HousingPartnershipMinutes2001NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
January 16, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Don Bianchi, Richard Abuza, Joe
Defazio, Joel Feldman, Fran Volkmann, Yvonne Freccero, Peg Murray, Nola
Reinhardt. Also present, potential member Vera Crane and Peg Keller, staff.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. There was no one present
for the public comment period. Mr. Hornor noted that he had sent a letter to the
City Council regarding the proposed zoning changes. He asked if anyone could
attend the public comment period at the City Council meeting Thursday, as he
cannot. The second reading will be in two weeks.
Sub-Committee Reports
Planning-Yvonne reported on 2 issues. She said the letter to go with the
applications has been given to the Mayor for review. The other involves the
efforts of the Housing Advisory Coalition regarding Smith College.
Fran described a committee that has existed at Smith for 10 years that addresses
community policies. The group has recently added a representative from the
City, which is Fran. The plan is to discuss this committee with the Housing
Advisory Coalition and get a representative from each (the Housing Partnership,
HAC and the Smith Community Council). The next step will be for a sub
committee of HAP to meet with the Planning Sub-committee of the Partnership.
Richard reiterated his point that in order to counter the trend of Smith
encroaching into adjacent residential neighborhoods, assistance to small property
owners must be considered. More discussion will follow.
Jack has contacted John Heaps, President of Florence Savings Bank about
meeting with the Chamber's Economic Development Committee, which he chairs.
Jack will continue efforts to set up a meeting.
BeaverBrook Subdivision/ the Planning Board is working with the developer on
three different proposals. The developer is investigating the tax advantages of
including some affordable housing. Joel said he has nothing to report as of yet,
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regarding his research on tax benefits of donating land for affordable housing.
Don said that donated land could get a tax break for the difference between
below market sales and the appraised value. That difference becomes the
charitable deduction. The question was raised, can the Affordable Housing Trust
take gifts of land. Don differentiated between legal ability and operational
capacity. Peg M. will check.
Discussion followed about the Meadowbrook Apartments. If the owner decides to
prepay the mortgage any time soon, the tenants will need reliable information.
Members wondered if the City Council would be willing to revisit the Home Rule
Petition. Joel said that Expiring Use Properties is a topic on the agenda of a
meeting this week of a coalition of legal services lawyers. Peg will circulate the
list of other expiring use properties that were initially impacted by the previous
home rule petition.
Zoning/ Jack suggested a P.R.piece on accessory apartments. Fran added that
they could help to counter tax increases and add to the inventory of affordable units. It was suggested that those that aresonded to the NHP mailing indicating
an interest in contacting their legislators, and the Gazette should be used to get
the word out. Richard said that accessory apartments increase the inventory,
provide an income stream for the property owner and provide a type of
cohousing situation for people who do not want to live alone.
State Hospital/ Jack will go to the Citizen's Advisory Council meeting on February
21st, as Don is unable to attend.
Implementation Committee
Peg Murray said the committee would meet and review their charge. Peg K. said
that the Partnership should feel free to revisit the committee structure overall, as
she and Jack would welcome feedback about its effectiveness.
Discussion continued around the zoning issue. Jack read the letter he sent to the
City Council on behalf of the Partnership. Fran thanked him for it and expressed
her appreciation that it held content. Flag lots were discussed.
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Misc. Items
Regional Connections/ Jack said because the issue of affordable housing is a
broad one, other perspectives from outside Northampton would be valuable to
ascertain. Don said that there are many statewide organizations and that we
should not reinvent the wheel. CHAPA (Citizen's Housing and Planning
Association), MAHA (Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance) and other
Partnerships (such as Amherst) were mentioned. Rep. Nagle's apparent lack of
interest was discussed.
Peg Murray suggested that understanding the region and the relationship
between towns and Northampton, i.e. population shifts, would be beneficial to
know. A presentation by the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission would be
interesting. Peg K. will follow-up. Fran suggested there is much on the inter-net.
Membership/ Jack wants to create a packet for members with a "job description"
and general information about the Partnership, to facilitate orientation. He would
also like to include a few biographical notes about the current members.
All present introduced him/her self to Vera Crane, who is interested in becoming
a member. Ms. Crane briefly presented her ideas about the affordability of
modular housing.
Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 9:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
February 20, 2001
Members present: Jack Hornor, Richard Abuza, Vera Crane, Yvonne Freccero,
Martha Acklesberg, Peg Murray, Don Bianchi, Nola Reinhardt. Also present, Peg
Keller, staff, Erin Kemple, Housing Discrimination Project and Chris Myers from
the Housing Authority.
Call To Order/ Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. and
welcomed the guests. Members introduced themselves. He then asked Ms.
Kemple to present information regarding fair housing activity in the City.
Highlights of her comments are as follows: -The City utilizes CDBG funding each year for the Housing Discrimination
Project to do fair housing work in the City
The agency is based in Holyoke and it serves central and western Mass.
They received 317 complaints last year. The number has increased in the
homeownership and lending realm.
Specifically, one complaint in Northampton was described in an Advocate
article. The complaint occurred as a result of a local family asking their
landlord for a lead paint test to protect their infant; the landlord response
was to put the house on the market. There was not a clear case to
pursue, as there was no clear connection between the requirement to
delead and the house being listed, but still problematic for the family.
90% of the complaints in Northampton result from families being denied
housing due to the ( alleged) presence of lead paint
HDP is talking to United Cooperative Bank to see if they will develop a
program to assist low income households with deleading
The remaining 10% of the complaints are from disabled people living in
housing in need of reasonable accommodation
Issues related to pets and chemical sensitivity have been raised
The need for ramps have been the most frequent type of call for
accommodation
HDP and HUD are also investigating the practices of a property owner that
has an inventory of condo units in Northampton who is steering Latino
families with children from Greenfield to Northampton.
A big problem nationally is predatory lending
This is a concern for Northampton elders who are subject to phone and
mail solicitation encouraging them to refinance or take a second mortgage
that could result in the eventual loss of the house.
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-The target population is people over 62, woman over 60 and people of
color of any age.-She has heard of cases where people moving out of subsidized housing,with English as a second language, sign financing plans with big balloon
payments they are not aware of.-This has happened in Holyoke, Springfield and in the east-Predatory lending practices seem to be moving up the Valley-Another segment at risk are those that receive the first time homebuyerinstruction, but are approached 1-2 years later with offers to refinance-People think that the mortgage companies are full service mortgagecompanies, but they are merely mortgage brokers and are not able to
offer multiple products
Members then made comments. Yvonne suggested Erin talk to the Council on
Aging to make sure this information gets out to the elder community. (Jack
did follow-up and gave that info. to Erin). An article in Elder Vision would be a
great mechanism to accomplish that.
Erin noted that the City's focus on funding first time homebuyer efforts with CDBG funds results in people who are educated; it is those who are
uneducated that are the most vulnerable.
Richard suggested that the banks with the better reputations should impart
information about what to be aware of in their mortgage outreach efforts and
advertising. Peg Murray responded that there is a lot of discussion about
these issues in the Mass. Banking Commissioners Assoc. and the problem is that the mortgage companies are not fully regulated the way banks are.
Erin said that with the division of banks, new regulations have resulted that may curtail some of the undesirable activities, but cracks will still exist and
education is needed. For those people finding themselves already in financial
trouble, litigation strategies are being pursued on case by case bases to get those households back to base levels.
Nola said the Gazette would cover a particular persons story. Martha said that
Casa Latina might sponsor a forum. Nola suggested that information could be
included with property transfers. Richard said that people who have been victimized could be identified through the Registry of Deeds.
Erin said that a professor at Mount Holyoke is working with students to see
where mortgages are made and will use HMDA data. They are working with
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FNMAE also. The City of Springfield is providing counseling for people with properties in foreclosure. Run down properties are identified, and owners are
targeted. Banks support consumer credit counseling. She also noted that class action cases are being tried with individual companies to get them to
reform practices in entire regions. She expects more deterrent tools to appear down the road, but education and prevention are needed now.
Richard said that households appearing on the tax delinquent list for sewer
and water charges, which is public record, are probably people potentially in
trouble.
In conclusion, Peg K. agreed to circulate HDP quarterly reports to the
Partnership and to bring the scope of services for the next contract to them for input. She reiterated for the newer members, that the Partnership, serves
as the City's Fair Housing Committee as well.
Nola asked about local lead paint efforts. Richard said that the State program (CLPPP) is actually an impediment to solutions and that legislative advocacy
could be pursued. He said there is information on the UMass Housing Web site. Erin was thanked for her attendance and presentation.
