![Comedian Dave Chappelle addresses Yellow Springs village council over affordable housing [Twitter Screenshot NYC South Paw]](https://images.dailycaller.com/image/width=960,height=411,fit=cover,f=auto/https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Screen-Shot-2022-02-10-at-9.37.20-AM-e1644504080219.png "Comedian Dave Chappelle addresses Yellow Springs village council over affordable housing [Twitter Screenshot NYC South Paw]")
Comedian Dave Chappelle came under fire after he threatened Monday to pull back his investments into an Ohio village where a housing development is set to be built.
Chappelle and several other residents of Yellow Springs petitioned the village council to not approve plans to include affordable housing in a new Oberer Homes development project that will sprawl 53 acres, according to Dayton Daily News. The village wanted to include affordable housing in the proposed development, but local residents reportedly pushed back, with the village council ultimately voting 2-2 on the plan.
Chappelle previously expressed concerns about the entire housing development during a December village council meeting, noting that he had “many business interests in town” in addition to living near the development area, according to WHIO TV.
“I just want to say I am adamantly opposed to it,” Chappelle reportedly said at the time. “I have invested millions of dollars in town. If you push this thing through, what I’m investing is no longer applicable.”
Iron Table Holdings, an LLC owned by the comedian, purchased an old fire station in December in Yellow Springs, where he planned to open a restaurant called called “Firehouse Eatery” and a comedy club, according to Dayton Daily News. (RELATED: Dave Chappelle Slams Attacks Over ‘Closer’ Being About LGBTQ Community)
Dave Chappelle personally came to a city council meeting and threatened to remove his $65m dollars of investments from his city if they allowed a developer to move forward with an affordable housing program. The objection wasn’t to the build, but the affordable housing component. https://t.co/3ahCy1KqmN pic.twitter.com/l8MTxhhlJ7
— grimm (@ExileGrimm) February 9, 2022
“I don’t know why the village council would be afraid of litigation from a $24 million-a-year company while it kicks out the $65 million-a-year company,” Chappelle told village council members Monday as they considered a version of the plan that included affordable housing. “I cannot believe you would make me audition for you. You look like clowns.”
“I am not bluffing,” Chappelle told the village council. “I will take it all off the table.”
Some residents said Monday they were concerned with traffic, as well as possible issues with a homeowner’s association and water management, according to Dayton Daily News. Others said they didn’t think the council and Oberer included them enough in the planning, the outlet reported.
Following the Monday vote, the project will include 143 single-family homes, all of which will start at around $300,000, according to the Dayton Daily News. Had the village council approved the affordable housing units, the development project would have been 64 single-family homes, 52 duplexes and 24 townhomes along with 1.75 acres of land that would be used to build affordable housing at a later time, the outlet reported.