The URL can be used to link to this page

HousingPartnershipMinutes2002NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Meeting Minutes January 15, 2002 Members Present: Chairman Jack Hornor, Don Bianchi, Richard Abuza, Peg Murray, Fran Volkmann, Vera Crane, Pat Byrnes, Nola Reinhardt, Joel Feldman, Lynn Blaisdell Members Absent: George Kohout, Joe Defzio, Martha Acklesberg, Yvonne Freccero Guests: Bill Dwight, Wayne Feiden, Larry O'Connor, Chris Myers (NHA), Tom Breen (Gazette) Staff: Michael Owens Call to Order The meeting was called to order by the Chair at approximately 7:00pm. Public Comment Several members of the public were present, however no comments were offered. New Member Introduction The Chair introduced and welcomed the newest Partnership member, Lynn Blaisdell, who is also a member of the Northampton Housing Authority Board. Members, guests and staff introduced themselves and welcomed Lynn. Presentation on Affordable Housing Wayne Feiden, Director of Planning and Development, began the slide show presentation, which he recently presented at a Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) conference. The slides focused on zoning and the production and/ or encouragement of affordable housing. Communities across Massachusetts are trying to deal with the newly enacted Section 418 certification process and are looking at actions they can undertake to promote affordable housing. Affordable units are defined in two ways within Wayne's presentation; market rate affordable and subsidized. Subsidized units are exactly that, units subsidized as affordable through various state and federal housing programs. Market rate affordable are those units defined as affordable but not restricted by any specific state or federal program. Wayne then reviewed the following affordable housing projects, which are underway or have been recently completed in Northampton. • 96 Pleasant Street •Saw Mill Hills / Ryan Road Habitat Project •Verona Street •Westhampton Road Project Wayne then discussed how these projects were assisted through the CDBG program. Particular interest focused on the fact that the City was able to address multiple goals as part of these projects. The following examples were outlined: 96 Pleasant Street/ Preservation and rehabilitation of SRO units; creation of handicap accessible units; and restoration of the two commercial storefronts. Saw Mill Hills-Ryan Road I Creation of affordable units for homeownership; acquisition and preservation of open space. Wayne also spoke briefly regarding two projects that are planned for mixed income, Westhampton Road and Verona Street. Wayne also spoke to zoning revisions that can promote affordable housing such as cluster unit development, planned unit development ordinances and overlay districts. Zoning actions recently undertaken or planned by the City include allowing accessory apartments in all zoning districts, expanding their maximum size to 900 square feet and allowing bonus densities in projects that include affordable housing. Mandatory inclusion, impact fees and linkage between commercial and residential projects and affordable housing were also discussed. Wayne noted that the thresholds included within these types of regulations would be a key issue here in Northampton. In smaller communities low thresholds could impede or halt economic development. Discussion then focused on the State's Executive Order 418 process and the two-part certification communities must complete. It was noted that Northampton was tied for the top score with Somerville, a ranking that speaks well to the City's affordable housing efforts. Fran Volkmann thanked Wayne for the presentation and stated that she would like to see it offered to other groups in the City, possibly the Smith College committee she has been working with. Nola Reinhardt also expressed an interest in exploring this type of presentation with Smith College. Pat Byrnes asked about the City's long-term affordability mechanisms as they relate to CDBG funded housing rehabilitation projects. Michael Owens briefly outlined the caveats for the Council on Aging home repair program and the Valley CDC's rehabilitation program. Discussion of "Big Box Ordinance" Jack Hornor noted that he had sent out an e-mail regarding this issue and copy of the proposed ordinance so members could review it prior to the meeting. Wayne Feiden then spoke generally about the proposed ordinance and noted that it considers two factors, the nature of retail development in Northampton and the development of retail space in excess of 10,000 s.f. on King Street. Discussion then focused on how retail developments of this size might impact downtown, local businesses, the character of Northampton and affordable housing. The role of King Street as a gateway to the City was also discussed. The proposed ordinance has the following components: •does not effect retail developments under 10,000 s.f.•offers incentives for retail developments over 10,000 s.f. to construct two story structures located close to the roadway with parking in back; changes the open space requirement from 30% to 5%•allows housing on the second floor•requires traditional large scale retail development over 10,000 s.f. (one story structure set back from the road with parking in front) to be charged a linkage fee paid to the City based on square footage Bill Dwight then spoke to the proposed ordinance and asked for the Partnership's support. He noted that the practical application of such an ordinance is difficult, but that the parties that crafted the document worked hard to build consensus and reach compromise. Richard Abuza asked if Wayne thought the ordinance would result in two-story development with upper floor housing on King Street. Wayne stated that the market was hard to predict but that the ordinance has two targets; big box development in the highway business zone on King Street and the character of this important gateway into the City. Joel Feldman asked Wayne how much new development was expected to take place on King Street. Wayne stated that the level of development is unknown, however, Serve U will be torn down and replaced with a pharmacy and many of the steel buildings lining the road have reached their limited life expectancy. Peg Murray asked about the language on the second to the last page, apparently fees required by the ordinance do not go into Northampton's Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The proposed fees are divided equally between affordable housing and economic development. Peg expressed her disappointment. She had hoped the ordinance would create a funding stream for the Trust Fund. Wayne noted that the Mayor could request that funds go into the Trust with the City Council approving the expenditure. Nola Reinhardt then asked members their sense of where the group was in endorsing the proposed ordinance. Jack Hornor asked if further discussion was warranted or a motion. Nola's sense was that the ordinance had been narrowed somewhat, was an overall improvement to current zoning, but she would have liked to see incentives for buildings under 10,000 s.f. Pat Byrnes asked Wayne for an estimate of how much money the ordinance would generate. Wayne could not provide an estimate. Discussion then focused on the $5.00 per square foot charge for buildings over 10,000 s.f. and whether this was the appropriate "pain" threshold. Fran Volkmann recommended enlarging the conversation beyond the specifics of the proposed ordinance. She asked members to consider King Street and what type of development pattern was best for the community. Fran stated that she thought the ordinance moved zoning on King Street in the right direction and made good sense. Chris Myers spoke to his experience in Cambridge and asked if the City had considered a facade program for the King Street area. Wayne stated that the Planning Department's approach has been two tiered, zoning revisions and streetscape improvements. No fa9ade program is planned at this time. Richard Abuza stated that philosophically, he is in favor of any effort that supports affordable housing and applauds the efforts of the Planning Department and City councilors to development the proposed ordinance. Peg Murray expressed her concerns regarding the bigger issue of large retailers still being able to come into Northampton as long as they are willing to pay the price. Don Bianchi expressed the view that the group needs to approach the issue holistically and that if all things were equal, the Partnership needs to support every effort to maximize affordable housing production. Fran Volkmann stated that she thought the ordinance was a big improvement over current zoning but she had hoped it would have gone further in restricting large retail development. Nola agreed that it is a big improvement but also that it is not a solution to the problems that big boxes would bring to Northampton. Joel Feldman stated that the issue of impacts by big boxes was important, but that by supporting the ordinance the Partnership does not support big boxes per se, but was simply supporting better zoning. Bill Dwight again pleaded his case for Partnership support of the ordinance. He spoke to the issues raised by members and outlined what he believed to be the positive and negative aspects of the proposed ordinance. He noted that without broad support the effort was likely to fail. All agreed that the ordinance was most certainly an improvement over existing zoning on King Street. Fran Volkmann then offered some language for a motion in support of the ordinance. Richard Abuza then reworked the language and read it aloud. With a few minor revisions, Richard made a motion to support the ordinance as follows: 1.The Northampton Housing Partnership supports and applauds the consideration of affordable housing in the planning process; 2.We endorse the proposed ordinance as a great improvement over the present situation and endorse strongly the incorporation of affordable housing where mitigation is called for; 3.However, large retail development has a significant impact on the affordable housing needs ofour community and the Northampton Housing Partnership would support further restrictions on large retail development. Nola seconded Richards's motion and the members present passed it unanimously. Meeting Schedule Jack Hornor had e-mailed the meeting schedule and upon hearing no objections the schedule was accepted. CDBG Housing Fund Michael Owens distributed a memo to members outlining the status of the CDBG housing drawdown fund for the reporting period of September 17, 2001 to January 15, 2002. He requested that members reach him at 587-1254 directly if they had questions or concerns. Vice Chair Election Jack Hornor noted that he would not be able to attend the February meeting and asked if someone was willing to serve as Vice Chair to run that meeting. It was noted that the Vice Chair is generally someone who would be willing to take on the duties of the chair at some point in the future. Don Bianchi stated that he would not be attending the February meeting because of a conflict. None of the members present expressed interest in becoming Vice Chair, however Richard Abuza took the responsibility of chairing the February meeting. Affordable Housing Trust Fund Peg Murray then provided a report to members regarding the status of the City's Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Peg stated that she was resigning from the trust fund board and asked if any Partnership members were interested in serving. Don Bianchi thanked Peg for her energy and service to the Trust Fund. Jack also thanked Peg for her energy and commitment to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and spoke to the purpose of the fund. Jack stated that Peg's resignation, although regrettable, presents an opportunity to revitalize the fund as it moves into another stage. Jack further stated that if we miss this opportunity, the Trust