Sub-Committee Reports
Planning/ Yvonne reported that Ann Shanahan, Community Relations person at Smith College told her that Smith has expressed a desire to work with the
City and recognizes that Smith's real estate activity impacts the City. 12
properties have been recently acquired, comprising 52 units (!). She confirmed that the plan is to buy more. Ms. Shanahan said that there are no
immediate plans to change the uses of those buildings in the next 3-4 years.
There has been discussion with the Trustees and some type of action will be taken at the October meeting of the Trustees. As a result, Yvonne suggested
holding off on Task Force activity until Ann can offer specifics about what Smith plans to do.
Members then discussed the role of the Partnership vs. that of the Mayor and how to avoid duplicating efforts. Yvonne said that the Mayor is informed and
the information stated above has been relayed to the Housing Advisory
Coalition. Richard and Jack agreed that all should work in concert, but
thought Partnership efforts should continue.
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Beaverbrook Subdivision/ The developers Attorney sent a letter committing
them to three lots of affordable housing. What the plan is from this point on
is not known.
Implementation/ The Flag lot ordinance has been referred back to the
Partnership from the City Council. Richard said he spoke to the Planning Office to find out more about what currently exists as opposed to what is
proposed. Flag lots will still need a special permit and will not be allowed by
right. He said the opposition comes with the linkage component. The Council
also balked at moving ahead on something the Planning Board was divided
on. Richard spoke to Alex Ghiselin who said the Council did not see the
connection between flag lots and affordable housing. Richard said that if the
NHP feels strongly about flag lots being proposed in this way, we would have
to lobby with the Planning Board and City Council. Peg K. noted that Wayne
had mentioned having a joint meeting between the three entities for a
broader discussion. She will follow-up.
With regard to Richards' idea about the elder home acquisition program, Peg
K.said that she had asked Wayne for permission to use City Solicitor time for
research and he had come up with a different concept. Richard said Wayne
should be invited to the next meeting to flesh that out and expressed his
disagreement with the philosophy that legal assistance should only be
secured at the end of a process, rather than during.
Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 9:05 p.m. The next meeting will be
held March 20th, 2001.
Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Meeting Minutes March 20, 2001
Members Present: Chairman Jack Hornor, Don Bianchi, Richard Abuza, Peg Murray,
Joseph Defazio, Fran Volkmann, Vera Crane.
Staff: Michael Owens, Wayne Feiden
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at approximately 7:00pm.
Public Comment
No members of the public were present.
Westhampton Road
The Chairman then asked to adjust the agenda to allow Wayne to talk about a project on
Westhampton Road. There being no objections Wayne presented the following:
The City has purchased land adjacent to the landfill and will use $160,000 in CDBG funds to secure the development rights to four parcels. The City is proposing the development of three single-family homes with accessory units available for homeownership. The fourth parcel is proposed to be sold at market rate.
The project meets several City objectives, extending the life of the landfill; creating a
buffer zone of conservation land between the landfill and an existing residential
neighborhood; and development of affordable housing available for homeownership.
Wayne then discussed a cluster development vs. a comprehensive permit, density issues,
condo models, lot sizes and the overall concept plan.
The Implementation Committee reported that they were generally in favor of the plan as presented. Don Bianchi saw some logic to a mixed income development ( one market rate
lot). Richard asked about lot shapes based on the cluster model and the comprehensive permit process. Joe asked why the City was proposing a market rate lot, because of environmental justice issues or to recapture funds. Michael Owens noted that the decision to designate one lot as market rate was a result of various issues including environmental justice, neighborhood density, lack of public facilities in the area, limited public transportation and the need to recapture some program income for other potential
projects.
The Chair then asked members to contact Wayne or Peg over the next two weeks to offer further feedback on this project and asked for consensus on the current plan. The majority of members present felt that all four lots should be available for affordable
housing and were not in favor of a market rate lot. One member noted that if funds were to be recaptured from this effort they should be considered for a project increasing the amount of affordable rental housing.
Planning Committee Report
Fran Volkmann discussed the Smith College initiative and thinks the process should
move forward including collaboration with the Mayor's office to identify useful roles.
Ann Shanahan of Smith College is willing to meet with the sub committee and is also meeting with the Mayor. Fran reported that the Smith College Board of Trustee's may interested in working on the issue of affordable housing. The new Chairperson is Gloria Steinham. Unfortunately because of the leadership change at Smith it is unlikely that
major decisions will be made on the Smith initiative until a new president is chosen which could take up to a year. Fran recommends keeping the momentum going.
Implementation Committee Report
Don reported that both Peg and Wayne have raised the issue of opening doors and reaching out to local banks to discuss financing opportunities. Getting local CDC's,
Habitat for Humanity, private developers and others involved in looking at CDBG in
conjunction with local financing is important. Topics such as the Land Trust project on South Street (which banks were reluctant to fund) and affordability deed restrictions are
issues that the banks should be brought up to speed on so that these issues do not discourage private lending to an affordable housing project.
Jack asked if the Partnership wanted to meet with the FSB counsel to discuss private financing or preferred to develop some issues for discussion prior to arranging a meeting. Vera asked if banks would consider financing something like a Lathrop Community but
on a more modest scale. Other members discussed deed restrictions and other affordable
housing tools that officers might not be familiar with. The consensus of the group was to
develop some specific issues to discuss and then reach out to both FSB and other local
banks. Sending the information out prior to the meeting is preferable. Don noted that
homeowner financing is not a problem however rental housing developments with comp
permits are a tougher sell to banks.
Northampton State Hospital
Jack reported that after some initial confusion it was determined that there is a vacancy on the CAC for a Housing Partnership designee. The designee had been Clare Higgins who now serves on the committee as the Mayor. Jack asked if there was someone willing to serve and if not were there any objections to him serving. There were no volunteers and no objections to Jack serving. The Chair will attend the next meeting of the CAC in the capacity of Housing Partnership representative.
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Flag Lots The City Council has returned this ordinance back to Committee for review and possible changes. Jack asked what the group's preference was, a joint meeting with the Planning Board or a more independent review with recommendations developed and forwarded to the Board. It was noted that Richard looked at the ordinance the last time for Implementation committee. One of the issues with the zoning change was that it went to City Council with no recommendation from the Planning Board. Some Councilors were not clear on the flag lot issue and its relation to affordable housing. A clearer link seemed to be established with land conservation concerns. Jack stated that he had more questions on the flag lot issue and wanted to understand why they are so negative to good community planning. Jack will call Dan Yacuzzo to get his sense of the issue and formulate a plan to work on in conjunction with the Board in reviewing the ordinance. Fran noted that the Ordinance Committee acts last prior to the item going back to City Council and after all other feedback has been gathered. Meadowbrook Tenants of Meadowbrook have been notified that the owner has chosen to pre-pay his federally subsidized mortgage on or about August 15th• The Chair reported that a meeting was held yesterday morning to strategize on preserving Meadowbrook's affordable rental units. Currently there are 252 units of which 215 are affordable. Aspen Square Management has proposed to retain 25% of the total units or 63 units as affordable after pre-payment of the mortgage. Section 8 mobile vouchers will be issued to low-income households, however these certificates leave when those households relocate resulting in the loss of an affordable unit. The City, tenants and local human service agencies plan to work in a productive way with Aspen Management. HCAC will perform tenant organizing/education, and a meeting has been scheduled for March 29th.The prospect of a home rule petition was discussed yesterday however it was the decision of the group that this strategy was not appropriate in this case. The Mayor will not support a home rule petition. Don stated that this was very discouraging as home rule was a major factor in getting Hampton Gardens to the table a few years ago. Don also said he believes more information is needed on available State resources for this effort. The Chair noted that the Mayor is very energized on this issue and will pull together a group to explore all available funding options. He will keep members informed and updated as needed. Don expressed concern that losing this many rental housing units wipes much of the affordable rental housing the Partnership has worked for over the past years. Northampton Housing Authority Jack introduced Chris Myers from the NHA and thanked Joe for participating in the Partnership and noted that he looks forward to setting up a meeting with the Authority to discuss present and future projects. Chris discussed the efforts of the NHA to assist with 3
Meadowbrook, coordinating information on Section 8 certificates and assisting with consultant services.
Valley CDC-Walnut & North Main
The Valley CDC is holding a lottery to find buyers for the two (2) family homes at
Walnut and North Main Streets. Lottery participants must have taken paii in a
homebuyer series and be pre-approved for a mo1igage. Persons should call the Valley CDC for more information and to be approved for the lottery. Jack will also check with the CDC to see if there is an open house at these properties so Partnership members can see the final product.
