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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 03/06/2003MEETING MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD 281 N. College Ave. March 6, 2003 Kay Rios, Chair Isabel Garity, Vice Chair Ken Waldo, Staff Liaison, 970-221-6753 Marty Tharp, City Council Liaison, 970-484-5711 Board Members Present: Kay Rios, Isabel Garity, Jon Fairchild, Joe Hebert, Jane Phelan, and Jeff Taylor Advance Planning Staff Present: Ken Waido, Maurice Head Council Members Present: None Also Present: Brian Woodruff, Environmental Planner, and Zoe Shark, Education and Outreach Coordinator, City of Fort Collins Natural Resources Department; Lou Stitzel, The Resource Assistance Center; Grace Harris, League of Women Voters. Kay Rios called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m. New Business Minutes The minutes from Feb. 7, 2003, were corrected to read: In public comments, the next to last sentence now reads: The Affordable Housing Board recommendation to Council on City Plan characteristics supports expansion of local transit. Under Liaison Reports, Senior Advisory Board is now "a good group for the advocacy subcommittee to work with." Jeff Taylor moved to accept the minutes as amended, Joe Herbert seconded, motion carried unanimously. Radon Resistant New Construction -- presented by Brian Woodruff and Zoe Shark Radon gas in homes is the nation's second leading cause of lung cancer; an estimated 4,000 cases per year can be attributed to long- term radon exposure. Colorado's geology has earned most of the state, including Fort Collins and Larimer County, a Level 1 (highest expected levels) rating from the EPA. The City's Building Code is being brought into conformance with the International Residential Code, scheduled for adoption by City Council in July 2003. As part of that update, Natural Resources proposes to mandate all new homes be radon resistant. The proposal requires inclusion of the basic components of a passive radon reduction system -- gravel beneath the slab, polyethylene between slab and gravel, sealing and caulking, vent pipe running from beneath the slab through the roof, and junction boxes to power an inline fan and warning device if needed -- in all new residential construction. Such an ordinance was requested by Council and is part of the Air Quality Action Plan. Natural Resources will make a presentation on radon -resistant new construction to City Council at its May 13 study session. The estimated cost of the proposed passive system is between $300 and $500 per unit, and is expected to lower indoor radon levels by 50 percent. Inclusion of the fan, which makes the system active, is estimated to cost an additional $200 and to further reduce radon levels by an additional 35 to 40 percent, for an overall reduction between 85 and 90 percent. The proposed ordinance leaves the installation of the fan to the discretion of the homeowner, but requires all necessary wiring and clearances be in place to allow for such installation. Radon mitigation in existing homes costs an estimated $1000 to $2500, and the ordinance requiring radon information be provided to buyers of existing homes has resulted in increased testing and mitigation. Under the current voluntary system, fewer than 10 percent of homes built in Fort Collins in 2002 -- 73 of 1200 -- incorporated radon -resistant construction methods. The proposed ordinance contains no performance standards or testing requirements, and deals only with single-family detached dwellings. Single-family attached and multiple dwelling units will be addressed in a subsequent upgrade of the Building Code, in about six to nine months. Because more affordable housing units are apartments, condos and townhomes than single-family dwellings, there was strong support from the Board to include radon -resistant requirements for larger footprint buildings as well. It is much more costly to retrofit individual units for radon mitigation than to include the passive system for the entire building from the beginning. The issues still to be resolved are mostly ones of active -system ownership -- who pays for installation of a fan and the electricity to run it -- rather than engineering, and such issues are not mandated in the Building Code. Jon Fairchild expressed reservations about requiring systems for buildings without basements, which pose a lower risk of accumulating radon particles at dangerous levels. Zoe Shark asked for other organizations that should be contacted for input on the issue. The board suggested the Larimer County Affordable Housing Coalition as the best place to start. In response to a question from Jeff Taylor and a request from Kay Rios, Ken Waido will ask Felix Lee, the