Fund may do what many neglected organizations do, which is fall apart and that this cannot be allowed to happen. Nola Reinhardt suggested that members give some thought to this issue and come up with some suggestions and/or nominees at the next meeting, which was agreed to by the group. There being no further business, the Chair moved for adjournment of the meeting at approximately 9:20p.m. which was seco ded and supported unanimously. Michael T. Owens Respectfully Submi ted 01-17-02 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes February 19, 2002 Members Present: Richard Abuza, Pat Byrnes, Vera Crane, Peg Murray, Fran Volkmann, Yvonne Frecerro, Martha Acklesberg. Also present, Chris Myers, Northampton Housing Authority, Rita Sleiman, City Councilor, Winton Pitcoff, Ed Haglestein and Peggy Macleod, interested parties, Peg Keller, staff. Ca II to Order/ Member Abuza called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. in the absence of the Chair. Members introduced themselves to Councilor Sleiman, who offered to update members on the current zoning ordinances being proposed. Big Box Ordinance Update/ Councilor Sleiman reported the following: •the ordinances being proposed are complicated and many people areconfused•contrary to public belief, they will not impact existing businesses•work started on this three years ago with the proposed redevelopment of the Hill and Dale mall•3 sponsors got together to send out the ordinance, which asked large retailers to submit impact statements on jobs, traffic and impacts on other businesses•the first measure was withdrawn, studied over the next two years•experts were consulted and the 20/20 visioning statements•the focus was shifted from what we don't want to what we do want•there are now 8 ordinances/ range/ anyone can come in if they build a two story structure to the sidewalk/ second story can be housing or officeswith parking in rear•incentive is no special permit required, less green space•if they build a one story building, 15% open space reduction and a specialpermit required•typical big box development will require 30% open space and special permit•feedback has been that local businesses can't afford the fees (fees were noted and argument disputed)•the second public hearing will be Feb. 28th with the Planning Board 2 •subsequent dates are yet to be determined/ dependent on if the public hearings are continued•the position of the Chamber's board was noted/ open to all business Acting Chair Abuza thanked Ms. Sleiman for coming. He said that it has been an educational campaign over the years to gauge the impact of other activities on area housing. He invited public comment. Mr. Haglestein said he sees the pros and cons of the discussion. He said that customer service is better with smaller businesses, but prices are more affordable to people at the larger retailers. Peggy Macleod introduced herself as a member of the Northeastern Energy Commission trying to connect with housing advocates in the community. She works to promote energy improvement mortgages that allow first time homebuyers to borrow more money for energy efficiency improvements. Mr. Abuza suggested she attend the Implementation Sub-committee to discuss this further. Ms. Byrnes suggested she contact Valley CDC about their homebuyer workshops where this information could be disseminated. Sub-Committee Reports Planning: Ms. Freccero reported that the mixed use brochure is on hold until the ordinances are acted on. It is ready for printing and will be produced once they know the nature of the final zoning regulations. In the interim, the group has moved on to the investigation of inclusionary zoning. Implementation: Ms. Murray reported on the meeting held with three mortgage lenders from area banks (Jeff Smith of Florence Savings Bank, Tracy Egloff from Northampton Cooperative Bank, and Deb Peterson of Easthampton Savings). The intent was to find out what local banks are doing for Community Reinvestment Act activities and for first time homebuyers. Questions asked related to bilingual services, lending policies in condominium complexes and policies relative to long term affordability agreements. The Soft Second Loan Program was described. Ms. Byrnes suggested a meeting also be held with Bank of Western Mass.'s Sandy Ball and said it would be great if more area banks offered the Soft Second Program. Peg Murray noted that she and 3 Jeff Smith of Florence Savings offered to assist Northampton Cooperative and others with starting up the Program. Project Updates Cot Program/ Ms. Freccero reported that the Elks building is in a holding pattern as issues are worked out between the first owners/architects and the new owner's development team. Permission has been granted by the City and purchaser of the old Fire Station to allow the program remain there until April 1st. There is still hope to move the program in March. Peg K. spoke to the number of people being turned away from the Cot Program. The most has been 5-6 in one night, down to 2-3. Yvonne noted that the meals program that has begun in Edwards Church by a new team structure (to replace the Manna meals that used to be provided during the week) was meant to feed 20-25 people and saw attendance swell to 43 one night. Affordable Housing Trust / Peg Murray distributed a handout explaining the Trust. It was stated that with Peg's upcoming resignation that new Partnership representation is needed. More discussion will follow next month. Ms. Byrnes offered that Chair Hornor would be ideal due to his knowledge about fundraising. Peg K. said that Bill Breitbart has been hired by the Trust to get the fund operational and to date he has met with Spear Management and the Housing Authority. The first invoice for the fund is expected soon. Sub-Division Activity/ Peg K. reported on the number of units in the residential sub-division pipeline is now approaching 180. Ms. Byrnes asked what that would do to the subsidized inventory ratio. This is definitely a concern. Members wondered who was moving in to the high-end units. Most felt it was people moving in from other places, rather than local households trading up. This would be interesting to find out. Mr. Abuza expressed his thanks for Carolyn Misch's efforts in the Planning Department to advocate for inclusion of affordable housing in these developments. Updates were given on the Beaverbrook Subdivision, the Oaks, the Plantation at West Farms, Turkey Hill and Millbank. Members and Carolyn had agreed that if each private development included a percentage of affordable units, that would be a great beginning to the inclusionary zoning discussion. 4 Housing Authority Parcels/ The development analysis report was distributed to members. Chris Myers said that additional topo needs to be done on the West St. parcel to determine exactly what is developable (proximity to the Mill River). Discussions are ensuing about using the 689 (special needs housing) allocation on the Grove Street parcel. He is drafting an RFP for the Laurel St. parcel, which The Community Builders will respond to (and possibly others). He noted his effort to get some of the Authority's Section 8 allocations project based and said Aspen is looking for some at Meadowbrook. Ms. Byrnes said that if the NHA is distributing Section B's the Partnership should help decide where they go. Chris said it would be done through an RFP process. They cannot be used in census tracts that exceed a 20% poverty level rate. Goals Discussion/ Members said it was too late in the evening to pursue this line of thinking, so it will be put on the April agenda as the first item. Smart Growth/ Ms. Volkmann noted that her thinking about the King Street ordinances has led her to focus on downtown housing and issues around smart growth. She said that the updates on the subdivisions reported on earlier are troubling in that they are very vehicle dependent, contain no commercial uses and could potentially stress infrastructure. This is the opposite of smart growth. She distributed copies from a web site she has found that describes the thrust of smart growth policies. She said that housing development needs to be part of the larger vision that the community has identified for itself-and as we discuss our goals, we need to integrate with other entities. Other Business/ Ms. Byrnes asked if the Housing Partnership was willing to be a sponsor for an upcoming fundraising event for the Valley CDC. The event will be held June 9th from 4-6:00 p.m. at Councilor Volkmann's home. Ms. Acklesberg asked what sponsorship meant. Ms. Byrnes said it means acknowledging Valley's revitalization and good work (for others it means giving money). Ms. Acklesberg made a motion to have the Partnership be a sponsor in this effort, seconded by Ms. Freccero, vote was unanimous in favor. Councilor Volkmann abstained. Member Byrnes and Chris Myers will be attending a workshop on using Section B's for homeownership. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Meeting Minutes March 19, 2002 Members Present: Chairman Jack Hornor, Don Bianchi, Richard Abuza, Peg Murray, Yvonne Freccero, Fran Volkmann, Martha Acklesberg, Nola Reinhardt and George Kohout, Vera Crane. Members Absent: Joe Defazio, Joel Feldman, Pat Byrnes and Lynn Blaisdell Guests: Winton Pitcoff, Wayne Feiden (OPD), Chris Myers (NHA) Staff: Michael Owens Call to Order The Chair called the meeting to order at approximately 7:00pm. Public Comment Ed Haglestein of Florence had questions regarding the recent renovation of Hampshire Heights. Mr. Haglestien was referred to the Northampton Housing Authority, the owner and manager of Hampshire Heights. New Member Introduction The Chair introduced and welcomed the newest Partnership member, Winton Pitcoff. Winton works in the housing field on national advocacy issues and recently is undertaking a study on land trusts. Members, guests and staff introduced themselves and welcomed Winton. Planning Committee Report The Planning Committee met last Thursday. Yvonne reviewed the minutes of the meeting and distributed them to members. The discussion of the committee has focused on creating affordable rental housing, preserving existing affordable rental housing and inclusionary zoning. Wayne Feiden talked about zoning incentives and noted that as the discussion moves forward the Partnership should think about a mix of housing types with the goal of 11 % of all new residential construction being affordable. The Partnership felt that because the discussions are just beginning on inclusionary zoning it might be appropriate to reach out to the Mayor to gauge her support on this issue. There are many ways to structure incentives such as considering the volume of housing, the targeted low/mod population as well as other factors. The Chair then asked for further discussion regarding inclusionary zoning. Fran noted that there is a lot to learn regarding this topic. Many communities are using this tool and as a result there are many good examples and ordinances for the planning group to consider. A goal statement developed by Santa Monica CA was particularly well thought out. The Planning Board will continue to work on the City's master plan and this may be a topic to consider as part of that process. It was noted that the Mayor had spoke of inclusionary zoning as part of her inaugural address. Subcommittees will address the aforementioned issues than the discussion will move to the larger group. SNAP Report Fran noted that the committee met with Smith today and that a draft memo presented six weeks ago regarding a mechanism for Smith College's affordable housing investment participation was discussed. The Smith CFO informed the Committee that they are committed to making an investment in affordable housing and can begin accepting funding applications at any time. Smith would like to retain the final approval for projects but would look to the recommendations of the SNAP review group and agreed upon review