Miscellaneous
Jack will meet with Jonathan Wright to brainstorm on productive ways to achieve affordable housing. Topics include recent OPD initiatives to promote affordable housing
and obstacles and opportunities for the production of affordable housing. Mr. Wright had
served on the Partnership in the past.
Wayne Feiden will meet with the developers of Beaver Brook to discuss the three affordable lots designated for that development. Jack will provide updates as needed.
A 30-lot subdivision called "the Plantation at West Farms" is being planned for property
off Burt Pits Road. The development will be a cluster plan with prices ranging from
$170,000 to $220,000. The City and Partnership will reach out to the developers to see if some affordable units can be included.
Other Business
Both Don and Richard noted that they would not be at the next meeting because of other commitments.
There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00PM.
Respectfully submitted.
Community Development Administrator
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NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
April 17, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Joel Feldman, Vera Crane, Fran
Volkmann, Joe Defazio, Nola Reinhardt. Also present, George Kohout,
representative from the Planning Board (not yet formally appointed), Jon Hite
from the Housing Authority, Patrick McCarthy from Valley CDC and Peg Keller,
City staff.
Call to Order
Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. George Kohout was
introduced as the new representative of the Planning Board. Members introduced
themselves.
Housing Authority Presentation
Jack had asked representatives from the Housing Authority to come and update
the Partnership on their development plans. Mr. Hite was introduced and
highlights of his comments are as follows: -in the time he has been director, 9 years, activities have focused on the
maintenance and management of the 612 units NHA is responsible for
he listed all the developments in addition to the 300 Section 8 certificates
including those they administer at 2 Lodging houses and Hampton
Gardens/ the NHA also owns the Jessie's House building
although the focus has not been on development of new units, he hopes
the Partnership will appreciate the efforts of the NHA with regard to
preservation of existing units
the four parcels at the State Hospital that are now owned by the NHA
were described; Laurel Street, Grove Street, Burts Pit Rd. and behind
Jessie's House on West Street
structural analyses have been done on the existing buildings on those
pa reels to see if they cou Id be reused
the house on Burts Pit is in the best shape, although the recommendation
is that they should all come down/ due to presence of asbestos, etc.
in beginning the planning process, the Housing Authority's Board of
Commissioners asked for assistance to determine the needs of the
community in order to plan for the parcels in a comprehensive way, as
opposed to one parcel at a time
a consultant, Janet Gezork has been hired to assist with that effort/
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-in addition to public family and individual housing, they have had requestsfrom area social service agencies to use the parcels for their programs-a Request for Services has been issued for 21E environmental analyses-finding funding sources may be difficult/ the legislation states that theparcels shall be developed to accommodate "state aided" housing, a term
that may carry a variety of definitions
Jack asked how the Partnership could be helpful. Mr. Defazio responded as chair of the sub-committee addressing this development for the Housing Authority. He
reiterated their desire for an overall examination of the needs of the community in relation to all of the parcels. He said they wanted to educate themselves about
the development plans for the State Hospital. Toward that end, a meeting was held with Gerry Joseph of the Community Builders. Also, research has begun
about what the existing zoning allows. The next step will be to look for input from the City, neighbors and agencies.
In response to a question from Nola about pursuing rental vs. homeownership, Mr. Hite said that they do not want to compete with Valley CDC with regard to
developing homeownership units. He said the traditional mission of the NHA has been to address the need for rental units and the housing needs of special
populations.
Jack said it would be helpful to have a map showing where the parcels are located. (Mr. Hite said that could be provided.) Mr. Defazio said the NHP could
provide input and provide resources as the process progresses. Jack said it is
great to know there is a possibility of increasing rental units. Joe said that looking at all the parcels comprehensively would allow for the potential for land
swaps and mixing development scenarios ( i.e. incomes, sub-populations).
Nola asked about the rental needs observed by the NHA. Mr. Hite said that single
younger disabled people comprise 40% of the Salvo House. This has negatively
impacted the elderly population there and created management issues.
Therefore he sees a need for more permanent housing for single younger
disabled. He also noted that the potential loss of Meadowbrook would impact
families. Also, permanent housing for special needs populations such as the
mentally and physically disabled is needed.
He said that the Safety Net program currently utilizing two buildings on the State
Hospital property would need a place to relocate to when the campus redevelopment begins.
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Fran stated she thought the next step would be to hear their plans and figure out a way to help. She updated the group on the progress of the sub-committee
with representatives of area housing advocates and Smith College. She said that
Smith is acknowledging the negative impact they are making on affordable housing in the City by acquiring buildings with affordable units to use for their
own purposes. Evidently Smith is considering ways to rectify that situation and Fran suggested that someone from the Housing Authority should participate in
that discussion. Mr. Hite offered Mr. Chris Myers as the likely candidate for that, as he has been hired to address development issues.
Peg Keller suggested additional ways to work together that might include CDBG
allocations for pre-development soft costs, assisting with the preparation of
Zoning Board presentations for comprehensive permit submissions, going to the
neighborhood for input and plan reactions, data collection and supporting the
proposals before City boards and commissions. All agreed that advocacy would be a strong role for the Partnership in this scenario.
Members then discussed the situation with the Fair Market Rents. It was noted
that the Housing Authority has applied for 50 new Section 8 certificates and that new FMR's will be issued shortly. Mr. Feldman asked if the 120% waiver could be
applied on an individual basis. Mr. Hite said he would find out.
The discussion concluded and Mr. Hite and Mr. Defazio were thanked for their presence. Both left. Members then discussed the desirability of seeing a
complete listing of all subsidized units in the City.
Millbank Request
Patrick McCarthy presented information relative to a $125,000 request to address environmental remediation issues at the Millbank project. The project of 24 units
has received most of the funding needed. Valley is working in partnership with HAP. The due diligence process revealed that there is a landfill situation under
the existing parking lot which renders is not able to bear a structure. The plan is to encapsulate it rather than excavate it, adding additional unanticipated costs to
the project.
The Implementation Committee has reviewed the request and made a
recommendation. That recommendation was read and discussed. VCDC had
been encouraged to look for funding other than the City (since the City has already committed $200,000 in two separate allocations). The Federal Home
Loan Bank, MDFA and the State Affordable Housing Trust were investigated.
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He said that they were not hopeful about those sources and the funding would be needed in October.
Nola made the motion to recommend that $50,000 be set aside for testing and
remediation at the Millbank site and that Valley continue to seek other funds and report back on the results of those efforts. The motion was seconded by Joel.
Four members voted in favor. Fran Volkmann abstained as she is a member of Valley's Board of Directors. Peg will call Richard and Don for additional votes in
order to achieve quorum. It is assumed they will vote in the affirmative as they
did so at the Implementation Committee. The Housing Drawdown fund will only
have 45,000-50,000 dollars uncommitted. The entire $125,000 is not available, so Valley will have to secure funds elsewhere no matter what. The offer is to
earmark what the City does have available, for this project. The recommendation will go to the Mayor for final approval.
Project Updates
Peg spoke briefly about Meadowbrook Apartments, Verona/Garfield and Ryan Rd. Peg and Fran reported on the developers meeting sponsored by Jonathon Wright. Peg will write up her notes from the session to assist the Partnership
with determining follow up steps.
Adjourn
The meeting concluded at 9:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
May 15, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Richard Abuza, Vera Crane, Fran
Volkmann, Yvonne Freccero, Don Bianchi, Peg Murray, Martha Acklesberg, Nola
Reinhardt. Also present, Peg Keller, staff and Michael Owens, CDBG
Administrator.
Call to Order/
Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. No one was present for
public comment. Mr. Owens was then introduced. He had been invited to attend
to give a status report on the CDBG funding. His presentation was in the form of
a slide show that was copied and is attached.
After detailing the funding commitments that have been made, Mr. Owens stated
that there is approximately $5,000 uncommitted at this time. In discussing
possible expenditures for improving the Pleasant Street entrance corridor, Nola
said the Partnership should be involved. Mr. Feiden will be invited to present at
the next meeting.
Mr. Owens agreed to update the Partnership at least three times annually. He
noted that the Annual Action Plan laying out the yearly activity is now available
and will be moving ahead for City Council approval. Copies were circulated. He
was thanked for his attendance.
Subcommittee Reports/
Planning/ Yvonne reported that during the developers meeting there was
discussion about the concept of mixed neighborhoods. She feels this is a topic
that should be pursued. On the effort with Smith College, the group has named
itself the Housing Support Partnership. It has had an organizational meeting,
discussing the purpose, developing a background statement and laying out how
to proceed. 2 sub-committees have been created.
