal advice among other subjects, Starnes announced, “Upon further review and research, the abstentions should have counted as a non-vote instead of a no vote.” He said therefore the motion to waive the permit fees “should have passed.”
The Code of Virginia § 13.1-849 states, “An abstention shall not be considered a vote cast.”
The board voted to update the minutes, showing the motion did in fact pass.
In September, when it appeared the motion had failed, Wallace said, “We give incentives all the time. This is not anything different. I don’t understand the thinking here. I think this is bad business. This is not business at all. It’s just bad business.”
Tara Dye, who voted against the motion in September, said waiving permit fees for a large home manufacturing company is not fair to smaller companies.
“I am pro-business, and I welcome any company that wants to start, grow, and invest here,” she said. “But I also believe we have to be fair and consistent. If we waive these fees for one company, how do we justify not extending the same consideration to the home builders and businesses that have already been here for years?”
She added, “We need to change our precedent. “We need to make sure companies locating here benefit Russell County and not just them. We’ve seen this movie too many times before.”
AHHP will manufacture precision-built modular homes with a price of $250,000 or less. The company is projected to create 90 jobs. Renovation of the former Buster Brown building is expected to get underway next month and the production of homes will begin in October 2027.
He added that production on the Buster Brown building is expected to get underway in November with production of homes beginning in October of 2027.
“This will be a dream come true for many families living in our community,” AHHP’s Ernie McFadden said in September.
Eaton stated in September, “This will be a game changer for the whole region.”
Susan Abel, director of operations for Wellspring Foundation of Virginia, provided more details about AHHP’s plans.
“At a high level, the Community Land Trust, or CLT, is one pathway to homeownership designed to help individuals and families, including working households, who may otherwise find homeownership increasingly out of reach,” Abel stated.
Individuals may purchase a home manufactured by AHHP but the home will be located on property belonging to the company. The homeowner will pay the mortgage of the home while also paying a lease fee.
“Under the CLT model, the land remains in the Community Land Trust while the homeowner purchases and owns the home,” Abel explained. “The homeowner has long-term rights to use the land through a ground lease. Homeowners make their regular mortgage payment on the home and also pay a modest monthly ground lease fee.”
Abel added, “The CLT is not intended to replace traditional homeownership. It is an additional pathway for people who are ready for the responsibilities of homeownership but may face barriers created by rising home prices, land costs and other market conditions.”
As for its impact on the region outside of Russell County, Abel said, “As the program grows, AHHP will continue working with communities, local governments, property owners and other partners to identify appropriate housing opportunities throughout the region. That may include land acquisition as well as other development and partnership opportunities, depending on the needs and circumstances of each community.”
Should the homeowner elect to move, the resale of the house will take a “pay it forward” approach, according to Abel.
“We often describe the CLT as a ‘pay it forward’ approach to homeownership,” she said. “It gives buyers the opportunity to purchase a home at a more attainable price, build equity over time, and benefit financially from homeownership. When the homeowner is ready to sell, there is a process to help determine the sale price. This allows the homeowner to retain a portion of the home’s appreciation while also helping preserve an attainable purchase opportunity for the next eligible buyer. In this way, the CLT supports both individual wealth building and long-term homeownership opportunities within the community.”