criteria in making funding decisions. Discussion then focused on how housing absorbed by Smith would be counted for calculating the number of replacement units. Will only affordable units be replaced? Will it be a unit for unit replacement? Is there ambiguity regarding the number of units taken out of the market by Smith? Martha noted that these are important questions and that the Committee's sense is that Smith will be flexible on how the units are counted regarding the replacement calculation. The current priority must be to develop review criteria and a process for taking funding applications. Richard noted that this was an extraordinary opportunity for funding affordable housing projects and advocated for City staff support and consultant assistance to go after this opportunity. Jack also said he was happy with this turn of events and that resources and support to carry this through will be critical. Chris suggested that folks pool their knowledge about property that is ready for development and go after a project with these funds. The ability to move quickly is important. Members asked how flexible the resources would be? Members anticipated a range of possibilities including property acquisition, construction or rehabilitation with the focus on replacing lost units in the Green Street/ Smith College area. The Committee also needs to review the inventory of lost units (as calculated by Smith) and come up with an estimated replacement cost. Funds will not be available for homeownership and it is unlikely Smith would get involved in funding the City's Affordable Housing Trust fund or a community land trust. Fran noted that the Partnership needs to get its ducks in order, develop the selection criteria and get the resources out in the community. A proposal outlining review criteria and the make up of the review committee will be made to Smith by SNAP. Staff will provide the housing affordability and market analysis from the CDBG Consolidated Plan and the Partnership's current review criteria to this group. Implementation Committee Report Richard reported an interesting meeting with Peggy McCloud from the Center for Ecological Technology (CET). CET needs assistance in interfacing with the banking community to promote an energy improvement mortgage product. Staff noted that CET had requested approximately $9,000 in CDBG public service funds from a very competitive funding pool. Requests totaling over $226,000 have been received with only $136,800 available. The Public Service Ad Hoc Committee will review proposals and make recommendations to the Mayor's in about two weeks. Housing Trust Fund The Chair asked members to think about what can be done to make the trust fund more effective. Don noted that the Mayor has not been at several meetings and that Bill Brietbart is helping out but the fund and its activities requires more staff support in order for long term success. Peg Murray is stepping down from the trust and Jack thanked her for her time and efforts. Don stated that he would also like to step down but will stay on a little while longer. Jack noted that Winton has some expertise in housing trusts and has agreed to take Peg's place as a member. Richard then nominated Winton to serve on the Trust and Peg Murray seconded that motion. Fran moved to close nominations, which was accepted. The vote to accept Winton onto the Trust fund was taken and was unanimous. Members congratulated Winton and thanked him for his willingness to serve. Winton noted that it is relatively easy to set up a trust fund mechanism and that the real challenge is setting up a dedicated revenue stream. There are many ways to generate income. All need to be considered, from real estate surcharges to fees charged when landlords file eviction proceedings. State Hospital The developers continue to move forward with the MEPA environmental permitting process. Jack will provide future updates as warranted. Discussion of "Big Box Ordinance" It was reported that the affordable housing provisions in the proposed zoning ordinance changes, generally referred to as the "big box ordnance" have been removed. Support for the housing initiatives was not strong enough and there was a threat of a lawsuit if they remained. Additionally sponsors felt that the payoff for affordable housing was not justified when considering the court fight that would have resulted. Incentives for two story structures close to the road, mitigation of traffic and mitigation of the potential economic impact of large-scale development remains. As a result of these changes Jack will not attend the Council meeting to speak too the proposed ordinance. Martha asked if there was still a role for the Partnership. Fran thought the ordinance would be before the Council in late April. Both Fran and George agreed to brief Jack on the progress as it goes forward. Sub Division Report Staff reported on the number of current housing sub-divisions submitted for permitting and approval by the Planning Board. Much of the growth is taking place in Ward 6 and members agreed that a discussion of affordable housing as part of these developments is appropriate. One of the cluster sub-divisions already includes some affordable housing and housing accessible to the disabled. County Lane Estates Jack reviewed a notice that was recently distributed to tenants by Aspen Management, the new owners of Country Lane Estates formerly Meadowbrook Apartments. It appears the structure of an agreement to preserve affordability has been agreed upon. The next step will be the signing of an agreement between Mass Housing and Aspen. Staff reported that Aspen has requested CDBG funds for infrastructure improvements at Country Lane Estates. NHA Update Chris provided an update on the RFP process for several NHA parcels of land. It appears the NHA site near Smith has some flood plain issues, which require further research. A possible land swap with Smith may be appropriate. Chris will provide future updates as warranted. Fran noted that she was happy to see some progress being made by the NHA. CDBG Staff noted that the CDBG request for proposal process is ongoing and a draft CDBG Action Plan for the year beginning July 1, 2002 will be available on April 10th and will be posted on the Planning Department web site. Next Meeting The Chair noted that a major discussion of goals should take place at the April meeting and requested members give some thought to this topic. The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9PM. Michael T. Owens Respectfully Submitted 04-10-02 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes April 16, 2002 Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Peg Murray, Pat Byrnes, George Kohout, Yvonne Freccero, Winton Pitcoff, Joel Feldman, Don Bianchi, Nola Reinhardt. Also present, Pat Goggins, Goggins Realty, Annie Viens, Franklin County Community Action Commission, Chris Myers, Northampton Housing Authority, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order/ Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. Pat Byrnes introduced Annie Viens to the members. Ms. Viens is interested in forming a housing partnership in Greenfield and Ms. Byrnes invited her to attend this meeting. She was welcomed. Public Comment Period/ Chair Hornor introduced Pat Goggins who came to the meeting to discuss a proposed subdivision project called the Oaks. Highlights of Mr. Goggins comments are as follows: •He has served on the Housing Partnership in the past, as a member and chair•He was the developer of Pines Edge, the only comprehensive permit application the City has received•He encourages people that come to him about developing property to consider affordable housing•Development in the City is not easy; there are traffic, water and density concerns•Many people are discouraged by the price ranges of homes that are available•As of April/15th, the number of residential property listings are down 21 % from last year,(and last year was considered a bad year for inventory)•Only 1 house in 6 listed in the area, is located in Northampton•Demand for housing is steady, strong and unfulfilled•There have been no large affordable projects since Pines Edge/ where no profit was made due to the appeal by the neighborhood which delayed sales and increased carrying costs•The affordable units are undetectable from the market rate ones/ people are happy there and turnover is slow•He has this parcel out off of Burts Pit Road that he has been trying to market for 8 years/ was approached by a developer he does not know/ developer asked him what the housing gaps in the community were 2 •Reply was affordable, handicapped accessible and units with first floorbed and bath for aging baby boomers, 2,000 square foot units with 2 car garages.•This 54 acre parcel is not without problems/ he had contacted developersin the past that declined moving ahead with a single family concept•Woodbrook and Maple Ridge, contiguous developments house prices are $250,000+•When he met with this developer, he said the easy pieces have alreadybeen developed, there is not much left, but they opted to move ahead with the Burts Pit parcel.•He said last year there were 9 houses built, so they figured the market can absorb 85 units of condominiums at this site•No condo complexes larger than 5 units has been built since Pines Edge ( the late 1980's) Prospect Woods, Fairway Village(?)•Amenities proposed for the Oaks units: 1,300 sq.ft. 2 or 3 bedrooms 3rd could be bedroom or office, gas heat, full basements•Has discussed with Valley CDC that they could work as the conduit for finding families for the affordable units•Market units would be 2,100 sq. ft. +•Would not be able to identify affordable units visually•Development has generated controversy•Two mechanisms being discussed to control growth, moratorium and downtown infill will negatively impact affordability•He is trying to accomplish getting some affordable units here and would like the support of the Partnership with the proviso the developer doeswhat is required for suitable development•He would like a representative to go to the next public hearing before the Planning Board for review of the preliminary plan•Neighborhood meeting was held last week/important to have the support of the Partnership•Average sales prices have gone from $140,000 to $170,000 in the last 3years•Home prices are bid up due to the lack of inventory Questions from the members followed. Ms. Freccero asked about the 2 car garages, as that amenity would drive up the sales price. Mr. Goggins said that the demand is there and they are nice to provide. He said if the affordable units were to not have them, they would deviate from the overall design. Mr. Pitcoff asked about overall numbers: 85 unit total, 12 affordable, 36 are handicapped accessible first floor. 