Chair Hornor responded that this is a very positive development and it seems
that Smith is fully engaged in working together. Nola mentioned that Ann
Shanahan admitted that the more accurate number of housing units that Smith
has taken out of the open market is close to 60. Ms. Shanahan says that the
College recognizes the significance of that and said they plan to acquire more.
The group will work toward arriving at a compensation strategy. Jack
encouraged communication from the group to the Mayor and Yvonne said she
gets the minutes from the committee. Yvonne said she also sent the housing data from the ConPlan to Smith and Smith has agreed to supply salary range
information and locations of employees residences to chart for comparisons.
Implementation/ A meeting was set for June 7, 2001.
Flag-Lot Ordinance Follow-up/ Chair Hornor reported that he attended the Planning Board meeting on May 10th and had a brief discussion about the flag lot
issue. He said that basically the Board does not believe the developer should be required to create open space or affordable housing just because they want to do a flag lot. Mr. Hornor read the language of what was originally proposed and
read the revision currently being put forward, which only regulates the length and removes any linkage requirement (as stated in a Memo from the Planning
Director dated 5/2).
Members then discussed what they surmised to be the reasons for the opposition. Mr. Hornor recapped that the Planning Board was opposed and it
only passed Ordinance 2-1. Fran said the Council did not want to support something that did not have a clear mandate and referred it back. She said it
was confused by the fact that no one walked them down the path of totally understanding all the ramifications.
Nola thought it could have actually hurt new production, as sometimes people
build smaller houses in back. Mr. Hornor expressed his dissatisfaction with the
process as he had asked for a joint meeting with Planning and Ordinance in order to flesh out the ramifications. Peg K. reread the Ordinance that addressed
the need for the Partnership to review all zoning revisions that impact affordable housing. Nola then asked about the impact of the current proposal on affordable
housing. Members felt that with the way it is worded there is none.
After additional discussion Mr. Abuza made the following motion:" The NHP is
charged with the promotion and preservation of affordable housing. There are
limited opportunities and resources to accomplish this. We recognize that the current proposal before us from the Planning Director (5/2/01) makes no
mention of affordable housing, therefore we make no comment. We note that in that Memo he indicates that a broader discussion will take place at a later date.
We hope and assume that promotion of affordable housing will be a part of that
process." Ms. Acklesberg seconded the motion. Further discussion ensued regarding whether the Partnership action should address the original language or
the proposed revision. Chair Hornor then called for the vote that was unanimous
in favor of the motion.
Adjourn/ the meeting concluded at 9: 15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
lune 25, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Don Bianchi, Martha Ackelsberg,
Yvonne Freccero, Vera Crane, Richard Abuza, Fran Volkmann. Also present; Chris
Myers, Northampton Housing Authority, Peg Keller and Wayne Feiden, Planning
staff.
Absent Excused: Peg Murray, Nola Reinhardt, George Kohout
Absent Unexcused: Joe Defazio, Joel Feldman
Call to Order
Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. He introduced Planning
Director, Wayne Feiden. Mr. Feiden was asked to attend to update the
Partnership on the current efforts to revitalize the Pleasant Street corridor.
Highlights of his comments are as follows:
-the City has been working on elements of a Master Plan that will be
combined into a comprehensive plan-entrance corridors will be studied-the interrelationship of components to each other will be studied-as opposed to King Street which probably will not change much in the
next few years, Pleasant St. has potential for change-now is the time to make good planning decisions there and CDBG funds
can be applied as it is a low/moderate income area-a grant has been received for signage on the interstate alerting tourists
about the amenities in Northampton-Pleasant St. is not currently friendly from a tourism standpoint-As the first visual indicator of a community's self worth, it needs to be
improved-The corridor currently contains elements of downtown tourism, a
commercial identity, potential for economic expansion, existing
infrastructure, ability to handle additional traffic, intact housing-All are assets compared to the development of new sites-Public hearing and design charrette have been conducted-Sessions have been attended by high number of business people as
opposed to residents ( even after leafleting)-Comments that have been received address the need for making the
corridor more attractive, taking over the State Highway section, buffering
the parking areas, increasing the river exposure
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-Preservation of the existing affordable housing and protection against
gentrification, has also been noted-Many of the affordable units are protected and not at risk, but there are
some small neighborhoods that could change if not protected-Development constraints and land parcel size reduce the chances for
gentrification and rents there will probably always be lower then
downtown-Roughly $100,000 of CDBG expenditures have traditionally gone to streets
and sidewalks annually/ this year $55,000 is earmarked for downtown and
$45,000 for Pleasant St.-A pilot fac;ade improvement program will also be launched with $7,500/
Mr. Abuza noted that over the years people have been interested in constructing
apartment buildings in the City but have been stymied by the lack of
development opportunities. He asked about the possibility of commonly shared
parking areas. Mr. Feiden said this is being explored and planned for, i.e. at the
lumberyard location. Mr. Abuza said that the success of the downtown is due in
large part to the presence of people living there. Mr. Feiden wholeheartedly
agreed.
Mr. Feiden noted other actions being considered -the creation of a new parking
garage, changing zoning to allow increased building coverage to promote infill
downtown and reduced payment in lieu of parking spaces.
Ms. Ackelsberg expressed her concern about Mr. Feiden's assumption that
Pleasant Street activity won't impact the market rate affordable housing. She
said we need to build more in to the process to counter the potential loss.
Mr. Feiden said there probably won't be many buildings torn down ( in order to
build new), there are more opportunities for rehab and new construction in
empty lots. Units will probably be government subsidized as opposed to market
rate affordable. He concluded by saying that the plan will be formalized in
August. Peg said she will conduct a walking tour in July and notify members
when she is going.
Ms. Ackelsberg said that she is generally concerned about places to increase
affordable housing and that it has to be explored in the context of any element
that comes before the Partnership. Discussion about mixed income areas
followed, noting the importance of the long term locally owned properties where
3
landlords keep rents low without government assistance. Mr. Feiden was thanked
for his attendance; he departed.
Sub-Committee Reports
Implementation/ The last meeting was not posted, so informal discussion
occurred with an applicant for CDBG funding. Don asked for the Partnership to
have a discussion at some point about the value of a unit created by a non-profit
organization as opposed to a private developer. Members agreed.
Planning/ Ms. Freccero reported on a meeting with the City's Economic
Development Coordinator, Teri Anderson. Discussion revolved around the linkage
between econ. development and affordable housing. It was decided that a
brochure listing State and Federal funding sources to assist developers with
resources to create affordable units would be created. Work will continue.
Minutes from the last meeting with the Smith College Partnership were
circulated. 2 committees from the group will continue to work over the summer.
The Planning Com. will reconvene in September. Jack thanked all those involved
in this very important effort.
Planned Giving
Ms. Freccero reported on sessions she has attended at Smith that have been
offered for select members of the community. She thought the information was
applicable in thinking about how to implement Richard's idea about donated
housing stock. She has included Peg Murray with regard to the Trust Fund. She
mentioned that local attorney Bob Corash seems to be an expert and suggested
we ask him to a meeting. She described the "Leave a Legacy" program that
operates nationally. The Community Foundation of Western Mass. oversees
funds for entities. She said a meeting will be held September 10th and invited
Don and Trust fund members. She has also notified Valley CDC, the COA and
Richard and Martha can go as Partnership reps.
This is a potential resource to invigorate the Housing Trust Fund and with
Richard's idea, management could be through the Com. Foundation and
properties secured could be owned by the Housing Authority or Valley CDC.
4
Updates
Northampton State Hospital/ Mr. Hornor reported on the recently held Citizens
Advisory Council meeting at which he sat as a member. Most of the discussion centered around the ratio of initial commercial vs. residential construction and phasing. People are concerned that if the service demanding residential units are
constructed way before the commercial activity gets developed, growth and expense to the community will be problematic. He distributed charts that depict
the phasing that is planned to counter this occurrence.
Project Updates/ Peg spoke briefly about the Verona plans, and Meadowbrook
Apartments. MHFA is doing an appraisal to prepare a funding package for the potential purchaser to retain the affordability. Tenant organizing is being done by
HCAC.
Adjourn/
Due to the lateness of the hour, the meeting concluded at 9:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
July 17, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Don Bianchi, Martha Ackelsberg, Vera
Crane, Fran Volkmann, George Kohout, Peg Murray. Also present, Chris Myers, Northampton Housing Authority, Tris Metcalfe and Tom Fortier, applicants.
Absent: Yvonne Freccero, Nola Reinhardt, Joel Feldman, Richard Abuza, Joe Defazio.
Call to Order/
Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period.
