Development raises questions about attainable housing standards

After two weeks of deliberation, the City Commission allowed a developer to proceed with plans for a townhome development near Laurel Park — but significant questions remain about the project and the city’s attainable housing standards.

At Monday’s commission meeting, the board heard a second presentation from representatives for Oaktree Development, a company proposing a townhome project at 1938 Laurel St. The commission deferred any action at its April 20 meeting as staff investigated the attainable housing requirements the developer wanted the city to waive.

Oaktree is seeking an amendment to the city’s comprehensive plan that would remove the existing site-specific requirements on the land, which limits residential development to 12 attainable housing units. Per the city's definition of “attainable,” the units would have to be rented or sold to households with incomes between 60 and 120% of the regional median income. The only other allowed use for the land currently is 23,500 square feet of office space.

On Monday, the commission gave the go-ahead for Oaktree to begin the comprehensive plan amendment process, though that doesn’t guarantee that the amendment will ultimately be approved. If the amendment proceeds according to schedule, the City Commission will have the chance to weigh in again at a public hearing in November before it is adopted.

Although it was amenable to loosening the attainable housing requirements on the land, the commission — which has stressed the importance of creating more affordable housing — was focused on not removing the requirements entirely. Vice Mayor Susan Chapman asked the developer whether it was plausible to incorporate two attainable units into the planned project.

“We don't want to require you to do 23 additional units,” Chapman said. “We're more interested in scatter site (affordable housing).”

The board had additional questions regarding the requirements outlined in city regulations — which states that the size and appearance of attainable housing units should be “functionally equivalent” to market rate units. Commissioners acknowledged that language could be tough on developers willing to incorporate attainable housing into their plans, and directed staff to investigate and clarify the wording. 

“If we don't address the language in this, we'll still be in this quagmire when we come back with the next investor,” Shaw said. “We want to be moving on sound footing when we move forward.”

Representatives for Oaktree said they believed a workable solution between the developer and the city could be worked out, though they did indicate they might need incentives such as a density bonus to go forward. Still, they were committed to adding some sort of attainable housing to the project.

“Before, we were suggesting going forward without attainable housing,” said Don Neu, a consultant representing Oaktree. “That's not a position that will be supported, and we will come back with a direction that will have some attainable units on the site.”

Also at Monday’s commission meeting:

• In a 3-2 vote, the board approved a land sale and swap with Ringling College. The land deal, which will allow the school to proceed with plans for a multimillion-dollar soundstage complex along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, had drawn criticism from some Newtown residents worried about the impact it would have on the neighborhood.