After numerous public comments with varied perspectives on the proposed Town Center Affordable Housing Amendments, the Town Council deliberated for over an hour before ultimately voting 6 to 1 in favor of sending Option 1 to the Ordinance Committee.  Option 1 includes four amendments requested by The Szanton Company, the developers of a proposed multi-family affordable housing project to be located at the Town Center [Article].  Prior to the final motion, Councilor Valerie Deveraux offered an alternate motion to create an independent ad hoc committee that would study affordable housing, policies, and recommendations.  This motion was unsuccessful, with only councilors Deveraux and Nicole Boucher in support.

The motion that did pass reflects the Town Council’s preference to send Option 1 to the Ordinance Committee for review, evaluation, and engage outside expertise to work directly with the council.  Councilor Penny Jordan, who made the motion, said, “I want to leverage the work that is happening in other communities in a way that will be most effective around problem solving.”  Chair Jamie Garvin added, “I think we will get to the endpoint more efficiently if all councilors are actively involved in the process, as oppose to just the three standing members of the Ordinance Committee.”

Garvin emphasized that the zoning amendments that are being proposed by the prospective Szanton development, “Don’t supersede the process that any project would have to go through as part of the normal planning process: site plan review, site plan approval, impact studies, and more.”  Citing that the proposed project arrived prior to the council undertaking a housing diversity study as recommended in the 2019 Town Comprehensive Plan’s Recommendation #83, Garvin added, “We are catching up a bit, trying to create policy in a parallel structure, which is always difficult.  But, even if there was no development on the table, this is something we should be focusing on.”  Consequently, the Town Council voted unanimously in favor of sending Recommendation #83 to a future workshop.

The next Ordinance Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.  To access meeting materials and webinar link, click here.