City's chief building official, for more information on any aspects of the building code update that could increase costs of construction. city Plan Update Ken Waido announced that the public hearing on the final City Plan Update characteristics developed by the Citizens Advisory Committee will be held at the Council's March 18 session, at which time Council is expected to adopt the characteristics. The final wording on Characteristic HN3, for which the Affordable Housing Board had suggested alternate wording is: Additional programs to provide affordable housing within the community are actively promoted through the creation of public investment and policy changes, increasing housing supply and variety. Kay Rios reported on the discussion at the Feb. 26 CAC meeting, at which the CAC recommended that the existing Growth Management Area boundary is retained except for possible expansion to add the CSU Foothills Campus and a portion of the Fossil Creek CPA (DRP5), and that the GMA boundary be reviewed and if necessary modified according to pre -established criteria and/or procedures in conjunction with comprehensive updates of City Plan (DRP7). The CAC struck reference to Subarea Plan implementation from DRP7, and spent a great deal of time discussing the boundaries of the Fossil Creek CPA, which extends a half -mile south of Hwy. 32 and is covered by an intergovernmental agreement with Larimer County. The sentiment among some members of the CAC is to restrict the criteria for GMA modification to acquisition of open space only. Kay suggested that the Affordable Housing Board should become actively involved in the process of establishing the criteria, which will be part of Phase II of the City Plan Update. Jeff Taylor moved that the Affordable Housing Board write an additional short memo to Council in support of Characteristic DRP7 with the reinstatement of reference to Subarea plans. Jane Phelan seconded; the motion passed unanimously. Jon Fairchild will circulate the memo by e-mail so it can be included in the Council's March 18 packet. Affordable Housing Board's City Council Retreat Ideas The Board discussed the ideas sent by Isabel Garity via e-mail for issues to include on the agenda for the City Council's retreat after the April 8 election. With two minor change -- Item 2 now reads: As you consider the City Plan and Master Transportation Plan Updates please consider the effects of decision on affordability of living -- the e-mail was approved. Isabel Garity will make the changes discussed and e-mail the revised version to Ken Waido for inclusion in the information packet for the Council retreat. City Budget Preparation Kay Rios suggested the City Manager's request for suggestions on key budget issues for 2004 and 2005 be sent to the Policy and Advocacy Subcommittees. She also asked Board members to bring questions and ideas to the April Board meeting for discussion with Cameron Gloss of the Current Planning Department. Old Business Sales Tax Revenue/Reduction of Affordable Housing Funding An update should be available in April, according to Maurice. AHB Recommendations for Improvement Maurice reported that the Housing Authority has sent letters to all Section 8 properties, and is keeping in touch quarterly to make sure the city has first chance to buy affordable projects that come on the market. Update/Reports on Subcommittee Efforts None Liaison Reports Isabel reported on the Planning and Zoning Board's discussion of 1.9 acres on the northeast corner of Lincoln and Lemay, in the East Mulberry Corridor. The property owners withdrew a request to rezone from industrial to low -density mixed use. Other Business Distribution of Applications for Competitive Process Spring Cycle Ken passed out packets for the four applications for funding of affordable housing projects for Board comment. Members will review the information. A special meeting will be held on March 27 to discuss the proposals and finalize the list of priority recommendations as well as questions or comments to the Community Development Black Grant Commission and City Council. Land Bank Program Update Maurice reported that the deal for Horsetooth Stables has closed. That brings the total acreage in the Land Bank to 30 acres, which will allow construction of 300-360 affordable housing units. A fourth site that would bring an additional eight acres to the program is under consideration. Next meeting Special meeting to discuss CDBG applications and recommendations, March 27, 2003, 4 p.m., at 281 N. College. Next regular Board meeting April 3, 2003, 4 p.m., at 281 N. College. Meeting adjourned 5:45 p.m. 7 �( Respectfully submitted by (02� �Kate Jeracki Marking her one-year anniversary as recorder for the AHB March 19, 2003