State Hospital Update/ Mr. Hornor proceeded to give an update on the
Citizen's Advisory Council and the upcoming meeting. There is a public forum to discuss saving the Main Campus building scheduled for July 23rd, which he will
not be able to attend. He invited everyone who was able to attend.
Mr. Hornor also noted that the Amherst Board of Selectmen has supported the
application of the Hampden Hampshire Housing Partnership for a Comprehensive
Permit to construct 26 units of rental housing. He added that the Zoning Board
will make the final decision but backing by the Selectboard is critical.
CDBG Funding Application
Mr. Hornor then had the members introduce themselves to the applicants, Mr.
Fortier and Mr. Metcalfe. Mr. Fortier presented their plans to construct 4
affordable units on Turkey Hill Road. Highlights of his comments are as follows:
-site consists of two parcels that will be merged-2 acres will be deeded to the City for conservation-2 buildings will contain 2 units each, a one bedroom and a two bedroom
in each building-request is for $45,800 of CDBG funds to make the project viable-$7,000 is needed initially for engineering work-the funds are for road construction/engineering-road construction $33,000, other$ for soft costs and engineering study
2
-first phase will take 3-4 months for the engineering study and to gothrough Conservation Commission permitting-One lot has already been approved as a building site-Bedroom composition is dictated by septic capacity-They have met with Valley CDC and their proposed sales price of roughly
$95,000 is lower than most (affordable range is $95,000 to $120,000)-Valley said that most families will have a vehicle, so the rural location
should not be a problem
Mr. Bianchi asked about the ownership structure, which will be condominium.
Mr. Fortier said they are researching different models. He said there would be
two different septic systems.
Mr. Bianchi noted that the sales prices with the condominium fees need to be
affordable to a household earning 80% of the median income for the area, and a deed restriction is required for 15 years. Mr. Fortier said he is aware of
this. Don said that time needs to be spent with the homeowners to understand the ramifications of the restrictions. Mr. Fortier said that he is
working with Charlene Golanka at First Mass. Bank and she is familiar with deed restrictions. Peg Keller agreed to give him a copy of the restriction the
Partnership has used in the past so could become familiar with it.
Mr. Bianchi noted that he thought the sales price for the two bedroom unit was high, but Mr. Fortier and Peg Keller confirmed that the homeownership
counselor at Valley said those numbers were affordable.
Peg Murray said that the Implementation Committee discussed their concerns about the distance from the center of town, the issues with the quarry court
case and the plan for two, two family units in a single-family neighborhood.
Members discussed the site and the possible quarry impact. Mr. Fortier said
that to his knowledge, the case is still in court, the quarry owners will have to apply for a permit, and abide by the conditions of the permit.
Mr. Kohout asked about neighborhood feedback. Mr. Fortier said he has spoken to Councillor LaBarge and he does not expect a problem. Mr. Metcalfe
said that the site currently is a dead-end with trash deposits, so people living
there would provide a safer feeling.
3
Mr. Bianchi confirmed with Mr. Fortier that the Bank of Western Mass. has
reviewed the financials on the project and seen the site.
Mr. Bianchi then made the following motion" to recommend to the Mayor that she approve the request of $45,800 conditioned upon the availability of
funds, a satisfactory deed restriction for all 4 affordable units and that the other funds necessary for successful completion of the project be secured".
Ms. Volkmann seconded the motion. During further discussion, she added that this is a great model and we should all work together and encourage
other private developers to come forward. Chair Hornor called for the vote that was 7-0 unanimous in favor.
It was agreed that the $7,000 could be advanced and if the project does not
move ahead, that money would be repaid.
Other Updates
Members discussed the Community Preservation Act and asked that the Mayor be invited to the next meeting to discuss her views.
Adjourn
Ms. Ackelsberg made a motion to adjourn. The meeting concluded at
9:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes August 21, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Yvonne Freccero, Martha Acklesberg,
Peg Murray, George Kohout, Richard Abuza, Nola Reinhardt, Vera Crane, Fran
Volkmann, Pat Byrnes. Also present, Chris Myers, Northampton Housing
Authority, Peg Keller, staff.
Call to Order/
Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m. Members introduced
themselves to new member Pat Byrnes. Pat described her past work experience
in the housing field. She currently works for MBL Housing doing housing
development consulting. All welcomed her.
Sub-Committee Reports
Planning -Yvonne reported that the group is working on developing a brochure
to inform developers about resources available to create affordable housing.
There will be a description noting the value of mixed income neighborhoods, the
economic advantages and information on zoning incentives and funding sources.
In view of the fact that developing affordable housing with public funds is so
complex, it might be possible to offer resources to hire development consultants
to apply for the funds, or offer grants for other pre-development activities. She
also said that the group is on the look-out for possible sites for housing and
described an SRO at 55 Maple Street that is on the market.
Don asked about an early warning system locally, where the CDC or others are
made aware of properties. Peg K. said that the realtor at Murphy's actually called
Valley about Maple St. Discussion followed as to whether or not tax exemptions
could be offered to those developing affordable housing. Don offered that the
value of the housing to the City could outweigh the tax benefits.
Pat offered that CEDAC (Community Economic Development Assistance
Corporation) has funds for early acquisition. Richard noted that there are no tax
2
breaks for landlords who voluntarily keep rents low. However, those properties
with deed restrictions can be taxed at restricted values. In discussing if this is
something the City could offer developers, Peg K. was instructed to ask the
Mayor if the City Solicitor could be approached to pursue this.
Yvonne summarized by saying that the non-profits cannot be expected to fulfill
all the housing needs and that we need to explore all the alternatives for enticing
the private sector into creating units.
Implementation Committee/ Richard reported that the group was asked to think
creatively about their role and identified several important functions. They are
reviewing the application for CDBG funds, the project review criteria and the
deed restriction. He also reported that members discussed the role of local banks
and the need to discuss deed restrictions, cure periods and general philosophy
about long-term affordability with bank representatives. The committee plans on
moving ahead with that discussion.
Vice-Chair
Chair Hornor asked members to think about nominating someone to serve as
Vice-Chair of the Partnership. The issue was raised because he is unable to
attend the September 18th meeting. The issue was temporarily resolved by
moving the meeting date to the 25th•
Project Updates
Peg K. had asked Chris Myers to report on progress with regard to developing
the State Hospital properties that the Housing Authority owns. He has been
gathering background information on the four parcels. He said that the
legislation says the parcels must be developed with "state-aided" resources,
implying that State funding sources must be used. He said the Housing
Authority was given the land but no additional resources for development. There
is some funding through the Chapter 689 program which can be used for clients
of the Department of Mental Health.
He reported that wetlands on the sites have been investigated and the existing
buildings on the parcels have been structurally analyzed. Demolition of all
structures is recommended. Funding is now being sought from Mass. Housing
Partnership for further predevelopment activity.
3
Once the building development capacity has been determined, a Request for Proposals could be issued for actual development.
Members discussed possible end users, the public transportation system in the
area and the need for dialogue with Smith College about the parcel on West Street. (Chris has spoken to Ms. Volkmann). He also noted that it appears the
Housing Authority is supposed to maintain ownership of the parcels, so once they are developed, they will be leased, rather than sold.
Don asked for a more condensed map showing the locations in order to make it
easier for Partnership members to drive around and familiarize themselves with the parcels. Members agreed to conduct additional discussion about possible end
users for the parcels at the next meeting.
Project Updates
Peg K. reported on the Ryan Rd. parcel being developed by Habitat and circulated the computer generated drawing of the dwelling. The next-door
neighbors have gotten totally involved and support the public access trail that
leads to the open space in the rear and the house construction. This type of acceptance is unusual and exciting.
With regard to the BeaverBrook subdivision, it appears that the lots will have to
be purchased, at a reduced rate from the developer. This is the way Mr. Hanley has decided to approach it, the donation will be the difference between the
market rate and the reduced rate, which he will apply to the tax deduction.
Exactly where that funding would come from is not clear, Peg will get more information from Wayne Feiden.
Bridge Road is in the process of applying for permits from the Planning Board.
Members asked if the CDBG allocation had been made, and what conditions were
placed on the award. Peg K. will check. If the number of units is reduced by the
Planning Board, the Partnership will have to determine if and how that would
affect the $80,000 earmark made to the project.
Richard reminded members that the Verona Garfield development impacts the
same neighborhood, so with the addition of Deep Woods, impact is being felt.
Chair Hornor asked members if he should write a letter of support for the project
to the Planning Board. Members discussed the fact that this site does have issues
4
related to density and traffic and that if a letter is sent, it should acknowledge that. Pat asked if a policy that all applicants going before the Planning Board with housing projects should come to the Partnership first, made sense.