2 separate pods, 42 in one, 43 in other with a loop road. Site plan drawings were shown. The pods are 400 ft. from 3 the property boundaries, single family homes could have been placed within 20 ft. of property lines. Mr. Bianchi asked if they were looking for public funds, the reply was no, only public support at this time. Mr. Kohout said that cluster and open space preservation were preferable and felt the neighborhood meeting had been beneficial. He said people are concerned about the absorption rate with the State Hospital units also planned. Mr. Hornor said that the time line for those units is more vague. Ms. Freccero asked about other neighborhood objections. Mr. Goggins said traffic, although a study has been done that said no major impact on the intersections would occur. Mitigation will be investigated, however. He said also, water capacity and a pumping station will have to be built for pressure. The DPW has not received any complaints about pressure in the last 2 ½ years, although the neighbors say they have problems. He said it would be foolish to build a development that would cause problems so a report is being done on the sewer and water aspects. He also said some people preferred single family homes over the condo design. He said there were no comments related to enrollment at Ryan Rd. Mr. Bianchi said that the affordable units proposed are being differentiated by unit size and requested a mix of sizes. Ms. Byrnes asked about differences with unit finishes. Mr. Goggins said there has not been any discussion about them being finished differently, but would take both concerns back to the developer. Mr. Bianchi mentioned that we could possibly assist with downpayment costs for eligible purchasers. Mr. Goggins departed. Members discussed the presentation and request for support. The distinction between supporting the project and supporting the inclusion of affordable housing in the project was made. Mr. Feldman made a motion to "have representatives of the Partnership attend the Planning Board meeting(s) and support the inclusion of affordable housing in this project and to send a letter to the Developer to encourage those efforts, with a copy to Mr. Goggins." The motion was seconded by Ms. Reinhardt, with the vote unanimous in favor. It was noted that this support comes with the understanding that the sales price of the affordable units and all associated housing costs are to be affordable to households earning 80% of median income or below. (this would include condo fees, etc. ) 4 Ms. Murray expressed the importance of the Partnership being careful to evaluate which proposals it supports, in order to protect credibility and so as not to generate controversy unnecessarily. The flag lot and big box proposals were mentioned. Other Business/ Peg Keller agreed to provide project updates in the mailings each month, so as not to take up meeting time. The Chair asked for help with the Action Alert email project. The May meeting will be for a goals discussion only. Gerry Joseph of the Community Builders will be moved to the June meeting for a State Hospital update. Meadowbrook and Beaverbrook were discussed briefly. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 9:07 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes May 21, 2002 Members Present: Chair Jack Hornor, Lynn Blaisdell, Peg Murray, George Kohout, Joel Feldman, Richard Abuza, Pat Byrnes, Fran Volkmann, Nola Reinhardt, Vera Crane, Winton Pitcoff, Don Bianchi. Also present, Chris Myers, Housing Authority, and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order/ Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m. No one was present for public comment. The agenda for the meeting is goal setting. Goals Discussion/ Chair Hornor noted that the comments made by Ms. Freccero will be added in when the list is revised. He reviewed the handouts. Mr. Pitcoff began the discussion by asking what role the Partnership plays. Mr. Abuza responded by saying it has no real power and lofty ideals. One main charge is to insure that when other City Boards make decisions, they are aware of the housing impacts. It also makes recommendations on the use of CDBG funds for housing projects. Zoning Ordinances that impact affordable housing are referred to the Partnership by the Council. The Chair then asked if members had suggestions for additional goals not on his handout. Ms. Byrnes suggested educating ourselves as members by bringing in people, i.e. funders, to become aware of the larger housing picture. Mr. Abuza suggested land resources and additional sources of funding. Ms. Reinhardt suggested monitoring the state of the City's housing stock and needs. Mr. Bianchi added developing and nurturing infrastructure for affordable housing, building bridges to other departments, being a voice at the table and building capacity at Valley CDC. Ms. Murray added that the involvement of Smith College and the State Hospital redevelopment are two key items that present huge opportunities and need to be noted. Goal #1 "Preserve Existing Affordable Housing" was then reviewed. Members added monitoring SRO housing, improving City attitudes towards small landlords, increasing appreciation for the contribution small landlords make towards 1 keeping housing affordable. Mr. Bianchi noted that there should not be a disconnect between staff and board direction, that the NHP should see how it can support directions identified by staff regarding goals for the City. Members agreed a relationship should exist between staff, the NHP and the Planning Department. Mr. Pitcoff likes the idea of being a visionary group not bound by staff direction. Mr. Abuza asked that Mr. Bianchi's "infrastructure comment be added to Goals #1 and 2 and that the Northampton Housing Authority be identified as an important player in both. Additions to Goal #1 in summary: monitor and preserve SRO housing, Richards idea ( of capturing existing homes of elders into permanently affordable inventory) monitoring remaining expiring use projects, as well as tax credit properties, investigate community land trust revitalization, develop and regularly update inventory of affordable housing, develop methods to gather information about stock and needs, tune municipal attitudes and policies towards small landlords and get updates and advocate for other existing programs such as Elder Home Repair and Valley CDC Housing Rehab program. Goal #2 "Develop New Affordable Housing" generated discussion about defining the phrase "work closely". Some members felt it was too vague and wanted objective #1 split into two (State Hospital and Smith College) and numbers of housing units assigned for each. Objective #2 needs to be more ambitious, encouraging unit production and consistent standards. It was noted that much time had been spent defining project review criteria in the past. Ms. Byrnes suggested adding "create and implement an inclusionary zoning bylaw" to the objectives. Ms. Volkmann said she is helped by the delineation of output and outcome measures. She said rephrasing the objectives to read "work closely with developers to create x number of units" would allow us to gauge when it has been accomplished. Members agreed that an output based planning process made sense. Mr. Bianchi offered that the sequence should be that housing policy is developed, and the Partnership determines what it can do to foster achievement of those overall City goals. Ms. Byrnes stated that the NHP should ask the Mayor to commit 80% of all CDBG funds for affordable housing related activity. She said a development position should be funded at Valley CDC. Mr. Bianchi agreed. Mr. Pitcoff noted that the Affordable Housing Trust needs to go through a similar goal setting process. Mr. Bianchi agreed that the fund is a resource for the work of the Partnership and the NHP should investigate getting resources for the Fund. Chair Hornor asked for additional thoughts. 2 Ms. Volkmann mentioned the Community Preservation Act and said the NHP never really developed a position on it or finished the discussion. Chair Hornor said he thought it was dead locally, Ms. Byrnes said the structure could change for the better if the State administration changes. Ms. Reinhardt added that the NHP should investigate the possible City owned property that could be developed for affordable housing. She said the surplused property list should be distributed to the NHP. Ms. Crane said she is aware of City owned residentially zoned property. Ms. Reinhardt said affordable housing should be incorporated into King Street development. It was noted that CDBG funds have been offered through the RFP process in the past to encourage affordable housing projects. Goal #3 "Educate the Community about Affordable Housing and the Partnership's Role" was reviewed. Ms. Volkmann said that there are a growing number of people involved in discussions about sustainable communities and smart growth practices and we should be at the table with the housing piece in those sessions. She said there are some great web sites and CHAPA, the statewide housing organization has a sub-committee devoted to this topic. Mr. Bianchi felt that the two objectives listed (developing materials for the Planning Department's web site and that describe the work of the Partnership) are strategies. Objectives should be what we want people to know. Ms. Byrnes felt that if Goals #1 and 2 were done well, #3 would take care of itself. Mr. Pitcoff felt #3 should be incorporated into #'s 1 and 2. He suggested drafting op ed pieces featuring success stories, increasing local coverage through the web site and other medium, in addition to educating ourselves. Mr. Bianchi said that education and advocacy are part of the same discussion. If the antipathy and hostility toward affordable housing are not broken through, the other goals will not be achieved. He said the household mailing was an excellent educational tool. Members bemoaned the lack of follow-up in generating the action alert system initiated by that mailing. Ms. Volkmann said we should educate ourselves by bringing people in to discuss issues relative to the development of affordable housing at least quarterly. Ms. Byrnes said there is benefit both ways, those coming in learn about the local issues. Mr. Pitcoff noted the expertise within members themselves and offered that it could be a standing item monthly to have a speaker from within the group or from outside speak for 20 minutes about various things they are involved with. Members received this idea enthusiastically. Peg Murray noted the issue with the Fair Market Rents as something in need of tackling. Mr. Abuza raised the issue of additional staff support in order to really 3 follow-up on what is needed. Information dissemination was discussed relative to the CHAPA newsletters and other on-line resources and that not all members have computer access. Mr. Pitcoff suggested that list serves that others can post to can get out of control. Chair Hornor said we could do something just internally to share information. Possibly the Housing Partnership could have its own web site. Other ideas mentioned included involvement in the region, relative to land trusts and the FMR issue. Mr. Bianchi attended a Chapter 408 conference and feels the NHP should be more involved in Planning Board and Zoning Board activities. Ms. Volkmann added the impact of UMass student housing in Northampton as a regional concern. Peg Murray noted the work Peg Keller does regionally around issues of homelessness. Mr. Pitcoff noted national activity and the need to be aware of national campaigns. Ms. Byrnes then asked about process and where the discussion goes from here. It was decided that Peg K. would get the notes out and members would be asked to pick their top three priorities to bring to the next meeting. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 9:04 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 4 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes June 18, 2002 Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Richard Abuza, Winton Pitcoff, Joel Feldman, Fran Volkmann, Martha Acklesberg, Peg Murray, Don Bianchi, George Kohout, Pat Byrnes. Also present, David Modzelewski, Western Mass. Regional Housing and Economic Development Coordinator for the Department of Mental Health, Doug Ferrante, applicant and Peg Keller and Michael Owens, staff. Call to Order/ Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m. No one was present for the public comment period. Implementation Committee/ The committee presented a recommendation on the application of Doug Ferrante for funds to renovate and add an apartment unit at 209 Locust Street. Mr. Abuza briefly outlined the project by saying 2 meetings had taken place and this was a project worthy of support. The project is in a good location and this housing for homeless mentally ill would be difficult to replace if lost. He said some would like to award a grant, but he also sees how it makes sense to replenish our fund through loan repayments. Mr. Abuza said the recommendation from the Committee is to make a loan to the applicant that is non-burdensome, either no or low interest, or a deferred payment loan. Terms of the award were discussed. Mr. Feldman offered that the property had experienced deferred maintenance but endorsed Mr. Abuza's desire to support the project. Mr. Modzelewski said that the problem was the nature of the subsidies. The State Rental Voucher Program was locked in at low rates for years, so little or no additional income came in. The site has served 12 adults for 15 years and needs fixing up. Under the recommendation made by staff, the City would get a 20 year commitment to keep those units for the specified population. He said he would be in a better position to keep the subsidies if the City were committed to the project as well. Ms. Byrnes asked about a replacement reserve and a commitment to improved property management in the future. Mr. Abuza responded that Mr. Ferrante is taking over management of the property and his business is on site. A small reserve has been built in to the operating pro forma. Mr. Pitcoff asked if any other projects were on the horizon for the $180,000 CDBG funds available. 