HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Affordable Housing Committee - 11/06/2018Approved on December 12, 2018
AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE
November 6, 2018, 10:00 AM, City Hall, Summit Room
Members attending: Tom Bailey, Sandy Dooley, Todd Rawlings, Michael Simoneau, and John Simson
Members absent: Leslie Black-Plumeau, Larry Michaels
Also present: Monica Ostby, PC liaison; Ted Wimpey, Fair Housing Project; Jessica Hyman, Fair
Housing Project; and Annie McAneny, UVM student (amcaneny@uvm.edu)
Minutes by Sandy Dooley
AGENDA
1. Call to order, emergency procedure, agenda review, comments from guests
2. Discuss and plan Committee public messaging and strategy to build support
3. Review and approval of minutes of October 9, 2018 minutes
4. Chair's remarks
5. Discuss and approve draft Inclusionary housing amendments applying only to the Transit
Overlay District
6. Discuss and approve draft City Council resolution and letter from chair
7. Review Bike Rack items
8. New business
9. Adjourn
1. Call to order, emergency procedure, agenda review, comments from guests: John called the
meeting to order at 10:02 a.m. and welcomed Ted Wimpey, Jessica Hyman, and Annie McAneny to
the meeting. John proposed and the committee concurred with changing the order of the agenda so
that what was agenda item 6. “Discuss and plan Committee public messaging and strategy to build
support”, would become agenda item 2., with the numbers for all subsequent items changing
accordingly.
2. Discuss and plan Committee public messaging and strategy to build support: Ted asked for
members’ input re the draft November 3, 2018, application to the Vermont Natural Resources Council
(VNRC) Small Grants for Smart Growth Program that he had prepared. The purpose of the grant
would be for the Fair Housing Program to receive $1,500 that it would use to hire a facilitator (Dianne
Meyerhoff is a possibility) to work with the committee in support the committee’s work in carrying out
public education activities geared to increase public support and understanding of the role that
housing plays in SoBu’s economic and community health with the ultimate outcome of having new
affordably housing units built in SoBu.
John asked if any of the grant funds, if received, would come to the City of SoBu. Ted said ‘no.” Tom
asked about the audience. Ted referenced item 4d) of the draft that mentions “educating residents.”
Tom suggested that “City officials” be included here also. Committee members agreed with Tom’s
suggestion and stated their support for the draft proposal. Sandy moved and Mike seconded that the
committee support the Fair Housing Project’s submission of the application to VNRC as drafted with
the addition of “City officials’ in item 4d). Motion passed 5-0-0. Committee members also thanked
Ted and Jessica for their preparation of the proposal and willingness to support the committee in its
work on messaging.
At this point Jessica shared with members that Annie is a UVM student intern to draft a handbook for
town housing committees. Monica mentioned discussion of affordable housing on the SoBu
Community Watch Facebook page and a commenter’s question, “Is it only for low income? What
about the middle income that can barely keep up?”
3. Review and approval of October 25, 2018 minutes: Tom moved and Todd seconded that the minutes for the
October 25, 2018, committee meeting be approved as written. Motion passed 5-0-0.
4. Chair's remarks: John passed over this agenda item. He cited his desire to have all committee
members present for discussion and possible action on agenda items 5. and 6., and Mike’s need to
leave the meeting early.
5. Discuss and approve draft Inclusionary housing amendments applying only to the Transit Overlay
District: Sandy sent this revision, requested at the October 25 committee meeting, to committee
members on October 30, 2018. Committee members asked for clarification that the only changes
made to the prior version of the proposal were to make the proposed LDR modifications apply only to
districts that underlie the City’s Transit Overlay District and allow residential housing. Sandy assured
committee members that these were on only changes. After a brief discussion, Sandy moved and
Tom seconded that the October 30, 2018, version of the committee’s proposal for Inclusionary Zoning
LDR modifications be approved. Motion passed 5-0-0.
6. Discuss and approve draft City Council resolution and letter from chair: Mike moved and Tom
seconded that the draft Resolution for the City Council be approved. After discussion and members’
agreement on a number of changes to the draft resolution, Mike and Tom withdrew their motion.
Then Tom moved and Todd seconded that modified Resolution be approved. Motion passed 5-0-0.
The Resolution as approved is attached to these minutes. Mike sought members’ input regarding his
sharing of committee’s Resolution and letter with developers. Members were fine with Mike sharing
this information with developers and shared view that this would be constructive outreach as we want
them involved.
Members moved on to the draft letter to the City Council. Following discussion and members’
agreement on a number of changes to the letter, Tom moved and Todd seconded that the modified
letter be approved. Motion passed 5-0-0. The letter as approved is attached to these minutes.
John asked Sandy how soon she could provide him with clean copies of the modified Resolution and
letter. Because Sandy was due to work at the polls at 1:00 p.m., members decided to adjourn early so
that Sandy could send clean copies of modified Resolution and letter to John by 12:45 p.m. on that
day.
7. Review Bike Rack items: due to lack of time, item reserved for a future meeting.
8. New Business: due to lack of time, none discussed.
9. Adjourn: Todd moved and Mike seconded motion to adjourn meeting at 11:39 a.m. Motion
passed unanimously.