Chair Hornor reminded members that he had asked to be sent the minutes from
Planning Board meetings, but so far, he has not received them. Peg will followup.
Ms. Ackelsberg made a motion stating that the Chair should write a letter to the
Planning Board (all members) in support of the Bridge Rd. project. Mr. Bianchi seconded the motion, the vote in favor was unanimous.
Community Preservation Act
Chair Hornor reported that he did have a brief meeting with the Mayor regarding the CPA. He reiterated her position of feeling the legislation is flawed and that it
does not treat communities equitably. He did learn that she would not stand in the way of people supporting it, if it were to be put on the ballot. Councilor
Volkmann said she did put the CPA on the Council agenda at the request of some
citizens. It did receive a first reading although without a huge community groundswell of support, she doubts if it will proceed positively.
She said that all acknowledge that the 3 components are strong goals for the
community and people want to support them ( open space, historic preservation
and affordable housing) but in a way that works for City budgets as strapped as ours and does not pit wealthy communities against poorer ones.
Chair Hornor agreed to draft a letter to the Governor about the Community Preservation Act. Discussion will continue next month.
Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 9:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes
September 25, 2001
Members Present: Don Bianchi, Richard Abuza, Joel Feldman, Pat Byrnes,
Fran Volkmann, Vera Crane, Nola Reinhardt, Yvonne Freccero.
Absent: Joe Defazio, George Kohout, Martha Acklesberg, Peg Murray, Jack
Hornor.
Call to Order
Don Bianchi called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. He opened the meeting
with a moment to reflect on world events. We acknowledged member
Volkmann's safe return to the U.S.
Sub-Committee Reports
Planning/ Ms. Freccero reported that the Committee has divided into three
committees. The Smith College effort is now called SNAPS, the Smith
College/Northampton Affordable Housing Partnership. That group has two
subcommittees. The first is Location and Design. A meeting of that group was
scheduled for 9/11 and was not held. The full committee met last Thursday.
Three obstacles for developing affordable housing were identified: (1) lack of sites, (2) lack of management entities, (3) funding.
Discussions have identified the Housing Authority as being in the possession of
two of those three components. As a result, a meeting was held with Chris
Myers, of the NHA and Janet Gezork the consultant the NHA has hired to assist
with the development of the parcels at the State hospital.
Ms. Volkmann's group is focusing on funding sources and has identified a source
for matching grants in the amount of $400,000 for educational institutions. A
team is traveling to Clark University in Worcester to learn more about that
town/gown relationship. The trip is scheduled for October 19th•
The Planning Sub-Committee met earlier today. The effort to create a
brochure to encourage mixed-use development is moving forward. Carolyn
Misch, Senior Permits Planner, met with them to discuss mixed-use development
in the King Street corridor. She said that commercial with residential on the 2nd
floor is permitted but no incentives related to housing. Yvonne said that the
committee has suggested lobbying for housing incentives to be included in
2
the zoning package. Vacant properties on King Street with development potential
were discussed. Mr. Abuza suggested that land swaps might be possible to
create different land uses.
Implementation Sub-Committee/ Member Abuza reported that work on deed
rider issues continues. He said that when conclusions are reached, they would be
brought to the full Partnership. The group has discussed lending practices at the
condominium complexes and issues banks have related to mortgages. Objectives
are to work with the lending community around foreclosure issues that
negatively impact the preservation of affordable housing.
Ms. Reinhardt stated that the city is not really doing anything to encourage
mixed-use development. Mr. Bianchi added that in a faltering economy,
residential uses produce more income than commercial. Ms. Reinhardt said that
the high end housing construction we have seen might lessen. Ms. Byrnes
relayed information about a Chamber initiative in Barnstable where conversion to
2nd floor residential in the downtown was encouraged to provide year round
income streams.
Ms. Freccero reiterated that there is a dilemma presented by the need to be able
to acquire property quickly. Ms. Reinhardt said we need an institutional structure
to activate. Mr. Bianchi described the concept of land banking and wondered if
Smith College could be involved in that way. Mr. Abuza suggested that it would
be interesting to move ahead with architectural renderings and development
schemes for parcels ahead of time and be ready to go.
Project Updates
Updates were given on the BeaverBrook subdivision negotiation, which includes
one free lot and two for sale and the Turkey Hill project. Ms. Freccero reported
on the Bridge Road public hearing. She said several people spoke in favor but
neighborhood opposition is still strong. Councilor Dwight is to have a meeting to
try to devise some solutions.
Ms. Volkmann noted that Board members of Valley CDC have taken a tour of
their properties and saw Walnut St. and N. Main Street. Members then discussed
ways to acknowledge the good work of the CDC and the other members of the housing community that gave countless hours towards saving the organization. It
was agreed that letters would be sent to people from the Mayor recognizing
those efforts. A Housing Hero appreciation day was suggested.
3
Ms. Crane updated members about the sale of property by the Quakers to Doug
Kohl on Barrett Street. It is supposed to be developed for affordable housing.
Members agreed that it would be appropriate for the Chair to call Mr. Kohl to see
what his plans are. Ms. Crane reported on her activities to develop interest in
units for the property and her conversations with the developer. She was asked
to keep us posted and Partnership assistance with the effort was offered.
Community Preservation Act
Peg K. reported that the Council vote was tied 4-4, defeating the action. Ms.
Freccero said she liked Ms. Byrnes idea to say why it is not being pursued in
Northampton. Ms. Freccero feels something should be said about it since it is a
significant housing action being debated across the state. She feels we have a
responsibility to say why it isn't being pursued.
Ms. Volkmann said there is no grass roots effort to speak of and suggests if
people want to pursue it, they should start now for next year. Mr. Bianchi noted
that with the slumping economy, people might be even less interested in tax
increases. Ms. Byrnes clarified that this was never a housing bill, but the housing
element got tacked on to an open space acquisition effort for a broader support
base. It was a gubernatorial move to show "interest" in housing. Lots of
communities have not passed it. Pat agreed to do additional research on who
has not passed it and why. Members agreed that getting a message out to
legislators and other towns about how it is flawed is important.
Executive Order 418
Peg K. said that although we did not place top in the state for affordable housing
efforts like we did last year, we tied with Somerville for first. She encouraged
members to read the synopsis from the State and be heartened about all the
things we do locally, that put us at the forefront (although it may not feel like it).
Copies of the report she submitted are also available for review.
Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 8:50 p.m. with a move to adjourn by Mr.
Feldman, seconded by Ms. Freccero, vote in favor unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
October 16, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, George Kohout, Peg Murray, Richard Abuza,
Martha Acklesberg, Yvonne Freccero, Joel Feldman, Vera Crane, Don Bianchi,
Nola Reinhardt. Also attending, Wayne Feiden, Planning Director, Peg Keller,
staff.
Call to Order
Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m. No one was present for
the public comment period. He reported that he had attended the State
Hospital's Citizen's Advisory Committee and gave an update. A zoning package is
going before City Council which needs Housing Partnership review. The changes
proposed relate to the Planned Village concept that will guide development at
the campus.
State Hospital Zoning Revisions
Mr. Feiden offered to present the changes. He explained that the original State
Hospital redevelopment zoning package was adopted in 1993. The goals at the
time were to develop the site for housing and economic development purposes.
The changes now proposed have resulted from the evolution from the request
for proposals into the master plan.
The campus began the process of closing down in 1981 and continued until
1993. The legislation laying out the redevelopment process was adopted in 1995.
During that time period the buildings have decayed. Many of the buildings
originally slated for reuse will not be able to be renovated. Because the original
plan allowed for more buildings to be reused for housing, the balance of how
much housing is allowed needed to be revisited. In order to keep the same
balance, more new construction needs to be permitted.
In 1994, the Commonwealth stopped heating the buildings. Deterioration, in
addition to seismic and handicap accessibility concerns now need to be
considered. An additional change to the zoning is needed for lifting caps on the
amount of adaptive reuse, in order to encourage reuse. Throughout that
discussion, the issues of phasing and balance have been integral concerns.
The project overall needs 13 million dollars, for which grants will be secured. The
question of what will happen to the site if only certain percentages of particular
uses get built has arisen. Although the demand for commercial real estate has
2
softened, the demand for residential has not. Therefore the goal is for each phase to mirror the overall balance of the master plan.
Chair Hornor summarized by saying that the CAC reviewed the proposed
changes, the package is appropriate and he recommended that the Partnership
approve it as submitted. In response to a question, Mr. Feiden noted three areas of redevelopment controversy; traffic, the reuse of the Old Main Campus Building
and the perception that all controversial uses should be placed at the State Hospital.
