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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Affordable Housing Committee - 07/09/2019Prepared on July 18, 2019 Next meeting: Tuesday, July 23, 2019, 10:00 a.m., City Hall, Champlain Room AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE July 9, 2019, 10:00 AM, City Hall, Champlain Room Members attending: Tom Bailey, Sandy Dooley, Cindy Reid, Michael Simoneau, and John Simson Members absent: Leslie Black-Plumeau, Larry Michaels; and Todd Rawlings Also present: Monica Ostby, Planning Commission liaison, Paula DeMichele, from Essex Town Minutes by Sandy Dooley AGENDA 1. Call to order, emergency procedure, agenda review, comments from guests 2. Review and approval of minutes of 6/18/2019 committee meeting 3. Introduce new member, Cindy Reid 4. Chair’s comments: Report on meeting with Paul Conner 5. Discuss addition to IZ draft regarding congregate housing 6. Discuss 6-months’ accomplishments for annual report content with Sandy Dooley’s draft 7. Discuss 2020 Work Plan 8. Reports and updates by committee members 9. Adjourn 1. Call to order, emergency procedure, agenda review, comments from guests: John called the meeting to order at 10:01 a.m. He reviewed the exit procedures. He then distributed a revised agenda and indicated that he canceled Regina’s part of the agenda as a result of his meeting with Paul Conner. There were no public comments. 2. Review and approval of minutes of 06/18/2019 committee meeting: Mike moved and Tom seconded motion that the minutes of the 06/18/19 meeting be approved as drafted. Motion passed 4- 0-1. (Cindy abstained as she was not yet a committee member on 06/18/19.) 3. Introduce new member, Cindy Reid: John introduced Cindy Reid to those present that did not already know her. Cindy has a strong background in affordable housing, having worked for several years (where she is still employed) at Cathedral Square, whose focus is housing for elders and people with disabilities; and, previous to this, having been employed at Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) for many years. Everyone welcomed Cindy to the committee. 4. Chair’s comments: Report on meeting with Paul Connor: John shared the results of his meeting with Paul Conner. John’s goal had been to obtain Paul’s support for the committee to present its draft Inclusionary Zoning expansion to the Planning Commission on July 23rd. Paul countered with the need to have the Committee’s work considered within the context of the work of Interim Zoning subcommittees. The plan is for the Affordable Housing Committee to present its draft proposal at a joint meeting on August 1st of the City Council, Planning Commission, and Interim Zoning subcommittees and consultants. The Affordable Housing Committee is the only group that has draft LDRs ready for review by the Planning Commission. As a result, the new goal is to present the Committee’s draft proposal to the Planning Commission in late August. 5. Discuss addition to IZ draft regarding congregate housing: John explained that Sandy had made him aware that the Committee’s draft could be interpreted to mean than the Inclusionary requirements do not apply to Congregate Housing (independent living units in developments permitted as congregate housing) because SoBu’s LDRs treat congregate housing as a “Public Use” and not a “Residential Use.” He distributed a draft amendment to the Committee’s proposal that Sandy prepared that would bring these congregate housing units under the Inclusionary rules. The draft uses the same language regarding congregate housing that is already in SoBu’s Housing Preservation LDRs. Tom moved and Mike seconded that Sandy’s draft language be incorporated into the Committee’s proposal. Discussion was overall positive about this addition. Nonetheless, Cindy noted the exclusion of residential care facilities from the Inclusionary requirements and inquired as to the rationale. Sandy responded that, at least at this point, the committee was focusing on housing units in which the residents live independently. Cindy reported that affordable residential care facility accommodations are virtually non-existent and Cathedral Square has become aware of that some private residential care facilities are discharging (effectively evicting) residents when they have exhausted their assets and can no longer pay the monthly rate. Cathedral Square has established an affordable residential care facility in Williston in the former Vermont Respite House location (name is Memory Care at Allenbrook). Members thanked Cindy for bringing this situation to their attention and will consider adding this to their 2020 Work Plan. Motion regarding adding congregate housing language to the Committee’s proposal passed: 5-0-0. John then directed Sandy to forward this language to Regina (Mahoney) for inclusion in the Committee’s draft. 6. Discuss 6-months’ accomplishments for annual report content with Sandy Dooley’s draft: Committee reviewed Sandy’s draft annual report for 7/1/18-6/30/19 and endorsed it with the deletion of goals 5, 6, and 7, for which no work was done during the year. Mike moved and Tom seconded that Sandy’s draft be approved, minus goals 5, 6, and 7. Motion passed: 5-0-0. 7. Discuss 2020 Work Plan: This discussion began with a brief discussion, which Tom initiated, of the process by which the Committee carries out its work. John then shifted discussion to the projects or products that the committee wants to work on from 7/1/19 to 6/30/20. Monica shared that the IZ-TDR subcommittee may recommend a new definition of dwelling unit (defining it by an amount of square footage that would constitute a dwelling unit). This prompted a discussion of AirB&Bs and their effect on the availability of affordable housing and that a house with an absentee owner that s/he rents out as an AirB&B is not a residential use. It was suggested that committee should bring this matter to the attention of the City Council. Monica also indicated that the IZ-TDR subcommittee may recommend that the City establish a rental registry. The original SoBu Affordable Housing Report recommended that the City establish a rental registry. Mike mentioned the IZ-Open Space subcommittee’s work in prioritizing land for conservation may be useful to our committee in prioritizing land (parcels and zoning districts) for development of affordable housing. Tom proposed that the Committee make part of its 2020 Work Plan the creation of a Matrix for land for Affordable Housing comparable to the Matrix that the Open Space subcommittee is developing. Following some exploration of this suggestion, most committee members did not share Tom’s view of its utility. Views shared re accessory dwelling units were mixed. Main negative were that there is no assurance that the units will be affordable and that some ADUs are being used as AirB&Bs. Committee members expressed support for placing high priority on identifying LDR changes that would permit more housing units in single-family zoning districts. Concern was raised about AirB&Bs. The question was asked: once the proposed expansion of Inclusionary Zoning to the Transit Overlay District is accomplished, when will the committee begin work on expanding Inclusionary Zoning to the rest of the City? Some committee members expressed view that the list of work projects being considered is far beyond what the committee can accomplish in a year. Decisions: Based on these discussions John will prepare a draft 2020 Work Plan for committee’s review at its July 23rd meeting. In addition, John will follow up with John Wilking, chair of the SoBu Economic Development Committee about the committee’s desire to have an AH member serve as a liaison to the ED committee. 8. Reports and updates by committee members: Monica shared the TDR subcommittee’s TDR Overlay Map, which shows the areas outside the SEQ to which TDRs might be sent and the zoning changes that would accompany this proposal. She said that the “ethics” principles she developed would be part of this proposal. Committee members viewed the map and conjectured about how the current residents on these zoning districts might react to this proposal. Mike suggested that committee explore the possibility of having property owners whose land is up- zoned (made more valuable) by zoning changes share some of the dividend that results from that up- zoning with the City. 8. Adjourn: At 12:04 p.m. Tom moved and Mike seconded motion that the meeting be adjourned. Motion passed 5-0-0. Bike rack: ● 1/8/19 Emails to K. Dorn and D. Young to be completed by 1/24/19 City: DONE! ● Keep and address at 1/24/19 committee meeting. Work on Committee’s page on the City’s website ● Combine with item immediately above. (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): All bike rack tasks should include date of assignment and date for task completion.