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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Affordable Housing Committee - 01/09/2018Approved with correction January 23, 2018 NOTE: Date/time/place of next meeting: January 23, 2018, 10:00 a.m., City Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE January 9, 2018, 10:00 AM, City Hall Members attending: Tom Bailey, Leslie Black-Plumeau, Sandy Dooley, Larry Michaels, Todd Rawlings, and John Simson (Chair) Member absent: Michael Simoneau Others attending: Monica Ostby, Planning Commission liaison Minutes by Sandy Dooley AGENDA 1. Welcome (including emergency evacuation information) 2. Review of and action on minutes of December 12, 2017, committee meeting 3. Comments and questions from the public not related to the agenda 4. Agenda Review and Chair's comments 5. Update on Housing Preservation amendment 6. Discuss City-wide inclusionary housing amendment (Tom Bailey’s draft) 7. Other business 8. Adjourn 1. Welcome: John called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. and summarized emergency evacuation instructions. 2. Review of and action on minutes of December 12, 2017, committee meeting: Leslie moved and Todd seconded that the minutes for the December 12, 2017, meeting be approved as drafted. Motion passed unanimously. 3. Comments, etc.: There were no comments from the public. 4. Agenda Review and Chair’s comments: The agenda was accepted as proposed. John shared the following: a. Coralee Holms, City Public Information Officer, will be coming to next meeting (1/23) to discuss the committee’s public education efforts. b. The City Manager supports the committee’s proposal to waive, in whole or part, Impact Fees for affordable rental housing developments under specified circumstances. City Attorney, Andrew Bolduc is preparing the draft ordinance. c. On December 18, 2017, John made pitch to City Council for increased funding (to $250.00 for FY19) and penny on property tax for City’s Housing Trust Fund, as endorsed unanimously by motion of the committee at December 12, 2017, meeting. Councilors are supportive of affordable housing but do not support either of these initiatives at this time. They are including $50,000 for the Trust Fund in the proposed FY19 City budget. d. Councilor Meaghan Emery shared with John and Sandy (at CC meeting with John via email with both) her concern that City policy does not promote the use of City resources to promote the development of affordable single-family housing in the City. Sandy’s input in discussion was that partnering with Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity may be the most viable means of promoting affordable single-family housing in South Burlington. e. Monica shared that the Planning Commission, at its meeting that evening, would be voting on whether to bring to public hearing an LDR amendment that would allow changes to the T3 regulations (part of Form Based Codes in City Center) that would allow Carriage House structures provided specified conditions are met. Committee members were not clear on what is intended and wonder whether “Carriage House” rule would be similar to Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) rule. Larry sees parking as a legitimate issue vis-à-vis ADUs. Monica put forth idea of allowing Carriage Houses development in T3 district only if some affordability provision is met. Sandy indicated that she would be attending the Planning Commission meeting that evening and would raise this subject when the proposed change allowing Carriage Houses is discussed. f. The Regional Planning Commission is sponsoring an Affordable Housing Workshop on January 29th. John encouraged committee members to attend. He will raise subject of forming regional group re affordable housing with Regina Mahony (of CCRPC), who is coordinating the workshop. g. John said the committee’s Annual Report and 2018 Work Plan are due by January 18th. He said he would prepare a draft, share it with committee for comments, make appropriate changes, and submit the report and work plan by the due date. Sandy read the City Council’s charge for the committee (when the Council established it on May 2, 2016). h. Relative to the “Undertake measures to educate the public” part of the charge, Todd raised question: how does a City resident know if our work is producing results? A committee member mentioned the attractive and informative insert about new City services/accomplishments that was included with property tax bills. Larry suggested that we propose a separate insert about the committee and the need for more affordable housing in the City. Committee agreed we need a “white paper” on why SoBu needs more affordable housing; paper should include a statistical overview of how housing costs in SoBu compare to household income and related data. 5. Update on Housing Preservation amendment John indicated that the Housing Preservation amendment is included in the package of proposed LDR amendments that the Planning Commission will be deciding, at its meeting this evening (January 9th), whether to put forth at a warned Public Hearing. John indicated that these amendments include the changes agreed to when John, Sandy, and Monica met with Paul Connor a few weeks ago. Monica stated that she wants to be able to tell the Planning Commission that the committee supports the proposed Housing Preservation amendment as drafted, including the most recent changes. The committee then reviewed the proposed Housing Preservation amendment. The committee was supportive of the amendment as a whole including the most recent changes, with one exception. This exception is the language highlighted below. “(3) Contribution to the Housing Trust Fund. Payment of an amount equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the fee-appraised (within the 12 months prior to request for demolition) value of the premises to the City of South Burlington’s Housing Trust Fund for each dwelling unit that is removed, demolished, or converted to nonresidential use or nonuse.” The committee’s concern came about because no committee member understood what “fee-appraised value” means and how it would be put into operation. In light of this situation, the committee developed the following substitute (highlighted) language to replace the highlighted wording above. “(3) Contribution to the Housing Trust Fund. Payment of an amount equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the higher of (1) the most recent assessed valuation as modified by the CLA (Common Level of Appraisal), including the value of the land, or (2) the most recent sales price of the premises to the City of South Burlington’s Housing Trust Fund for each dwelling unit that is removed, demolished, or converted to nonresidential use or nonuse.” Leslie moved and Todd seconded that the committee’s concern about the current language and its endorsement of this substitute language be communicated to Planning Commission for consideration at its meeting this evening. The committee approved the motion by a unanimous vote (6-0-0). One member was absent. Monica suggested that Sandy send an email to Paul Conner immediately following the committee’s meeting communicating this motion and the basis for it, with the hope that Paul would be able to review it, prior to the Planning Commission meeting, with the SPF attorney that has been working on these LDR amendments. The goal is to have the proposed substitute language be the language that is included in what is warned for the Public Hearing. 6. Discuss City-wide inclusionary housing amendment (Tom Bailey’s draft) Due to lack of adequate time, Tom’s draft received only cursory review. Some typo-type corrections were shared: (1) deletion from A.(4) and E.(1)(b) of “in the City Center Form Based Codes District”, (2) where “South Burlington Land Trust” appears changing it to “South Burlington Housing Trust Fund”, (3) B.(1)(c)(i) in the fourth line, change “peermit” to “permit.” Substantive discussion focused on whether the Inclusionary Housing rules should be the same for all districts in the city, including the City Center Form Based Codes District. There are differences between the Inclusionary Housing rules now in place for the City Center Form Based Codes District and the “City-wide” Inclusionary Housing rules Tom drafted. These relate in particular to provisions in 18.01, subsection E. Developer Options, (1) “A payment and or contribution in lieu of constructing required inclusionary units shall be prohibited.” (this applies only to City Center Form Based Codes District) and E. Developer Options, (1) (a) Dedication. In addition, Monica proposed that the committee review and consider modifying 18.01, subsection C.(2)(b)(iv). Note: (iv) in this subsection should be (iii). 8. Other business: Previous to the meeting Tom Bailey had met with Andrew Gill of O’Brien Brothers. Mr. Gill had expressed a willingness to meet with the committee to discuss ideas for incentives and process simplification for developers of housing. While not issuing an invitation, Tom had told Gill the date and time of our next meeting, which Gill penciled into his calendar. John agreed to contact Gill and invite him to our January 23rd meeting. Homework (unfinished): ● 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. 9. Adjourn – Sandy moved and Leslie seconded that the meeting be adjourned. Committee approved motion unanimously at 12:06 p.m.