Minutes 11-14-2019 Business Meeting

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7 Commissioner Price said it is important to include people in the community, because there is a tendency to propose an idea that may not be what people want. She said even in some outlying areas, people feel differently. She said she liked the idea of the on-demand services. She applauded the students for their work, and encouraged them to remember there are different perspectives. Jane Stonehouse said people do not want apartment buildings. She said she spoke with several Rogers Road residents, and this is a concern. She said it is a balance between securing housing and meeting desires. Commissioner Price said maintaining community character is important, and having people be proud of their neighborhood. Commissioner Greene said she appreciates all of the time and thoughtful conclusions. She said a twist on the dilemma with transit is that one should not spend more than 30% of income on housing, but also often do not have their own cars. She asked if the County could subsidize housing and transportation so the amount does not exceed 38% total, which would help to equalize things. She said she spoke with a homeless woman who became homeless because she needed her car to get to work. She chose to get her car fixed and live in it, due to not being able to afford housing. Commissioner Greene said single room occupancies (SROs) are approved now in the Blue Hill Zoning District in Chapel Hill and created a good situation, despite typically having a bad rap. She said putting affordable housing on the Greene Tract does not meet the County’s density requirements to justify transit, but maybe the County could run a bus out there anyway. She said the sentiment of CEF is that the County will only approve affordable housing on transit routes. She said she has chosen to accept this as information, and there is a part of our community that is deeply skeptical of the County’s intentions regarding affordable housing. She said it would be wise for the County to change that perception. Jane Stonehouse said some of the input from CEF is rooted in feelings of lack of inclusion in these discussions; not everyone at CEF is experiencing homelessness, and low-income people have all sorts of needs. Tara Murray said she sat in on a CEF community meeting where the Greene Tract was discussed, and a Chapel Hill Town Councilmember said there was no way affordable housing could be built there, due to the lack of transit. Commissioner Dorosin said seeking to concentrate affordable housing only where there is transit and water and sewer is a real problem. He said the County does not have primary control over the areas around Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and has minimal influence to make this happen. He asked if the County should have more influence. Commissioner Dorosin said the common metric of not more than 30% of one’s income going to housing typically includes utilities but does not include transit. Jane Stonehouse said Alderman Seils suggested 40% to include housing and transit. Commissioner Greene said the nature of incentives is money, as voluntary density incentives do not work. She said if there is enough cash to partner with a for-profit developer, on an existing site to create affordable housing, one would not have to worry about zoning. Commissioner Marcoplos said the County owns some parcels along Fordham Boulevard. Commissioner Dorosin said this will cost a great deal of money to make it work. Commissioner Greene said one development that was discussed is a bus corridor in Arlington, VA where affordable housing came to fruition, but the state of Virginia put in money to make it happen, as well as the city of Arlington, and has a dedicated tax for affordable housing. She said this type of money is not available locally.