WHITEHALL, Ohio (WCMH) — Whitehall approved three tax breaks for a controversial housing development, but community members opposing the construction say the fight is not over.

Whitehall saw a crowded city council meeting April 15 as council members voted on tax breaks for the nearly 50-unit Fairway Cliffs development. Council approved collecting Fairway Cliffs’ taxes separately for 45 years to fund a city-backed HOA and pay for the upscale development’s upkeep. Fairway Cliffs will also be exempt from property taxes for 15 years.

All three ordinances passed 4-2 with one abstaining, so council candidate and longtime Fairway Cliffs opponent Holly Stein said there is still a chance for community action. The ordinances failed to receive a super majority, so the emergency declarations attached to the ordinances were removed. Without those declarations, citizens are able to bring the ordinances to a referendum, which Stein intends to do.

A referendum is a citizen vote on an issue, which citizens can place on the ballot with enough signatures, equal to 10% of all voters who participated in the last mayoral election. Stein intends on getting more than enough; although they only need 283 signatures for a referendum, she’s aiming for 600.

To reach her goal, Stein and other Fairway Cliffs opponents are hosting a drive-through petition signing event Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Whitehall residents who oppose the Fairway Cliffs tax breaks can drive up to 831 Fairway Blvd. to participate in the “Right to Referendum” signing event.

Signatures must come from registered Whitehall voters, and interested participants will sign three individual petitions, one for each tax break.

Stein said she understands Easter may complicated residents’ abilities to attend, so there will be at least one other event after this weekend. She said they are hosting the first on Sunday because they only have 20 days from April 15 to gather enough signatures. Undeterred, Stein hopes to do it in 10 days.

Stein has not yet announced the following dates but is promoting the events on Whitehall Facebook groups with the promise of more information shortly.