“Bike rack”
● Tom will prepare a “Summary” of the proposed changes (from May 29, 2018, meeting minutes)
● work on Committee’s page on the City’s website
● (Quoted from January 23, 2018, meeting minutes) “John asked Mike to prepare a work plan for the
committee to collaborate with Coralee to enhance its effectiveness in communicating with residents
via the City’s website and via other means. The plan should include specific assignments to be
carried out by identified committee members. Mike accepted this assignment.”
Homework (not yet reported on):
● Mike will consult with an accountant regarding what incentives the City might put in place to
encourage owners of undeveloped property to sell land at a “bargain price” to private developers.
● Mike will seek Yves Bradley’s input regarding development of more housing along Shelburne Road
corridor.
(dra ) South Burlington City Council Resolu on
Rela ng to Inclusionary Zoning in the Transit Overlay District
WHEREAS, Interim Zoning in most of the City but not in the Transit Overlay District is likely to focus
development in the City on the Transit Overlay District in the near term; and
WHEREAS, the South Burlington Comprehensive Plan states that “Provision of safe and affordable housing that
is well-matched to residents’ circumstances is an essen al requirement for the City to maintain its quality of
life, retain exis ng businesses and support further economic development, and a ract future residents. A
diversity of housing op ons at a range of price points is a necessary component of any plan to maintain or grow
the local economy”; and
WHEREAS, the Comprehensive Plan includes “targets” that call for the “construc on, by 2025, of 1,080 new
affordable housing units – 840 housing units affordable to households earning up to 80% of Area Median
Income (AMI) and 240 housing units affordable to households earning between 80% and 120% of the AMI”;
and
WHEREAS, the City’s exis ng Inclusionary Zoning in City Center addresses these targets by requiring the
produc on of housing affordable to these households; and
WHEREAS, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau es mates nearly one-third of homeowners and one-half of
renters in South Burlington spend more than 30% of their income on housing, an amount that is considered
unaffordable; and
WHEREAS, the need for more affordable housing in South Burlington has been exacerbated by the widening
gap between housing costs and household incomes; and
WHEREAS, in August, the Affordable Housing Commi ee provided the Planning Commission with dra Citywide
Inclusionary Zoning Land Development Regula ons, which the Affordable Housing Commi ee has recently
modified so that it applies only to zoning districts that underlie the Transit Overlay District; and
WHEREAS, while the City Council values the preserva on of open space, it also recognizes the need to increase
the supply of housing in the City whose prices are within reach of low and moderate income households.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: The City Council hereby requests that
1. The Planning Commission, with the support of the Planning and Zoning Department and simultaneous to its
work rela ng to Interim Zoning, take the steps necessary to expand Inclusionary Zoning through expedi ous
adop on of Inclusionary Zoning in the Transit Overlay District; and
2. The Affordable Housing Commi ee work in collabora on with the Planning Commission and the Planning
and Zoning Department so that the Commi ee shares in the workload necessary to bring about the expedi ous
adop on of Inclusionary Zoning in the Transit Overlay District.
Approved this 13th day of November, 2018.
SOUTH BURLINGTON CITY COUNCIL
_________________________________ ______________________________
Helen Riehle, Chair Thomas Chi enden
__________________________________ ______________________________
Meaghan Emery, Vice Chair David Kaufman
__________________________________
Tim Barri , Clerk
November 6, 2018
Dear City Councilors Riehle, Emery, Barritt, Chittenden, and Kaufman,
I am writing on behalf of The Affordable Housing Committee to propose a very timely resolution for
you to consider along with the four studies assigned to the Planning Commission in the draft interim
bylaws.
At its November 6 meeting the Affordable Housing Committee voted unanimously that this letter and
the attached resolution be sent to the City Council for consideration at the November 13 special
meeting.
The Committee has prepared draft amendments to the LDRs to expand the requirement of larger new
development beyond City Center to include 15% of units to be affordable for households at or near
median income. These requirements would be aimed at meeting the housing needs of City, school,
hospital and other middle income employees in the City.
We recognize that under interim zoning, development will be encouraged and simpler in the transit
overlay districts. If inclusionary zoning is put on the back burner due to the new workload for the
Planning Commission, there will be a lost opportunity for the City to take action to help fulfill the
housing goals of the Comprehensive Plan.
Therefore, we ask that the City Council consider and pass the attached resolution at the November 13
special meeting asking the Planning Commission to take up the modified version of the Inclusionary
Zoning amendments we have prepared in a timely manner as part of their assignment under interim
zoning.
Since late August members of the Affordable Housing Committee have met twice with the Planning
Commission to present and discuss the City-wide Inclusionary Zoning Amendments to the LDRs the
committee had drafted. About four hours of discussion ensued over the two meetings. We had two
main takeaways: The Commission members were in the main favorable to the draft but they did not
want Inclusionary Zoning to apply to the Southeast Quadrant. With that background and
understanding of the issue, we believe the Planning Commission can work, with our help, to
expeditiously approve for public hearing a version of inclusionary zoning limited to the districts under
the Transit Overlay District that permit residential development.
I thank you for your past support and commitment to affordable housing in our City and urge you to
take this additional step.
Best, regards,
John Simson /s/
John Simson
cc: Kevin Dorn, City Manager
Jessica Louisos, Planning Commission chair