They rezoned the site from industrial to residential for an affordable housing proposal. Now, the land’s more valuable and the landowner is looking to sell it.
The sites could accommodate 1,700 homes, but some councillors worry existing businesses might be forced out, new housing might be expensive, and amenities might not be included.
Some of the issues that councillors raised were site-specific, while others were much broader, focused on fears around the quality of developments that might follow.
As they have in the past when such proposals have come up, councillors on Monday night raised questions about how they could influence what gets built post-rezoning.
Dublin City Council is looking at rezoning lands for up to 20,000 new homes. But how’s it going to stop the cost of the land – and so the housing – from shooting up?
There’s an inflexibility to rezoning industrial land, wrote a Department of Housing official in an email in February. “Its been represented to me quite a few times.”
The landowners lobbied for the change and told councillors they plan to develop affordable housing there. Some councillors worry they’ll just flip it once its value rises.
