HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Affordable Housing Committee - 04/10/2018APPROVED on April 17, 2018
NOTE: Date/time/place of next meeting: April 17, 2018, 10:00 a.m., place to be determined
AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE (Special Meeting)
April 10, 2018, 10:00 AM, SoBu Police Department, Community Room
Members attending: Leslie Black-Plumeau, Sandy Dooley, Larry Michaels, Todd Rawlings, Michael
Simoneau, and John Simson (Chair); Member absent: Tom Bailey, PC liaison absent: Monica Ostby
Minutes by Sandy Dooley
AGENDA
1. Call to Order, Emergency exit, agenda review, public comments
2. Review April 3, 2018, minutes for adoption
3. Complete work on City-wide IZ
4. Review Sandy Dooley’s draft of revised density bonus regulations
5. Adjourn
1. Emergency exit, agenda review, public comments: John called the meeting to order at 10:06 a.m.
and summarized emergency evacuation instructions. There were no comments from the public.
2. Review April 3, 2018, minutes for adoption: Leslie moved and Mike seconded that the draft of the
April 3, 2018, meeting minutes be approved. Vote was 5-0-1 with Larry abstaining.
3. Complete work on City-wide IZ: Committee members reviewed the draft and, by consensus,
agreed to the following changes in the draft.
● Regarding the Purpose subsection, approved the addition of new Purpose (1) as proposed in
an email dated April 6, 2018, that Sandy sent to committee members.
● Subsection C.((1) & C(1)(c) – Committee members approved changes Leslie proposed for
these subsections to clarify how rents and home purchase prices are linked to percentage of the AMI.
● Subsection C.(2)(b)(iii) – Committee members approved change that allows inclusionary units
to be constructed in multi-family dwellings in an otherwise single-family housing development as long
as multi-family dwellings are a permitted use in the zoning district. Committee members approved
Sandy’s suggestion to delete duplicative language in this subsection.
● Subsection C.(2)(c) – Committee members approve addition of language that allows the DRB
to approve non-concurrent construction of inclusionary units under limited circumstances and deletion
(for clarity) of “Buildings containing” at beginning of second sentence.
● Subsection D.(1), D,(1)(a), D.(1)(a)(ii), D.(1)(b) & D.(1)(d) – Committee members
noted/approved deletion of duplicate word “eligible”, and approved Leslie’s proposed changes to
clarify how housing costs are calculated and how maximum housing prices and rents are determined,
and deletion of reference to VHFA mortgage rate deleted.
● Subsection D.(2) – Committee members discussed whether, once a household has been
found eligible to rent an inclusionary apartment, located a suitable inclusionary apartment, and moved
in, the regulations should require periodic collection of household income data and determination of
household’s income eligibility to rent an inclusionary unit. Committee members saw positives and
negatives to both approaches—regular income eligibility determinations and doing income eligibility
determinations only when a new household is seeking to rent an inclusionary apartment. Committee
members agreed to have regulations require income eligibility determinations only when a new
household is seeking to rent an inclusionary apartment.
● Subsection D.(2)(b) – Committee members approved changes to subsection that acknowledge
decreased in the MSA measure of area median household income sometimes occur, indicate how
rents are affected when a decrease occurs, and limit City Manager involvement to when property
owner wants an exception to limit on rent increases goes down.
● Subsection D.(2)(b) – Committee members requested modification to allow request for
exception to required decreases in rent.
● Subsection D.(3) – Committee members approved Leslie’s suggested insertion of “move-in”
between “household” and “income” in this subsection.
● Subsection E.(1), E.(1)(a), and E.(1)(b) – Committee members approved addition of “other
equally compelling circumstances” as basis for use of Options (a) and (b), addition of who decides
whether developer may use Option (a) and (b), deletion of reference to decision-making by SoBu City
Council, deletion of obsolete term (South Burlington Affordable Housing Board), clarification of
required value of Dedication, and addition of criteria for allowing Off-Site Construction.
● Subsection E.(1), E.(1)(a), and E.(1)(b) – Committee members approved in (a) insertion of
“suitable for affordable housing” between “land” and “in” in last sentence and in (b) addition of Tom’s
suggested sentence at end, “This condition shall not be considered satisfied until certificates of
occupancy have been issued for all required inclusionary off-site units.”
● Subsection F.(2) – Committee approved addition of “Application” at beginning of heading.
● Subsection F.(3) – Committee approved new subsection naming who is responsible for
decision-making on development applications covered by Inclusionary Zoning bylaw (18.01) and
requested that “Zoning Administrator” be deleted and “Administrative Officer” inserted as substitute.
● Subsection F.(4) – Committee approved new Heading (Ongoing Compliance), addition of
“another municipal entity” as possible entity responsible for ongoing compliance, and designation of
SoBu City Council as decision-maker regarding which entity is responsible for ongoing compliance.
● Committee members did not have time to review addition of item (5) to Section 17.03
Certificates of Occupancy, B., as follows: “Certificates of Occupancy are required for inclusionary
dwelling units constructed in accordance with Section 18.01 C. of these Regulations and the last 10%
of market rate units included within a development covered by Section 18.01 B.(1).”
4. Review Sandy Dooley’s draft of revised density bonus regulations: Due to lack of time, Committee
did not do thorough review of density bonus draft. Committee agreed that the density bonus should
be an entitlement as long as it does not result in noncompliance with zoning requirements that the
DRB cannot waive via the PUD process. Committee agreed that it wants to add density bonuses for
developments in which all inclusionary units are offered at the 80% of AMI level. Sandy and Leslie
were tasked with developing language to accomplish this.
Committee needs more time to come to decision on whether it wants to continue or modify the
following language in the current Density Bonus section of SoBu’s land development regulations:
“Within the Residen al 1 and Residen al 2 zoning districts, the provisions of this Sec on 13.14 18.01 shall
apply only to proper es of five (5) acres or more, and the maximum allowable residen al density with or
without such a density increase shall be four (4) dwelling units per acre.”
Committee members are tasked with giving consideration to this question before the April 17th committee
meeting. Sandy offered to research what density maximums apply to the residential zoning districts in the City.
5. Adjourn – Mike moved and Leslie seconded motion that the meeting be adjourned. Committee
approved motion unanimously (5-0-0) (Todd left at noon) at 12:03 p.m.
“Bike rack”
● 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.