Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Affordable Housing Committee - 12/18/2018Approved on January 8, 2019 Next committee meeting: January 8, 2019, 10:00 a.m., City Hall, Champlain Room AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE December 12, 2018, 10:00 AM, City Hall, Champlain Room Members attending: Tom Bailey, Leslie Black-Plumeau, Sandy Dooley, Larry Michaels, Todd Rawlings Michael Simoneau, and John Simson Also present: Monica Ostby, PC liaison; Maida Townsend, State Representative (Chittenden 7-4, airport neighborhood in South Burlington) Minutes by Sandy Dooley AGENDA 1. Call to order, emergency procedure, agenda review, comments from guests 2. Review and approval of minutes of 11/6/18 and 11/29/18 committee meetings 3. Chair’s remarks: status of CVOEO grant, Conduct of meetings 4. Discuss a resolution from the committee to the City Council pointing out the negative impact on housing in the City and Region from interim zoning and requesting a swift end to the measure. 5. Discuss public education measures we can initiate and achieve 6. Review Bike Rack items 7. New Business 8. Adjourn 1. Call to order, emergency procedure, agenda review, comments from guests: John called the meeting to order at 10:03 a.m. He noted how to exit from building. John welcomed Rep. Maida Townsend to the meeting. Everyone introduced him/herself to Maida. 2. Review and approval of minutes of 11/6/18 and 11/29/18 committee meetings: Leslie moved and Mike seconded motion that the minutes of the 11/6/18 and 11/29/18 meetings be approved as drafted. Motion passed 6-0-0. Larry Michaels joined meeting at 11:08 a.m. 3. Chair’s remarks: status of CVOEO grant, Conduct of meetings: John asked for Maida’s advice on maintaining order in committee meetings, noting that discussion at the 11/29/18 meeting had been a bit out of control, a situation for which he accepted responsibility. Maida shared that each member of her legislative committee will indicate by hand motion that s/he would like to speak. The committee’s clerk notes the order in which members make their requests and Maida follows this order in recognizing members. Also, she does not recognize a member to speak a second time until all members have had an opportunity to speak their first time. Affordable Housing members expressed support for adopting this approach to maintaining an orderly discussion during meetings. John reported that CVOEO did not receive the grant to work with the committee because VNRC did not want to get into an environment versus development debate. Tom shared that he had met with Paul Conner as part of his research for serving on the TDR subcommittee for Interim Zoning. John shared that, at its 12/3/18 meeting, the City Council did not adopt committee’s resolution regarding support for moving ahead with Inclusionary Zoning while Interim Zoning is in effect due to concerns relating to insufficient staffing to support completing work on both and likelihood that, without additional staff, adding Inclusionary Zoning to Planning and Zoning staff and the Planning Commission’s Interim Zoning responsibilities would delay completion of Interim Zoning work. Instead, they asked Paul Conner to contact staff at Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) to determine if, via a contract, CCRPC staff might be available to provide assistance in moving forward on adoption of Inclusionary Zoning in the Transit Overlay District. Paul is to report back on CCRPC’s response at the 12/17/18 City Council meeting. Also, we might want to propose a “pared down” version of Inclusionary Zoning via this process. 4. Discuss a resolution from the committee to the City Council pointing out the negative impact on housing in the City and Region from interim zoning and requesting a swift end to the measure: Leslie informed members that VHFA plans to send a letter to the SoBu City Council pointing out negative impacts of Interim Zoning (IZ) and had asked John to put this item on the agenda so that committee members could discuss whether they would support Committee formally endorsing the VHFA letter. A wide-ranging discussion followed during which many subjects/thoughts were expressed, including: ● IZ advocates want fewer residential units allowed in SEQ; this is negative for housing prices and population growth; SEQ is best place in City for additional single-family housing. ● Committee members support principle that any modification of LDRs in which City downzones property must include fair compensation for owners of affected property. ● Only 22 undeveloped lots in SEQ plus UVM land. ● New PUD regulations likely to require minimum densities. ● Why weren’t draft LDRs from 2014 Open Space report not adopted? ● Affordable Housing agenda should have equal priority with Open Space agenda. ● Households with incomes at/under 120% AMI should have housing affordable to them in the SEQ. ● What has happened to Spear Meadows development? It includes smart growth concepts. (Development is in litigation.) ● Dilemma: without change of some sort, TDRs and Inclusionary Zoning compete because both are methods of obtaining more density for development than would otherwise be allowed. ● Members, not necessarily all, expressed discomfort with taking adversarial position toward City Council on its adoption of IZ, though members see more negatives than positives from it. ● Members’ goal is for Inclusionary Zoning to apply in all parts of City with 15% of units available at affordable prices. ● Members want no reduction in the number of housing units allowed from what is permitted under current LDRs. ● Members identified “messaging” as an avenue for increasing support for more housing and more affordable housing. ● There continues to be confusion, especially among SEQ residents, about the 1.2 dwelling units per acre “principle” for the SEQ. Tom moved that the committee endorse the VHFA letter. Due to lack of a second, no action was taken on motion. Members were not ready to endorse a letter they have not seen. (Letter has not yet been drafted.) Larry moved and Leslie seconded a motion that the committee communicate to the City Council the following desired outcomes of the current Interim Zoning process: (1) That the number of dwelling units allowed in the SEQ (1.2 dwelling units over entire SEQ acreage) be maintained; (2) That Inclusionary Zoning that requires 15% of new residential units developed be affordable to households with incomes at or below 120% of AMI apply in the SEQ; and (3) That Interim Zoning last no longer than nine months from its inception. Motion passed 7-0-0. John volunteered to draft the letter and share it with committee members before sending it to the City Council. 5. Discuss public education measures we can initiate and achieve: Tom shared his ideas regarding messaging (via handout). Leslie proposed that Tiffany Manuel’s slides (from VHFA Housing Conference) and Sandy’s The Other Paper Viewpoint, “Household Economics, Savings, and Housing”, be placed on the committee’s webpage. Leslie will email Coralee Holm with this request. Resources mentioned for carrying out public education activities: Front Porch Forum, South Burlington Community Watch Facebook page, VTDigger.org, email via D. Young to school district staff, email via K. Dorn to City staff, focus groups, networks, Burlington Free Press, Cindy Reid (Cathedral Square development director and now a SoBu resident), Michael Shank. Audiences: City Councilors, Planning Commissioners, and general population: what actions/how do we get there/how to approach these audiences? 6. Review Bike Rack items: due to lack of time, committee members were given HOMEWORK to review the Bike Rack before our January 8, 2019 meeting. 7. New Business: None 8. Adjourn: At 1:11 p.m. Sandy moved and Mike seconded motion that the meeting be adjourned. Motion passed 5-0-0 (Larry and Todd were no longer present at meeting). “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.