The transportation issues relative to the phasing were discussed. Ms. Reinhardt
then made a motion to approve the zoning package. The motion was seconded by Ms. Ackelsberg. The vote in favor was unanimous. Peg K. will file the
appropriate paperwork with the City Clerk.
Sub-Committee Reports
Planning/ Ms. Freccero reported that they have been working on the brochure
for mixed use development. The hope is that more attention will be paid to encouraging residential uses in conjunction with commercial activities.
Introducing additional housing types into the highway business zoning district is
being investigated. She mentioned the structures on King Street that are
currently vacant; Taco Bell, Jim Dandy, Plumbing Supply, ServU. Mr. Kohout
noted that there are residential units above the stores in that shopping center on Damon Rd.
Committee members will be asking the Planning Board to consider possible
incentives for creating housing in their King Street corridor study. Mr. Abuza
made a motion to have Chair Hornor send a letter from the Housing Partnership to the Planning Board and Mr. Feiden supporting this action. The motion was
seconded by Ms. Acklesberg, and the vote in favor was unanimous.
At that point, M.J. Adams, the new director of the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity came in and asked to make a presentation. Peg Keller had attended
their Annual Volunteer Award Recognition Dinner earlier in the evening and had
to leave before a citation to the Northampton Planning Department could be
given. M.J. presented the citation to Peg and thanked all for their role in
furthering Habitat projects in Northampton. She was thanked for coming in and
departed.
3
Ms. Reinhardt reported on the SNAPS activity (Smith/Northampton/ Affordable
Housing Partnership). The Partnership is working with the College Council on
Community Policy. Ms. Volkmann is the City's representative on the Committee.
Ms. Reinhardt is also a member, as a faculty rep. from Smith. She said that a
statement was made by Ann Shanahan, head of public relations for Smith, at a
College Council meeting, that the college is committed to replacing the housing
that they are removing from the general inventory of the community.
Several members of the SNAPS committee will be traveling to Clark University in
Worcester on October 19th to learn about the town/gown relationship there. Two
subcommittees, one on financing and one on sites, are also working diligently to
move this effort forward. Chair Hornor thanked all for their efforts. Mr. Feldman
asked what was being used for leveraging, to insure Smith's cooperation.
Members felt that the public comments being made were huge steps in the right
direction.
Implementation
Members referred others to the minutes that speak to efforts geared towards
improving banks acceptance of deed restrictions. Chair Hornor expressed
appreciation for these tasks being undertaken.
Program Updates
Cot Program/ Ms. Freccero reported that the Elks space is far from ready, so the
program will reopen in the old fire Station for the third year. The City and Mr.
Jhally of the Media Education Collaborative graciously agreed to postpone the
transfer of the building until February 1, 2002. Area homelessness is on the rise,
so the extra beds are desperately needed to address the overflow at the Grove
Street Inn.
Bridge Road/ Chair Hornor went to the Planning Board meeting last Thursday to
attend the hearing for the project. He said members did a good job conducting a
difficult meeting and everyone was heard. He said that both the Chair and Mr.
Feiden spoke to the creation of affordable housing as a goal for the City and
required in their approval that 8 of the 14 units be affordable.
Ryan Road/ The Habitat project is underway. A frame-off will be held as a
publicity event. The next-door neighbor is the construction supervisor.
4
Verona-Garfield/ Copies of the schematics prepared by Dodson Associates were
circulated. More discussion will follow next month.
GO West/ Peg K. reported that representatives from Valley CDC and the
Hampden Hampshire Housing Partnership and local architect Peter Frothingham
walked through the building to get a sense of the rehab needed. The owner has
been made an offer that he rejected. The best use of the resources that may be
available through Smith College was discussed. Ms. Reinhardt noted that a
framework for that relationship needs to be created and solidified prior to looking
at any specific sites. If the goal is to get properties back on the tax roles, we
may be looking at new construction as opposed to purchasing existing buildings.
Beaverbrook Subdivision/ Members reported that the paper said new plans have
been filed with a greater number of house lots than before. Peg will check with
Carolyn Misch to get an update.
Housing Authority Parcels/ No one from the Housing Authority was present for
an update.
Community Preservation Act
Member Byrnes prepared a memo and information about which communities had
adopted the Act and which ones have not. Members will review the information
and discuss at next months meeting. She was thanked for her follow-up.
Next Meeting
The next regularly scheduled meeting is the week of Thanksgiving so the date
was changed to NOVEMBER 13th.
Adjourn
Member Feldman made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Ms. Crane. The
meeting concluded at 9:08 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
November 13, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Peg Murray, Nola Reinhardt, Pat
Byrnes, Vera Crane, Don Bianchi, George Kohout, Yvonne Freccero. Also present,
Chris Myers of the Housing Authority and Peg Keller, staff.
AGENDA
Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:20 p.m. He announced the MEPA
Scoping session for the Environmental Notification process for the State Hospital
development. The meeting will be Friday Nov. 16th at 11:00 a.m. Comments will
be taken and the process for input will be described.
He said that he is now getting Planning Board minutes. He also received the
decision notice for the Bridge Rd. project, with 12 conditions. One of the
conditions stated that 8 units, or 57% of the development must be affordable
and recorded as such in the deeds. He noted the letter to the editor in the
Gazette that seemed to indicate there was only one person in favor of the
project. Jack realized that the support letter from the Partnership to the Planning
Board did not get any public exposure, so he will approach it differently next
time and include media coverage.
He mentioned that the December meeting agenda will include election of chair.
He said he is willing to continue, but wants members to think about it if anyone
else is interested. Guests will be present as well, Rita Farrell of the Mass.
Housing Partnership and Kathy Calhoun of CEDAC will provide information about
their programs.
Planning Sub-Committee/ Yvonne reported that the group had met earlier in the
day with Wayne Feiden. The brochure espousing mixed use development was
discussed. It will be reduced in scope to insure readability. George said the
Planning Board did review Jack's letter about the King St. corridor and mixed use
development. George said the board did discuss the proposed zoning package
and the inclusion of incentives for housing. Nola said it is surprising how little
there actually is in the Ordinance that addresses affordable housing.
Implementation Sub-Committee/ Don reported that the group is discussing
lending practices in condominium complexes. Peg M. said that banks like to see
certain percentages of owner occupied units. Private mortgage insurance
companies also have policies about owner/renter ratios and banks are usually
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not able to sell loans for condos in the secondary market. The group plans to
invite bankers in for a discussion about this practice, to encourage local
investment in these complexes that often offer opportunities for first time home
ownership. Bankers will also be asked if the City can be notified when properties
that have a City funding contribution are in danger of default.
Partnership Goals/
Discussion followed regarding setting goals for the next year. Peg K. reviewed
the newsprint from past years and the topics identified for prioritization.
Members then brainstormed ideas for this year. Those ideas included the
following:
•Advocacy for resources/State, Federal/ pressure on legislators•Continued involvement with the State Hospital redevelopment•Securing private sector resources/ SNAP/$ for the Trust Fund•Community Education/ Press, City Boards, Chamber•Richard's Idea•NHP Initiative (high end unit limitation)•NHA parcel development•Support for Valley CDC•Big Box development/ where does money go•Narrow the focus•Preservation
Discussion will continue next month.
Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 9:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Peg Keller
NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP
Minutes
December 18, 2001
Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Don Bianchi, Richard Abuza, Fran
Volkmann, Pat Byrnes, George Kohout, Vera Crane, Yvonne Freccero, Nola
Reinhardt, Martha Acklesberg. Also present, Chris Myers, Housing Authority and
Peg Keller, staff. Guests present were Rita Farrell, Mass. Housing Partnership Fund (MHP) and Kathy Calhoun, Community Economic Development Assistance
Council (CEDAC).
Call to Order/ Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:05 .m. There was
no one present for public comment. Mr. Hornor noted that the Planning Board
approval of the Bridge Road affordable housing development has been appealed
by an abutter. The nature of the appeal was discussed briefly. He then thanked
Peg Keller for her work. (Peg thanked the guests for all their hard work to keep Valley CDC
viable and acknowledged their efforts before the Partnership)
Chair Hornor asked Ms. Byrnes to introduce her invited guests. Ms. Byrnes
described the two as part of the housing force statewide that has worked in the
area of affordable housing, successfully, for years. Rita Farrell of the Mass.