1 Peg Keller responded no and that this application was the result of work on hers and Mr. Modzewelski's part to sort out management issues and strategize on how to preserve these units in the community. Mr. Abuza said that there is a different staff recommendation from the committee's, presenting the option of the Partnership supporting the award and leaving the details of the agreement to staff. Mr. Bianchi said the two options seem to be a deferred payment loan and a straight loan. He said there is no long term accountability with a grant. Mr. Feldman raised the question of should different terms be applied to a private applicant versus a non-profit. Mr. Abuza pointed out that this is similar to a dedicated public use investment due to the nature of the property (SRO) as opposed to a market layout. Ms. Murray said the committee had asked if the project could sustain additional debt. Mr. Owens described the particulars of the applicant's financial situation. He said that there is a small profit projected assuming the costs hold at the same level, which is not realistic. Ms. Byrnes asked if other funding sources were involved and if the owner was making a contribution. Mr. Ferrante said he developed a work spec that is frugal and is not padded for his own benefit, but no other funding sources are being pursued. Mr. Abuza said the recommendation of the committee was to award the $54,000 for the rehab of the main building, and the $29,000 requested to create a transitional unit in the rear, as a deferred payment loan that is not due until and if the property is taken out of the current use as affordable housing, at which point it would be repaid in full with no interest. Discussion followed. The applicant is not interested in any obligation beyond 20 years. Mr. Bianchi said that an expenditure of public funds should yield the same long term affordability restrictions as other rental housing awarded public funds. With a deferred payment loan, it gives the City a seat at the table if the subsidy disappears. Members agreed it was awkward having this bigger picture discussion in front of an applicant. Ms. Acklesberg made a motion to table the request, seconded by Ms. Byrnes. The vote passed with 6 in favor, 3 opposed. Ms. Volkmann asked the Implementation Committee to meet in July to further flesh out the proposal and come back to the July Partnership meeting with another recommendation. Members expressed frustration that they had no background about the request. Ms. Volkmann reiterated that the Partnership needs to have policy discussions outside of the discussions with the applicants. Parameters of awarding CDBG funds need to be clearer so that if an applicant is asking for an exception from 2 those policies, all are aware of it. Mr. Kohout made a motion to have the staff made a recommendation on this application in isolation of the policy discussion, there was no second. It was agreed that the Implementation Sub-Committee would regroup and come back to the next meeting with a report. Adjourn/ Mr. Feldman made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Mr. Kohout. Respectfully submitted by, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes June 27, 2002 Special Presentation on the State Hospital ReDevelopment Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Richard Abuza, Lynn Blaisdell, Peg Murray, Nola Reinhardt, Yvonne Freccero, Don Bianchi, Fran Volkmann, Winton Pitcoff. Also present, Gerry Joseph from the Community Builders and Peg Keller, staff. Gerry Joseph updated the Partnership about the plans for the residential development at the State Hospital site. Highlights of his comments are as follows: ❖Background-TCB was selected as the master developer in 1998 and is now working on the implementation of the Master Plan with Mass.Development ❖On roughly 100 acres on the north and south side of Rte. 66 there will be 207 residential units and 475,000 sq. ft. of commercial usage developed❖Commercial will be more light industrial in nature than retail ❖Original scheme had been for high tech commercial/ although market hasnow waned ❖Residential scheme will include: assisted living facility, small lots of 4- 6,000 sq.ft., larger lots of 10,000 sq.ft. to ½ acre lots, townhouses, multi family triplex rentals and rehab of existing buildings for apartments. ❖Re use of Old Main is still under study ❖The affordable units will be interspersed ❖Development of the Ice Pond parcel, farther out Rte. 66 is underway. Plans have been submitted to the Planning Board for a 25 lot sub-division that will include 6 affordable newly constructed houses. ❖Affordable homes will be sold to first time homebuyers, at 80% of median or less, sales prices to be $150,000-$175,000. Soft Second program to be utilized. (Members said that sounded high) ❖Formula used to arrive at sales price: 75% of median, adjusted for household size, 33% of income allocated for housing costs, includinginsurance and taxes. Costs for principal and interest with a 7 1/2 percent mortgage, 75% loan to value ratio. ❖TCB to build the affordable units; will subsidize the difference betweenconstruction costs and sales price. ❖Overall affordability breakdown is 25% for sale for homeownership 75% affordable rental (most 60% of median, some 50%). 1 ❖Would like to find some Section 8 project based vouchers for the rental units ❖TCB wanted to get input and feedback from the Partnership before moving too far along Site characteristics of the Ice Pond Parcel (wetlands and power lines) were discussed with regard to social justice issues and the placement of the affordable homes. Only the affordable homes will be built out for sale, all other lots will be sold and built on by the purchasers. TCB will attach design guidelines. Goggins Realty will market the lots, TCB will do the road and infrastructure; sewer is coming from the jail site. Valley CDC may help with the marketing of the affordable homes, possibly through a lottery. The units will be deed restricted. TCB plans on using some CDBG, some State HOME funds. Sale of the market lots on the Ice Pond Parcel will help subsidize some of the other affordable stock. Affordable homes are expected to be 1,500 sq. ft., 2 story, 3-4 bedroom units. Member Abuza suggested designating the affordable units prior to the sale of the market units, to avoid the 6 affordable being placed on the lots chosen last by the market. Members discussed possible parameters for the affordability restriction. Member Bianchi asked Mr. Joseph to continue to communicate with the Partnership with regard to the restriction. Mr. Joseph said he would submit something to the Partnership for review. Actual construction is planned for spring 2003. Mr. Joseph went on to describe activities that will be taking place in Phase 1. 98- 100 housing units and 152,000 sq.ft. of commercial use has been approved. The South Employees home will contain 11 apartments, 22 will be placed in the Male Nurses Dormitory, 19 townhouses will be constructed, 21 single family lots will be sold, and the 25-27 units at the Ice Pond parcel make up Phase 1. The requirement to house clients of the Department of Mental Health was discussed. Mr. Joseph said most of them would be accommodated in the one bedroom apartments slated for the Nurses Dorm. It was noted that making that commitment beyond the first wave of rent-ups was not discussed in the legislation. TCB will own and manage the apartments. Members wondered about the DMH monitoring role and how that might take place. It was hypothesized that if the DMH commitment is for 15% of all 207 units and there are 75 rental units total, 30 rentals would be earmarked for DMH clients, leaving 45 for the general public. Mr. Joseph noted that 6 DMH units might be located off-site. (The legislation does not stipulate that the 15% must be accommodated on the campus). 2 TCB has already applied for and been turned down by the Federal Home Loan Bank board for resources to development the main campus housing ( most applications do not get funded the first time). Another application will be made for the next round of funding. A tax credit application will be made at the end of this summer. Mr. Joseph outlined the following as potential obstacles to moving ahead with development: -if too many buildings get slated for demolition, it may jeopardize the ability to garner historic tax credits needed for rehab-if there is no money for infrastructure, because most resources are related to economic development rather than housing-level of overall funding needed from State and Federal programs such as Low Income Housing Tax Credits, HOME, Facilities Consolidation Fund, Federal Home Loan Bank/ relative to State budget crisis and competition He added that there are not many existing spaces conducive to artist live/work space; not huge lofts often found in old buildings. Ms. Volkmann asked if there were other models of mixed income housing to refer to, noting that it is important to learn the ingredients for becoming a "community", which will in turn affect marketability, i.e. such as green space and community space. Mr. Joseph said TCB was developing Tent City in Boston, with such concerns in mind, and that although no play spaces, etc. have been programmed into this development scheme he agreed that such spaces and designing for the concept of community are important. It was stated that DMH will be retaining the Haskell building, and that if funding can be secured this fall, Phase 1 residential construction could begin in 9-12 months. Mr. Joseph was thanked for his report. It was agreed that communication would continue as the long awaited project gets underway. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes July 16, 2002 Members Present: Jack Hornor, Don Bianchi, Martha Ackelsberg, Fran Volkmann, Yvonne Freccero, Joel Feldman, Peg Murray, George Kohout. Also present, Chris Myers, Housing Authority and Peg Keller, staff. Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. No one was present for public comment. Valley Inn/ Community Development Block Grant Request Copies of the current agreement parameters were distributed. Chair Hornor said that there is not yet a draft of a policy delineating approaches for public sector applicants versus private sector applicants, as sub-committee meeting time was spent specifically on the Valley Inn proposal. Member Feldman said the Sub-Committee was following the charge to develop a proposal for this property that can be supported. The proposal was reviewed. It included a loan for the first twenty years, interest free with a second twenty year option at the applicants choice. The applicant's counter proposal was then reviewed. Member Bianchi said that the renter population and rental rates would need to be spelled out and that prepayment during that time period would have to have ramifications. Members Murray and Ackelsberg agreed that the conditions needed to be elaborated on and felt that the affordability restriction had been made clear to the applicant at the previous Partnership meeting. A commitment letter would establish the deed restriction requirement and that the units would be preserved as affordable for this population regardless of pre-payment. Member Volkmann suggested that for 5 additional years, the debt could be forgiven $10,000. Members supported that concept. Member Acklesberg made a motion to accept the proposal by the applicant, Douglas Ferrante, for the Valley Inn at 209 Locust Street, with the condition that the affordability be maintained for the homeless mentally ill on the 15 year loan irrespective of repayment. Member Volkmann seconded the motion and offered a friendly amendment that the offer be made to extend the affordability 5 years in exchange for a $10,000 reduction in the loan amount. The amount would be $54,000 with $10,000 forgiven after 20 years; the increased time period and loan repayment reduction having to be decided on at the outset. Member Ackelsberg seconded the friendly amendment. Further discussion ensued. With the friendly amendment, the loan amount amortized over the 15 year period would be $44,000, with no payments years 16-20. This would lower the applicants monthly payment and provide the City with a 20 year deed restriction. Mr. Ferrante could repay $44,000 over 20 years or $54,000 over 15 years, his choice. Member Feldman restated his position that we are being asked to pay for rehabilitating someone's building who should have been doing it himself over time. He felt that tossing out guidelines in order to address this particular situation was poor public policy. Member Bianchi stated that he felt the terms of an agreement should be stricter for for-profits, not looser. Terms for affordability for rental projects should be determined up front and applied uniformly when possible. Priorities for awarding funding should be established and adhered to. Member Murray expressed her feeling that this process is troubling in that non profit organizations and individuals do have different views. Individuals do see real estate activity in terms of their own life spans, as opposed to organizations that will theoretically continue for long periods of time. She said that 15 years of affordability for 12 people for this amount of funding is worth it, as there is a risk the property owner could always opt out of providing housing for this population. Chair Hornor then asked for a vote on the friendly amendment, which was 6 in favor, 1 opposed and 1 abstention. The vote on the main motion with the amendment was 6 in favor, 1 opposed and 1 abstention. The motion carried. Staff will communicate the proposal to the applicant and let the Partnership know the conclusion. Sub-Committee Reports Planning/ Inclusionary Zoning: Member Freccero reported that the committee needs agreement from the Partnership on the general parameters in order to move forward on drafting language and getting broader support. She discussed mandatory versus incentive zoning and how incentive zoning has not produced any units. Members Bianchi and Murray expressed their support for the draft that was circulated. Member Kohout asked about market priced units. Member Feldman stated that same style and design for affordable and market units was important. He pointed out that developers may increase market rate unit prices in order to accommodate the affordable units, negatively impacting the market. Member Bianchi posed the philosophical argument that the community needs affordable units and inherent in the market prices is the value the community at large has created as a high quality place to live and the community should recapture some of that value. Members Acklesberg, Volkmann and Feldman all expressed support for the language parameters. Member Kohout asked how it would work. Member Freccero said that if the project were large enough the preference would be for the affordable units to be created on site, rather than off-site. The draft was discussed further. Chair Hornor noted that he supports the approach generally, although there are several ways to pursue the details. Member Freccero said the % of overall affordable units is decreasing, so the effort would be to retain the 12% ratio that currently exists in the community. The more high end units that get created, the more skewed the ratio becomes. She said the committee felt 5 units constituted a development and other options would be considered for 1-4 units. It was suggested that the next step would be to work with a small group from the Planning Department and Planning Board. The committee feels it is its job to spearhead the effort and facilitate discussion, but not to write the ordinance. Member Bianchi said that the work is essential and as important as any work the Partnership may do. The term affordability needs to be defined, the threshold for options set and actions need to be quantified relative to costs. Strategies were discussed. Member Volkmann made a motion that the Northampton Housing Partnership go on record as being in support of the general principles of mandatory inclusionary zoning as proposed by the Planning Committee. The motion was seconded by Member Freccero. The vote in favor was unanimous. Member Freccero noted that the brochure encouraging mixed use development will be moving ahead for distribution by the Mayor's Office, the Chamber, realtors offices, etc. It was also reported that the SNAP meetings are continuing and a proposal will be submitted to the new President by fall. National Affordable Housing Trust Fund/ As previously proposed by Member Pitcoff, the Partnership agreed to formally support the legislation to create a housing trust fund at the national level for new construction of affordable housing. Member Acklesberg made a motion to that effect, seconded by Member Freccero, vote in favor unanimous. Member Volkmann agreed to speak to the Mayor about passing a similar resolution at the City Council. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 9:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes September 17, 2002 Members Present; Jack Hornor, Chair, Martha Acklesberg, Yvonne Freccero, Richard Abuza, Pat Byrnes, Joel Feldman, Fran Volkmann, Peg Murray, George Kohout, Don Bianchi, Lynn Blaisdell, Winton Pitcoff, Nola Reinhardt. Also present, Mayor Higgins, Pat Goggins and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order/ due to Chair Hornor having an earlier meeting, Member Abuza called the meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. He introduced the Mayor who had agreed to give the Partnership an update on Meadowbrook Apartments. Highlights of the Mayors comments are as follows: -the City had 2 major expiring use projects, Hampton Gardens and Meadowbrook, there are also smaller complexes such as Leeds Village and Michaels House that have finite affordability restriction time limits the strategy employed for the Hampton Gardens negotiation was assisted by the option of local rent control (which was not supported legislatively at the State level) 2 years ago December, the City heard that Mr. Lash was selling Meadowbrook. He was encouraged to look at the list provided by MassHousing, which identified purchasers that would have been interested in preserving the affordability of the complex. He chose to sell to Aspen Management instead. At the first meeting with Aspen, they offered to keep 25% of the units affordable, which they were told was not acceptable. It was at that point that the option of eminent domain began to be investigated. It had been used successfully in California to preserve affordable housing as a public purpose, however, not yet tested in Massachusetts. Zoning relief options were also examined, although none existed. Housing Authority agreed to pursue ownership of the property through an eminent domain taking if Aspen chose not to keep at least the existing 85% affordability ratio. Mayor went to Boston and got agreement from MHP, MHFA, DHCD, MHIC and legislators to find resources to maintain the affordability. Last October at MHFA (Mass Housing), Aspen agreed to the offer, the largest one ever made by the agency Aspen agreed to 100% affordability rather than the 85% and the past several months have been spent working out the details of the agreement 1 -Although the most money for MH, also the largest amount of affordability, as most of their deals are for 20% of the total units-Now tenants will be paying 30% of 60% of median income for rent, (not the rents that were in the paper). The phasing of the arrangement and the specific rent amounts were discussed. Rental amounts are going up substantially for some households because they have been so low for so many years, although it is still only 30% of median, some were paying 10% of median. Phasing the increase had been discussed, but evidently is not allowed by HUD. The commitment will stay with the property, regardless of owner. The Mayor further explained that if the Housing Authority had taken it, the deal would have been the same, as the same resources would have been accessed. She agreed to write something for the newspaper to clarify the specifics of the deal. There are several steps that still need to be taken, such as the DHCD loan commitment letter and the Housing Authority rent reasonableness sign-off. She will continue to monitor the situation through to completion. Members thanked her for her work and encouraged her to get the correct explanation out to the general community as opposed to the confusing newspaper coverage. She departed for another meeting. Guest/ Pat Goggins Mr. Goggins had asked to come before the Partnership to give an update on the Oaks subdivision project out on Burts Pit Road. He said that the 85 unit condo project originally proposed met with opposition. The project now contains 70 units of duplexes and single family housing. The project no longer requires a density bonus, which would have required the addition of affordable housing. Nevertheless, he continued, the development will include 8 affordable units in the $140,000 range scattered around the complex. The duplexes will contain one affordable unit and one market rate unit. Mr. Goggins thanked Mr. Hornor (who was now in attendance), for his comments during a public hearing before the Planning Board. He described the design of the units; 2,000 sq. ft. with full basements, 2 car garages, HVAC, etc. He said there are still traffic and water concerns that will now be pursued as they prepare the definitive plan submission. (The preliminary plan was approved.) He described the demand for condominium units in the community. He said the supply is choked, therefore prices are skyrocketing. The condo concept met resistance with the community, so the concept was changed. Member 2 Acklesberg asked if the units would have deed restrictions. He replied in the affirmative. Member Kohout asked if the number of total units were to be reduced, would the number of affordable units be reduced accordingly. Mr. Goggins replied in the affirmative, stating a 10% ratio. He said that there is a possibility of a second phase of affordable units to be introduced later depending on absorption rates, etc. He thought the development might be phased in at 1/3 every 3 years. Members thanked Mr. Goggins for the update and he departed. Mr. Kohout stated that the current building boom; the Oaks, the Plantation at West Farms, the State Hospital, the Ice Pond has led to a discussion at the Planning Board about limiting development. Looking at the number of units in a development vs. the need for affordable housing is something the Board wants to keep balanced. Member Acklesberg noted that there has been no rental housing built in decades, the focus is on purchasing. She said the most severe local housing crunch is for rental units. Peg Keller displayed the Community Builders One Stop application to the State for Phase One residential construction to demonstrate the complexity for a private developer to secure public funding. The point was that what Mr. Goggins had proposed was admirable in that the developer is providing the units themselves. Member Bianchi stressed, however, that the City still needs to protect its interests in the form of deed restrictions or permit conditions, in order to have some form of recourse should that be necessary later. He was speaking generically, to cover an instance where a developer for a particular project might come in later to change the deal. Accessory Apartment Amnesty Ordinance Members reviewed a draft of an ordinance submitted by Wayne Feiden. Ms. Byrnes noted that the idea had come from a similar ordinance she had drafted for the town of Barnstable. The thrust is that illegal apartments are legalized in exchange for affordability restrictions. Members wondered if any incentives were offered for a landlord to come into compliance, such as a rehab program. The total universe impacted is probably very small and members wondered if actual units could be lost to the inventory if after the grace period, active enforcement were to take place. Members opted to invite Mr. Feiden to the next meeting for a fuller explanation before they agreed to sponsor the ordinance. Member Pitcoff said he had written about Barnstable's experience and he would share those sites through email. 