Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
A recent council meeting in Ohio was the stage for Dave Chappelle to blow his lid and chastize council members and threaten to pull his business investments – all over plans for proposed housing development in the town he calls home.
According to reports, the comedian was present at the Yellow Springs, Ohio village council meeting on Monday (February 7th) which was convened to discuss the plans to rezone an area in the town to make way for a housing development to be built there by Oberer Homes. The initial plan was for the 53-acre area to contain single-family duplexes and townhouses, with some set aside to create affordable housing. Chappelle, who is a fixture in the audience at council meetings, went to the microphone to vent his frustration.
Referring to his business interests in the town, he asked council members why they would be in favor of the plan as it “kicks out a $65 million-a-year company.” The comedian has an office in downtown Yellow Springs and planned to build a restaurant and comedy club called the Firehouse Eatery. “I cannot believe you would make me audition for you. You look like clowns,” Chappelle shouted. “I am not bluffing, I will take it all off the table.”
The vote on the proposal deadlocked at 2-2, allowing the plans to go forward – without the affordable housing component. In an interview with local news network WHIO7, developer George Oberer said that they will still be able to build single-family homes on the land. In response to reports that Chappelle was opposed to the affordable housing development plans, his publicist Carla Sims released a statement refuting those allegations. “Neither Dave nor his neighbors are against affordable housing, however, they are against the poorly vetted, cookie-cutter, sprawl-style development deal which has little regard for the community, culture, and infrastructure of the Village,” she said. Sims also claimed that only 3 of the proposed 143 lots were being set aside for affordable housing.
Chappelle has been vocal about his opposition to the development, which is slated to be built near his home.
“I’ve invested millions of dollars in town. If you push this thing through, what I’m investing in is no longer applicable,” he said at a previous meeting in December 2021. “I would say that Oberer can buy all of this property from me if they want to be your benefactor because I will no longer want to.”
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