Dave Chappelle speaks out against housing development in Yellow Springs

Dave Chappelle has voiced his strong opposition to a new housing development in the small Ohio town where he lives, threatening to pull millions of his investments in the area if the project moves forward.

‘You look like clowns — I am not bluffing,’ a visibly emotional Chappelle told the Yellow Springs Village Council at a town meeting on Monday night. ‘I will take it all off the table.’

The comedian also told the meeting: ‘I don’t know why the council would be afraid of litigation from a $24 million-a-year company while it’s out a $64 million-a-year-company. I cannot believe you would make me audition for you.’

At issue is a significant new housing development that has divided the village of 3,700, where Chappelle, who is worth about $50 million, lives on a large farm. 

Chappelle has plans to covert an old fire station into a restaurant, called Firehouse Eatery, and comedy club, called Live from YS. He bought both properties for a combined $1.1 million in 2020. 

The development project he opposes involves more than 100 single-family homes priced from around $250,000 to $600,000, a massive project for the village and one that opponents say does not cater to those currently living there. 

Chappelle himself has not articulated the reason for his opposition to the development, but his ally in town has previously said that the project is designed to serve people from elsewhere in the county, rather than Yellow Springs. 

‘It’s clearly not designed for the benefit of the villagers,’ architect Max Crome, who works with Chappelle on his business interests in the village, told the Dayton Daily News.  

A source close to Chappelle told DailyMail.com on Wednesday that reports that he opposes an affordable housing component of the project are false. The person said that Chappelle supports affordable housing, but believes the proposal put forward contains nothing of the kind.    

‘The developers rushed the project, and got a sweetheart deal with council that was not properly vetted,’ the person said. ‘It doesn’t even include affordable housing.’ 

Dave Chappelle was emotional as he spoke at the Yellow Springs Village Council meeting on Monday, opposing a plan that he believes would be bad for the community

Dave Chappelle was emotional as he spoke at the Yellow Springs Village Council meeting on Monday, opposing a plan that he believes would be bad for the community

Village Council president Brian Housh is seen at the meeting on Monday, where the council heard strong opposition to the new housing development plan

Village Council president Brian Housh is seen at the meeting on Monday, where the council heard strong opposition to the new housing development plan

At Monday’s meeting, the village council voted against its own plan following Chappelle’s tirade and angry remarks from other village residents. 

Now it’s unclear whether developer Oberer Homes can move forward with the development.

The proposal the council voted on Monday night would have included 64 single-family homes, 52 duplexes and 24 townhomes with an additional 1.75 acres to be donated to the community for affordable housing to be built later, according to the Dayton Daily News. 

After the council deadlocked on the proposal, the zoning allegedly reverted to what was previously approved: 143 single-family homes on the lot, with the homes starting at about $300,000.  

Chappelle plans to convert a former fire station in town into a restaurant dubbed Firehouse Eatery and attached comedy club, Live From YS

Chappelle plans to convert a former fire station in town into a restaurant dubbed Firehouse Eatery and attached comedy club, Live From YS

The nightlife complex is being build on the site of an old fire station, but Chappelle is threatening to pull his investment if the housing plan goes forward

The nightlife complex is being build on the site of an old fire station, but Chappelle is threatening to pull his investment if the housing plan goes forward

The source close to Chappelle said that he opposed both of the plans, and argued that the underlying zoning rules were ‘complex’, and that the project would not necessarily be able to move forward along the original plan. 

But he has previously spoken out saying that he was ‘adamantly opposed’ to the project as originally planned.

‘If you push this thing through, what I’m investing in is no longer applicable,’ Chappelle said at a city council meeting in December. 

Chappelle’s ties to Ohio go back to his father, who graduated from Antioch College, in Yellow Springs, and later was a professor there. 

Chappelle lives with his family on 39 acres of secluded farmland outside the village and also owns homes in nearby Xenia. 

In late 2020, the comedian announced plans to convert a former fire station in town into a restaurant dubbed Firehouse Eatery and attached comedy club, Live From YS. 

Chappelle’s company, Iron Table Holdings LLC, is spearheading the project.

As well, WYSO, the National Public Radio affiliate located in Yellow Springs, plans to move into offices in the former Union Schoolhouse, which Iron Table Holdings owns, in 2023.  

source: dailymail.co.uk