3 Planning Sub-Committee Member Freccero reported that a conversation with the Mayor garnered her (continued) support for inclusionary zoning. Efforts will continue to find acceptable language to pursue. She said she would ask Mr. Feiden for a copy of the current zoning changes he is proposing to Council. Member Acklesberg reported that a final recommendation for a mechanism to be utilized by Smith College to replace affordable housing units they are removing from the community inventory, has been finalized and will be submitted to the new President by the end of the week. This is a very exciting event and a culmination of a lot of work by various representatives of the community, Smith employees and housing advocates together. She agreed to send a copy of the proposal to Mr. Hornor, for distribution to all Partnership members. Member Reinhardt said that the new President has emphasized a community focus in several venues and the January intercession will have interns focusing on housing issues. Implementation Member Abuza said the committee was reviewing an application for the Go West SRO. The property has been recognized as a key one to be (rehabilitated and) retained and committee work will continue. The group is also working on policies and flow charts relative to project review criteria. It was noted that Mr. Ferrante has agreed to the Partnership's terms for rehabilitation of his property on Locust Street. Loan documents are being drafted for his review. Announcements Member Pitcoff said the National Low Income Housing Coalition is releasing a report tomorrow highlighting the gaps between incomes and housing costs and suggested the Housing Partnership do a press release. He agreed to write it and circulate it for review, prior to submission to the Gazette. Adjourn/ The meeting concluded at 8:55 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 4 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes October 15, 2002 Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Richard Abuza, Winton Pitcoff, Fran Volkmann, Lynne Blaisdell, Peg Murray, Nola Reinhardt, Martha Acklesberg, Yvonne Freccero. Also present, new member Jackie Brousseau-Pereira and Peg Keller, staff. Agenda/ Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. He welcomed Ms. Pereira and introductions were made. Project Updates Peg Keller gave updates on the following projects: 1.) Ryan Road-Project is complete, dedication was held for two Habitat families. There is some discussion about elimination of the common driveway due to a problem with a dog that lives in the house next door. 2.) Verona Garfield-Habitat is moving ahead on the application to the State for the Local Initiative Program to be eligible to apply for a comprehensive permit locally. Habitat has held two neighborhood meetings related to site design and is doing due diligence on the sewer and water issues. They plan on working with the Smith Vocational building program for one of the houses. The timetable is for construction to occur in 2003-4. 3.) Westhampton Road-City staff has been preparing the Local Initiative Application to the State in order to be eligible to apply for the local comp permit. Peter Frothingham has completed the site plan and building elevations and floor plans, which Habitat will be required to use. Habitat's timetable for this project will be 2004-5, after the Verona project. 4.) Millbank-Valley CDC will hopefully close on this project next month and construction will still take place this fall/winter. A funding gap was identified in the final predevelopment stage that had to be filled. The City committed additional CDBG funds and a request was made to the Florence Savings Bank to close the gap (results pending). 5.) Housing Authority Parcels-Work continues on developing plans for the 4 parcels. Unfortunately the project manager hired by the Authority to move the development process forward will be retiring in December. 1 Issues around the zoning and whether or not the Laurel Street parcel has to be part of the State Hospital Planned Village district are still being sorted out. 6.) Turkey Hill Road -Work continues and construction is hoped for next spring. The Conservation Commission process uncovered some issues that need to be resolved. The quarry operation needs a permit to reopen operation, which may land the case in court again, so that situation has not been resolved. 7.) Bridge Road -The permit appeal remains in land court. The Mayor deobligated the CDBG funding assigned to the project. At this time, the plans for the development of affordable housing on this site are very much up in the air. Members asked about Meadowbrook. Peg has not heard anything since the Mayor attended the Partnership meeting. Member Pitcoff asked about Hampton Gardens and Peg said she will be scheduling a Trust meeting soon to get the fund activated and resolve remaining issues. Planning Sub-Committee/ Member Freccero reported that the group has reviewed the current zoning revisions proposed by Mr. Feiden. She read a recommendation to the Partnership from the sub-committee that suggested a change. The proposal to Section 10.5 #14 allows the Planning Board to grant waivers to certain residential development requirements if two of the following three conditions are met: a.a minimum of 100/o of the housing units created are affordable units b.a minimum of 750/o of the site prior to development shall remain as permanently protected open space providing either significant benefits to rare and endangered species or passive or active recreation. Provision of public access is one way to meet this condition.c.The project creates traditional neighborhoods, such as the pre-World War 11 neighborhoods of downtown, Baystate, Florence and Leeds, with easypedestrian and bicycle linkages to existing or planned commercial centers ofthe City. The recommendation of the Planning Sub-Committee is to require the inclusion of the affordable units, then allowing the developer to pick one of the other two options to satisfy the requirements. (''a" is eliminated, "b" is changed to "a" and "c" is changed to "b". It also makes the same change to the following section that addresses Planned Unit Developments. The proposed revision was discussed. Ms. Freccero explained that they decided to propose it at the beginning of the discussion rather than later when it gets formally referred to the Partnership for comment. Member Reinhardt made a motion to approve the proposed amendment. The motion was seconded by Member Pitcoff. The vote was approved by a unanimous vote in favor. Member Abuza agreed to meet with Mr. Feiden to explain the Partnership's position and 2 action. Chair Hornor agreed to call Member Kohout to inform him of the action taken. Implementation Committee/ Member Abuza reported on the current work of the sub-committee and the materials that had gone out in the mailing. He described the path for an application for CDBG funds. He said it is a work in progress. The review criteria has also been revisited. They are not quite ready for a full presentation to the Partnership but headway is being made. Members complimented the sub-committee on the work to date and agreed that it will help clarify the process. Member Abuza articulated the areas of focus: identifying problems experienced in processing past applications, delineating the application process for the applicant and the Partnership, reviewing guidelines and the process for diverging from the guidelines and updating the review criteria based on current trends and goals. He noted that with no applications currently in the pipeline, it is a good time to get this work accomplished. Member Murray reviewed the flow chart. Members offered suggestions. Other Items Peg K. agreed to circulate the Smith Northampton Affordability Partnership proposal to the members. Member Acklesberg reported that a communication had been received from the new President indicating that she had received the proposal and that she would be taking it under advisement. Chair Hornor reminded members that the election of Chair would take place in December. He offered his willingness to continue as Chair if that is the desire of the membership. Adjourn/ There being no further business to discuss, the meeting concluded at 8:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes November 19, 2002 Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Pat Byrnes, Fran Volkmann, George Kohout, Joel Feldman, Don Bianchi, Jackie Brousseau-Pereira, Yvonne Freccero, Winton Pitcoff, Richard Abuza. Also present, Wayne Feiden, Planning Director and Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order/ Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. He introduced Mr. Feiden who was in attendance to discuss a zoning proposal. Accessory Apartment Amnesty Ordinance Mr. Feiden explained that he examined this by-law from Barnstable when Member Byrnes brought it to his attention. Member Byrnes said that she had spoken to someone in Barnstable today who reported the following: •It had taken 6 months to get the program going•A staff person had been hired to implement the program•The ZBA had dedicated a hearing officer for this purpose•They created an arrangement with the local housing authority to conduct unit inspections•45 units were brought "on-line" in the first year•Some of those units were identified/caught through code enforcement•Only 2 out of the 45 required funding to bring the units up to code•Incentive is to legitimize the unit legal, for sale/marketability Mr. Feiden said we allow accessory apartments by right but assumes we still have many illegal units. Having Valley CDC target the City's rehab funds was mentioned. The question was raised regarding monitoring the 80% of median income requirement. Deed restrictions would limit the use of the unit, but members questioned what would happen to tenants if they became over income. Member Bianchi felt annual certifications would have to be done for income verification. He said another option would be requiring income eligibility only for initial rent-up and at unit turnover, with no interim recertifications. Mr. Feiden said that after the termination of the amnesty period, he did not foresee a campaign from the Building Inspection office to identify all the illegal units. The office would probably continue to only respond to complaints that are followed up with inspections. Member Bianchi said he thought such a program should have funding for rehab and administration. 