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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAffordable Housing Board - Minutes - 08/07/2003CITY OF FORT COLLINS AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOARD MEETING MINUTES 281 N. College Ave. Fort Collins, Colorado August 7, 2003 4-6p.m. Kay Rios, Chair Isabel Garity, Vice Chair Ken Waido, Staff Liaison, 970-221-6753 Marty Tharp, City Council Liaison, 970-484-5711 Board Members Present: Kay Rios, Jon Fairchild, Isabel Garity, Joe Herbert, Jane Phelan, Denise Rogers, Jeff Taylor and Peter Tippett Advance Planning Staff Present: Maurice Head Council Members Present: Marty Tharp Also Present: Mary Warring, Margie Joy, North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization; Bob Smith, City of Fort Collins Utilities Department Kay Rios called the meeting to order with a quorum present at 4:05 p.m. There was no public discussion. New Busin Minutes Jeff Taylor moved to accept the July 10, 2003, minutes as presented. Peter Tippett seconded, motion carried unanimously, 7-0. North Front Range MPO Public Involvement Plan Mary Warring and Margie Joy distributed materials and presented a draft plan to solicit public input on and build awareness of NFRMPO programs and plans. Projects that will be covered by these adopted, formal standards range from the five-year Transit Improvement Plan to the 20-year Long Range Transportation Plan. Outreach methods will be tailored to each project. The NFRMPO representatives asked for suggestions from the Board on identifying or reaching underserved populations, especially those in need of affordable housing and/or public transportation who have had difficulty attending open public meetings in the past. Marty Tharp suggested using the City Newsletter included with City utility bills. Jon Fairchild suggested using the same method used to generate attendance at public meetings on the City Plan Update, which included officially recognizing and recording attendees' opinions and input. Isabel Garity noted that going to the targeted groups will be a huge undertaking. Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board Aug. 7, 2003 Minutes Page 2 of 5 Comment period is 45 days which ends in mid -September; the plan will be reevaluated every six years. Any suggestions or comments on the materials distributed should be e-mailed to either mjoy@nfrmpo.org or mwarring@nfrmpo.org. Floodplain Regulations and Stormwater Drainage Master Planning Bob Smith returned to answer questions and take suggestions from the Board on materials distributed at the July meeting and the follow-up information on specific drainage basins requested by the Board. Jeff Taylor asked about how problem areas are prioritized in conjunction with development. Mr. Smith said since projects must be completed in a cost- efficient manner, they are ranked by 1. the benefit/cost ratio; 2. the number of structures a project will remove from a floodplain; 3. the number of road crossings affected and 4. what he called a "wild card": If there is the possibility to piggyback onto another department's project, such as the Traffic Department's improvement of the intersection of Drake and Taft Hill Roads, a Stormwater project can move to the top of the list. The consensus of the Board was that the current approach to Floodplain Regulations and the Stormwater Master Plan was reasonable and members were in agreement with proposed changes. Kay Rios thanked Mr. Smith for all the hard work his department has put into updating the regulations and the master plan and the additional information for the Board. Mr. Smith will return to the Board once City Council has provided additional direction on the proposed regulations. I-25 Subarea Plan Kay Rios presented the updated letter from the Board to City Council opposing the proposed UE zoning while supporting the importance of having a plan in place in this area. In response to suggestions from the Board, the following changes were made: In the second paragraph, the third sentence now reads: However, the plan as proposed would not be supported by this board. In the third paragraph, "over 500 acres" was changed to "more than 1250 acres already designated as UE". Ms. Rios will forward the corrected letter to Maurice to be included in the next City Council packet; copies of the final letter will be sent to all members of the AHB. Old Business Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board Aug. 7, 2003 Minutes Page 3 of 5 Sales Tax Revenue/Reduction of Affordable Housing Funding Marty Tharp reported that for July, sales taxes are down while use taxes are up, for an overall .5 percent deficit for the month. City Council will schedule public hearings on the budget in September. Kay Rios asked for suggestions on how to best make the case for restoration of funds for affordable