Housing Partnership spoke first. Highlights of her comments were as follows: •She and Ms. Calhoun represent "sister" agencies•MHP is a quasi-public agency established by the legislature in 1985•Initially it was a division of EOCD (Executive Office of Community
Development) now DHCD (Dept. of Housing and Community
Development) but operated with a separate Board of Directors•Although it works closely with DHCD, both MHP and CEDAC operate
independently•Mission of MHP is to promote affordable housing in the state/ done initially
by setting up housing partnerships across the State/ it is a testament that
the Northampton Housing Partnership still exists when many communities
have abandoned their housing efforts•She used to be the regional director based in Amherst, charged with
raising the level of discussion/awareness locally and to bring together
diverse groups to use tools such as zoning and funding•1985-86 saw funding for public housing, rental housing and there were
lots of State programs•Over 200 communities had housing partnerships•By the late '80's lots of production had occurred then the market peteredout•Lots of condo conversions occurred, recession and although there was
housing inventory, there continued to be an affordable housing problem
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•The 1990's saw a new governor, and the Interstate Banking Bill/ Chapter
102, 1990 added language allowing out of state banks to acquire
Massachusetts banks•Status of MHP was changed to quasi-public in 1990/ moved out of the
State Office building and got new money through the bank acquisitions•.9 of 1 % of the assets of any bank being acquired was to be used for
affordable housing, introducing a new funding source that was not State
programming•That earmark has produced over 400 million dollars in total•1985, MHP had a staff of 30, pared down in 1990/ money was for making
loans, not for administration•MHP transformed from being advocates and organizers to lenders•Fleets acquisition of the Bank of New England was the first acquisition,
with a 6 million dollar loan agreement in 1991•$ borrowed from funding banks, Citizen's, Fleet, P and C and
Sovereign/separate agreements were made with each bank, funds to be
accessed for 10 years and lent out for terms up to 20 years•MHP did not want to compete with other affordable housing lenders, tried
to identify the most useful niche/ small rental projects 15-20 units•Tried to maintain that focus, but they have funded 250 unit projects and
lots of variations in between•Local projects in Hadley (Winfields), Chicopee and the Hilltowns•Door is open to private and non-profit developers if affordable units are
included in the projects•Rita has been there since the beginning/working with local organizations,
providing technical assistance as more than a bank, working with
communities around affordable housing issues.•MHP has seed money for developers of affordable housing projects•Last year and a half her focus has been on small rental projects in high
cost areas, such as Boston where no rental production has occurred in 10
years•Now they are seeing 2-300 unit developments in the suburbs through the
40B Process (developers misusing the process)•She would like to do a project here, in acknowledgement of the high cost
of the Amherst Northampton area•Deep subsidies could be provided for projects of 10 units or less•Definitions of affordable vary from program to program•MHP is 80% of median, HOME uses 50 and 60% of median, Housing
Innovations Fund uses 50% of units at or below 50% of median
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•MHP has a menu and an open door to move their monies toward
production, the bank commitments are there, they need projects in the
pipeline•MHP is more competitive than i.e. Fleet, good rates, long terms, have ties
to subsidy sources, fixed rates, friendly lender•Have lost out on some local projects: 96 Pleasant used Florence Savings
Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank and South St. used Smith College•Currently providing technical assistance to the Northampton Housing
Authority to develop the State Hospital parcels/ used a small amount of
money to hire a firm to examine the 4 parcels/some progress made/met
with Commissioners this past Monday/vote taken to proceed with 2 of the
parcels and continue to plan for the other 2/ MHP may continue to work
with them to bring expertise from other housing authorities who have
undertaken development efforts.•MHP also administers the Soft Second loan program for first time
homebuyers/ Northampton serves as the "poster child" for one of lead
users in the State/lots of early involvement in shaping of program
■Sales prices have increased, reduced use/ $ comes from legislature to
DHCD to MHP/ budget battle last month, first pulled, then reinstated•Soft Second fund taken from the operating account and put into capital
funded, bond financed/program should see no interruptions
■Administrative costs covered though loan spreads, Soft 2nd program and
some contract work
■Like to work with CEDAC, concentrated in Central Mass.
Kathy Calhoun then spoke about CEDAC. Her comments were as follows:
■Began 20+ years ago with mandate for economic development focus and
real housing improvements•Programs addressed housing, child care and some economic development
■Agency is a 501C3, quasi-public and can only work with non-profits•Some technical assistance work is done with municipalities•Serve as pre-development lender for housing projects to form
development team, perform feasibility studies, next steps, Le.engineering,
architectural•Pay-back comes at construction loan closings•Less than a 2% loan loss•Good project assessment skills keep loss ratio low/ also loan incrementally•Through DHCD contract, they underwrite the Housing Innovations Fund
and Facilities Consolidation Fund loans, which are bond programs
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•They hold the HIF mortgages, which is permanent financing with no pay
back•They make recommendations to DHCD about funding decisions•Work with SRO stock, supportive housing and do permanent lending for
childcare business start-ups ($5,000 or less)•Local projects include South Street, did predevelopment lending for$120,000 and the HIF family set-aside component; 82 Bridge St. (SRO)
had an early HIF grant, funding for predevelopment again, for capital
improvements, and acquisition to take out Fleet; did pre-development for
96 Pleasant St. and HAP, and underwrote the HIF component; worked
with Safe Passage on their HIF award ($800,000 for local shelter for
battered women and their children); worked with ServiceNet on the
Florence Inn, and with Valley CDC on Millbank. (MHP and CEDAC
enormously committed to this project).•City support was discussed, CEDAC aware of high level of commitment to
affordable housing here
Nola asked about the differences between the two sources, as they both work
with non-profits. Kathy said pre-development is their niche, however they are
restricted to where they can work based on income levels. Efforts to change this
are on-going. MHP has a good chunk of money available that used to be through
a State budget line item. The Life Initiative is also available (CRA for insurance
companies) and some HUD money for technical assistance. CEDAC works best
with clients who see them as partners. CEDAC has a staff of 13, 7 are program
managers, MHP has 35, both small compared to the 275 at MassHousing
(formerly Mass. Housing Finance Agency).
MHP can give money to CEDAC for seed $ for predevelopment relatively easily
and quickly. Kathy herself can authorize up to $7,500. Sometimes MHP puts
more in to get a project to a point where it is ready to be taken to their Board for
more money. Don said we should lobby to insure that CEDAC can work in this
area after the 2000 census figures are adopted. Nola asked about mixed use
projects, yes, CEDAC can fund predevelopment. MHP does also with a limit on
the commercial amount. Kathy mentioned that Florence Savings Bank is a great
lender and has stepped up for many local projects.
Ms. Byrnes asked what the Partnership can do to keep the issue alive at the
State level. Kathy said people should attend conferences as lay people and speak
to the issues; more effective than people working in the field, track programs
(i.e. HIF needs more money) and make clear to the legislators what the priorities
are. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund was supposed to get 20 million, it only
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got 10, Millbank may be going in for more money and there won't be any. The
Trust Fund is also available to for-profits. She suggested people could also watch
for properties and alert the developers.
Rita said MHP always engages local officials to gauge interest and support for
projects. She said local advocates have to keep boards aware of their
responsibilities. She added that she is shocked that Northampton has not
adopted inclusionary zoning.
Ms. Crane raised the Barrett Street parcel as a possible project, and discussion
followed. Kathy said an entity like the Valley CDC could make an offer and the
seller could take a charitable donation for part of it.
Chair Hornor thanked the two guests for their presentations. Ms. Volkmann
suggested an evening where 3 development case studies were played out
specifically rather than in the abstract to see how the process really works. Rita
agreed and suggested that Mr. Bianchi and Ms. Byrnes were good resources for
that.
Other Updates/Meadowbrook/ Peg reported that Aspen was still in negotiation
with MHFA, but that the prepayment deadline had passed, meaning the
notification time clock bought an additional 5 months.
Oaks/ Mr. Hornor is in communication with Pat Goggins with regard to possible
inclusion of affordable units in this development.
SNAPS (Smith Northampton Affordability Partnership)/ Fran reported that Bill
Breitbart came to the last meeting and discussed the Trust Fund, loan programs
and mechanisms for holding funds. The content fit in well with tonight's
information. Background was given to Rita about progress with the College.
Housing Authority Parcels/ Chris confirmed the go ahead on 2 parcels and
described the capacity analysis done by Berkshire Design. A discussion of
whether or not the Laurel St. units would count towards the Master Plan if the
Community Builders were the developer ensued. Peg will follow-up.
RFP's to be developed. Pat suggested we should go to NHA meetings.
Election of Chair/ Nominations were opened for Chair. Nola nominated Jack,
seconded by Richard. Nominations were closed by a motion from Yvonne,
seconded by Fran. Vote for Mr. Hornor for Chair were unanimous in favor.
Adjourned/ The meeting concluded at 9:10 p.m.
Submitted by, Peg Keller