1 Options could be earmarking the CDBG program, identifying private financing, or working with banks on low interest loans. Member Bianchi reminded members that if public financing is involved, lead paint assessment and remediation get activated. Member Freccero asked about the number of units in the universe that could be impacted. The response was that even if it is only 2-3 units a year, it is another tool to create affordable units. Mr. Feiden said there is not a good way to determine the actual number. The suggestion was made to poll a few realtors. Discussion followed about how to monitor the units for affordability. A selfdeclaration of income certification could be sent in annually by the tenants. The issue was also raised about if a tenant becomes over-income do they have to vacate the unit. Member Abuza made a motion to endorse and sponsor the ordinance as presented. Member Feldman seconded the motion. Further discussion followed during which Member Feldman stated that as presented, the ordinance would displace people. Member Abuza suggested an amendment altering Section C, but then withdrew the amendment. Member Freccero said she thought landlords would be put off by the program if they had to annually certify people and rerent the units if people are over income. Member Bianchi said the early housing programs were constructed on a philosophy that if the households became over income, they had to move. Member Abuza said that possibly landlords could give ample notice to vacate if the household substantially exceeds the income limits. In the homeownership programs, income is not recertified after initial purchase; members wondered why it was different with rental programs. Members agreed to table the discussion until the next meeting in order to answer some of these questions. Peg will check with DHCD to see how recertification on Local Initiative Program units is handled. Member Bianchi made the motion to table, seconded by Member Brousseau-Pereira. The vote in favor was unanimous. Other Zoning Revisions Regarding the other change to the Planned Unit Development and open space residential development sections of the ordinance, the Partnership recommendation to mandate the inclusion of affordable housing was approved by the Planning Board. Mr. Feiden said there is still discussion about a moratorium on larger projects. Member Volkmann said the Planning board acceptance of the Partnership's recommendation is terrific. She suggested changing the accessory apartment reference to a one bedroom to avoid the proliferation of studios, rather than family units. She made a motion to have the Partnership sponsor the change. The motion was seconded by Member Pitcoff. Member Abuza thanked Mr. Feiden 2 for his lobbying efforts on behalf of the change. The vote was all in favor with the exception of Member Kohout who abstained. It was noted that in the last 10 years, if 250 new units were created in Northampton, not one affordable unit was created by the private sector. The exception may be accessory apartments that are not tracked. The Planning Board and Ordinance Committee of the Council will hold public hearings in the near future about development pressure. The Partnership will be included in those discussions. Sub-Committee Reports Planning/ Member Freccero reported that the Committee met with Connie Kruger, Mass. Housing Partnership and the Mayor to discuss inclusionary zoning. The group learned that communities that conduct rational nexus studies in conjunction with instituting the zoning are on more solid legal ground. The theory here is that as communities grow, more services are required and affordable housing is needed for those providing the services. Member Kohout said the Planning Board is having similar discussions attempting to have departments determine how much development is too much, traffic thresholds, etc. Member Bianchi pointed out that one can be a proponent of development vs. a proponent of certain types of development. Trust Fund/ Member Pitcoff reported that the Trust had met and concluded that public funding for an income stream is not likely to occur in the near future. The group decided that a model program should be created for which funding would be solicited. The Mayor has agreed to support such a solicitation from banks and others based on that idea. He said that without a chair, he is not sure who will move the effort forward. Member Byrnes said it would be important not to compete with other local non-profits. Member Pitcoff agreed, but restated that if there is going to be a Housing Trust Fund, an income stream is a requirement. He said the National Trust will not be instituted in this Congressional session. It will need to be reintroduced in the next one. Go West/ Peg K. reported that Valley CDC, assisted by MBL Housing will be moving ahead on the acquisition and rehabilitation of the Go West building and local CDBG funding will be needed for the project. Adjourn/ There being no further business to discuss, the meeting concluded at 9:07 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3 NORTHAMPTON HOUSING PARTNERSHIP Minutes December 17, 2002 Members Present: Jack Hornor, Chair, Martha Acklesberg, Don Bianchi, Pat Byrnes, Nola Reinhardt, Fran Volkmann, Yvonne Freccero, Richard Abuza, George Kohout, Winton Pitcoff, Jackie Brousseau-Pereira, Peg Murray. Also present, Peg Keller, staff. Call to Order/ Chair Hornor called the meeting to order at 7:07 p.m. There was no one present for public comment. Accessory Apartment Amnesty Ordinance Discussion continued from last month about this proposed ordinance. Members thanked Mr. Abuza and Mr. Bianchi for their information exchange. Peg K. reported on information received from the State, which said the Local Initiative Program usually has the locality contract with an agent to conduct annual recertifications. The person at the State (Ben Johnson, DHCD) did not know what the protocol was for a household becoming over income, but said he would find out. Mr. Bianchi said that his organization has CDBG funded projects in which tenants self-certify annually and are not displaced if they exceed income limits over time. Mr. Abuza offered his thought that people not be allowed to stay forever if they are over-income, but should be given a humane and reasonable amount of time to leave, i.e. one year. Ms. Byrnes said that if the units need to be counted by the LIP program, we only need to find out what the LIP rules are. Mr. Bianchi said being counted by the LIP program is not his only goal. He said the goal should be to secure affordable units, improve the condition of the housing stock and he does not advocate displacement at all. It was noted that illegal units are usually discovered upon property sale and they do not have certificates of occupancy, for whatever reason. Member Pitcoff asked about occupied units that may come in to the program. Mr. Bianchi said that if public funds are used, the Federal Relocation Act kicks in for tenants not income eligible or in good standing. For people relocating, the Act requires payment of the difference between the two unit rents (from where they rented 1 and the new unit they are relocated to, if the new rent is higher) for up to 48 months. Mr. Bianchi emphasized that if the units are kept affordable over the long term, upon turnover they should be rented to someone who is income eligible. Eligibility would only be a requirement at time of initial rent up/ turnover. The issue was restated as one of no displacement vs. conditional displacement. Ms. Volkmann offered that if households go over-income, there could be a "cost" associated with gleaning the benefits i.e. the cost difference could be paid by the landlord into the Housing Trust Fund. Answering a question from Mr. Kohout, Ms. Byrnes said that currently, for example, a family at Meadowbrook that exceeds the income limits would then pay the market rate rent. Mr. Bianchi said he thought it would be too complicated for landlords to pay the cost differential into the Fund. Mr. Abuza added that another incentive to have the units "blessed" is that a property owner cannot get work done by licensed professionals without a permit and inspections, which cannot occur for an illegal unit. Mr. Abuza was asked if the City should be taking any action at all on this effort and he said yes, the end result would be increasing the safety of units as well as affordability. Ms. Volkmann asked if the unit would have to be (remain) rented, wondering if a property owner could convert it back to use for a returning family member, for example. Mr. Bianchi said that when public funding is involved, one usually has to pay the money back if they no longer rent the unit within the affordability/programmatic parameters. (It becomes less clear if no public funding is involved). Ms. Byrnes reminded members that in Barnstable, accessory apartments are not allowed by right, so if the owner opts out of the program, they lose the right to use the unit. Chair Hornor posed the (displacement) choice to the membership and a vote yielded 8 in favor of requiring eligibility at initial certification, with no displacement if household becomes over income. 3 members voted for the other option, and one abstained. It was decided to communicate to Mr. Feiden the concerns about the 99 year requirement, the displacement clause and the compliance monitoring. Mr. Bianchi made a motion to refer the ordinance back to the Planning Department saying that members support the concept of the purposes stated therein, they want the concept to be instituted in a way that does not cause displacement of tenants in good standing, initially and long term and that more information is 2 needed on how compliance monitoring is undertaken and how owners can opt out of the program. Ms. Acklesberg seconded the motion. Additional discussion occurred about the definition of "good standing". Ms. Volkmann offered a friendly amendment about revisiting the 99 year term, the amendment was accepted by Mr. Bianchi. Ms Acklesberg called the question, the vote was all in favor, one opposed. The second zoning ordinance proposal (Appendix A Sections 2.1, 3.4,6.2,10.5,10.6) was reviewed relative to including affordable housing in residential and planned unit developments. The members suggested a change in one of the sections. Ms. Volkmann made a motion to approve the proposal with the suggested revision ( to Section 2.1), seconded by Ms. Byrnes. The motion was approved unanimously. An additional proposal was reviewed relative to lot size increases in the outer zoning areas and reductions in more urban areas (Appendix A Section 3.4). Mr. Abuza made a motion to thank the City Council for bringing the proposal to the attention of the Partnership, but to not make a recommendation (as it only indirectly addresses affordable housing). Ms. Acklesberg seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Other Business Ms. Byrnes announced that Valley CDC had successfully applied to the Federal Home Loan Bank's Affordable Housing Program for $187,000 to be used for downpayment assistance to allow households with lower incomes to purchase homes in the area. It was agreed that the Partnership would send a letter congratulating Valley on their effort. Peg Murray announced that Florence Savings Bank had sponsored an application from Habitat also to the Federal Home Loan Bank program for $60,000 to be used for local projects. This award has also been made. Ms. Byrnes announced that Valley CDC would be moving ahead with the acquisition and renovation of the Go West SRO building in Florence. CEDAC has approved the acquisition loan, so the closing will take place the end of January. This is very exciting, not only to have Valley undertaking a new project, but that the SRO units will be preserved. Adjourn/ There being no additional business, the meeting concluded at 9: 10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Peg Keller 3