Norwood Seeks Affordable Housing Funds

One of the four developers seeking funds from Sheridan County to build affordable housing this year is Norwood Construction.

The company’s proposed development is Morning Wood Estates Phase One, to be located in Dayton. One of the ways Norwood could make the houses affordable is with smaller lot sizes.

Rex Randall, of Randall Engineering, explained at a public meeting earlier this week.

The proposed development would create 25 single-family residential lots with an average lot size of just over 8,650 square feet.

In an executive summary presented to Sheridan County commissioners before this week’s meeting, Duane Norwood said even with the smaller lot sizes and Dayton’s required setbacks, the lots can easily host modest-sized single family homes with ample yard space.

He cites a need for affordable entry-level housing because of Sheridan County’s growing population and a need for this kind of housing in Dayton to attract a younger, entry-level population.

At the public meeting, Norwood said he acquired the property in 2008. The property was annexed into Dayton in early 2009, and the preliminary plat for Morning Wood Phase One was approved in 2018.

Norwood said a Phase Two is planned that would include an additional 10 lots that would be larger in size.

Nick Siddle, who moderated this week’s meeting, said the county has $340,000 available to help fund affordable housing development in Sheridan County. How to allocate the funds will be decided in a future commission meeting.