HomeMy WebLinkAboutHousing Task Force - 01/29/2004Town of Mansfield
(� Housing Task Force
Minutes of January 29, 2004
The meeting was called to order at 6:08 p.m.
Present: Chairman Steven W. MacCaffrie, representing the Board of Selectmen; Mary -
Lou Cotton, representing the Housing Authority; Lou Andrews, representing Natural
Resources Trust; Ron Webster, representing the Local Housing Partnership; Judy
Martone, represented the Fair Housing Committee; Charlene Lavin, representing the
Finance Committee; Eric Butler, representing the Zoning Board of Appeals. Kenneth
Torman, representing the Planning Board, and Donna Harrington, representing the
Council on Aging arrived at 6:30 p.m.
Staff present were Town Manager John O. D'Agostino; Richard P. Lewis, Conservation
and Environmental Planner; Consultant Judi Barrett and Beverly Estes-Smargiassi of
Community Opportunities Group (COG) were also present.
Motion: To approve the minutes of the January 22, 2004 meeting and public hearing
(Lou Andrews/Eric Butler) All in favor Passes
Comments, suggestions and recommendations made at the prior week's public hearing
<' were reviewed. It was noted the main thing that came out of the public hearing was to
form a non-profit. Judi Barrett suggested the need for only one model for a non-profit,
pointing out there is no need for separate models for the Town and the Housing
Authority. If a non-profit were created by the Housing Authority, extreme care would
have to be given that a "mirror" board of directors is formed.
Tasks discussed in going forward were:
• Getting a plan done for affordable housing using Town -owned land, "friendly" 40B
development proposals, and Zoning Board of Appeals involvement in the scrutiny of
40B proposals in general. A trust can be set up comprising of citizens or others
interested in creating a non-profit. A municipal non-profit would have to be
approved by Town Meeting and be created by the Legislature. A non -profit's
autonomy would be determined by how it is set up. The Town can set it up and get
out or remain as the appointing authority for a board of directors. There needs to be
some level of independence or they tend to shrivel up from within.
• Rental non -profits — provides control over who you want to talk to or do business
with. You can read their philosophies and see if they are a good match. There are
several such organizations.
• Assess needs of the community and use those to establish goals.
• Need to determine who will manage them.
Housing Task Force Minutes of January 29, 2004 Meeting 1
• Address questions as to the costs involved, if any. Non-profit can be a developer or
a consultant to the developer. It can get the money as a non-profit and then manage
the project by hiring someone.
Need to determine the level of responsibility and involvement of local Government;
whether it will play a passive or active role determines the model and make-up of
the board.
• Question as to whether there would be a conflict with the Town Charter with regard
to appointment to more than one Town board, committee or commission. It is not a
Charter conflict because a non-profit is not a Town board.
Depending on the terms of how property is made available, it may generate the interest of
a developer. Site control is the key. A non-profit can get past 30B constraints of the
Town. Local Government is the one getting certified as having the plan. Staffing is
optional. The time commitment is the important element.
Ms. Barrett cautioned about the tendency of a town to "put all it's eggs in one basket",
reminding the Task Force that a developer can bring in a LIP comprehensive permit in
conjunction with a Town "friendly" 40B.
Conclusion: We want to do a non-profit and need to determine how to structure it to
include LIP (Local Initiative Program) comprehensive permits and regular 40B
proposals.
• How to avoid ending up five years from now under the 10 percent affordable housing
level.
— Zoning issues need to be addressed in the plan
— Offer choices to a developer in a good exclusionary plan
— Need to consider or zone for affordable housing and get double the aid from
the State.
— Write the affordability requirement into the Zoning By -Law for
"inclusionary" zoning, providing generous density incentives in exchange for
affordable units
Ron Webster noted the real estate "rule of thumb" is that a house has to sell for three
times the value of the lot to be workable at market rate.
Ms. Barrett explained the deed can be written to keep it affordable and a homebuyer has
to be income eligible. She noted there is no guarantee the public benefit will be granted
when the building is allowed unless it is written into the deed that it stay affordable. She
pointed out it's very easy to lose the benefit. Lotteries are frequently used to select a
buyer from the pool of income -eligible applicants. She stressed the importance of writing
in restrictions for when people move out and using discipline to protect the units to keep
them affordable and not go to market rate. The Housing Stabilization Fund and other
Housing Task Force Minutes of January 29, 2004 Meeting 2
possible sources of funding to allow Town -sponsored affordable housing were briefly
discussed.
Motion: To adjourn at 7:12 p.m.
(Eric Butler) All in favor Passes
Upcoming Meetings: Thursday, February 12, 2004 at 6:00 PM
Thursday, February 19, 2004 at 7:30 PM — Public Hearing
Respectfully submitted,
Mary -Lou Cotton
Housing Task Force Minutes of January 29, 2004 Meeting 3