housing. Ms. Tharp said now is a good time, since the Council is considering the upcoming year's policy agenda. She also suggested members of the AHB plan on appearing during the open public testimony portion of Council meetings, to be sure affordable housing issues remain in front of Council and to build support with the public. Kay Rios asked that the Policy Committee meet to develop a plan to approach Council and that the item appear on next month's agenda. City Plan Update Kay Rios reported the Citizens Advisory Committee is wrapping up its recommendations on Principles and Policies within City Plan. There is still no consensus within the CAC on the GMA boundaries, and Ms. Rios felt the overall understanding of affordable housing needs and existing programs among members of the CAC was limited. She once again urged the Affordable Housing Board to snake its own recommendations to City Council on the Principles and Policies, to be sure Council understands the need to maintain options for the future and flexibility to address the needs of decades to come. The Policy Committee will draft the AHB recommendations on the City Plan Update once it is finalized. AHB Work Plan The Board agreed by consensus to discuss the Work Plan in October. Impact Fee Exemption Kay Rios asked that this item remain on the agenda, although it is dependent upon tax revenues and the budget process. Update/Reports on Subcommittee Efforts None. Liaison Reports Kay Rios reported that Dial -A -Ride rural service is going up for bid, and four groups are expected to submit proposals. She explained that the issue is that funding from the City's Office on Aging has run out and, unlike in previous years, service has been cancelled to those living just outside the area served by fixed bus routes rather than continued through to the next funding cycle. Without a contractual agreement with a provider, service to seniors or those Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board Aug. 7, 2003 Minutes Page 4 of 5 covered by ADA requirements is in limbo. Dial -A -Ride representatives are meeting with County Commissioners about possible funding; Marty Tharp will investigate the situation for City Council. Other Business Vacant Land for Affordable Housing Maurice Head presented a Buildable Lands Inventory Report that showed 3,104 acres zoned LMN (low -density mixed -use), the most appropriate zoning for affordable housing projects, within the City's current GMA boundary. However, 37 percent of those acres face development constraints of some kind. Of the remaining acres, Mr. Head estimated that about 80 percent are tracts of 100 acres or more held by single landowners most likely to sell large parcels for market -rate housing. The most appropriate acreage for affordable housing is between five and 15 acres, of which there are "a sprinkling" throughout the City, according to Mr. Head. Therefore, the perception that space for affordable housing is readily available within the current GMA boundaries is not supported, although at first glance, LMN- zoned acres seem plentiful. He added that some developers of large market -rate projects approved with the stipulation that part of the acreage be devoted to affordable housing are now trying to sell those acres to nonprofit organizations such as CARE Housing rather than build affordable units themselves. Marty Tharp mentioned that the possibility of the City adopting inclusionary zoning is still on the table, pending legal review. Kay Rios asked Mr. Head to identify the number of LMN-zoned sites of 15 acres or less, for a presentation to the next meeting of the Citizens' Advisory Committee of the City Plan Update. She will also e-mail the representatives of the NFRMPO for figures on the number of people who live outside Fort Collins and commute to the City for work; Mr. Head will look for this as well. Impact Fees In a personal report, Jon Fairchild has discovered that his scrape -off in Old Town is now subject to all impact fees which were not paid when it was originally built pre-1950, adding approximately $8,000 to his project. This could be a major disincentive to infill and re -development of substandard housing at affordable rates. The Policy Committee will add this to its list of topics. Marty Tharp will also look into it for Council. Board Roster Fort Collins Affordable Housing Board Aug. 7, 2003 Minutes Page 5 of 5 Any changes to the roster distributed in the packet for this meeting should be e-mailed to Maurice at mhead@fcgov.com. Jane Phelan, with the agreement of the Board, thanked Marty Tharp for attending and being involved in Board meetings. Next meeting September 4, 2003, 4 p.m., 281 N. College Ave. Meeting adjourned 5:20 p.m. on a motion by Jeff Taylor seconded by Joe Herbert. Respectfully submitted by Kate Jeracki August 13, 2003 6V-, P-t-) �," d� (_