The Carrboro Board of Aldermen discussed new ways to entice developers to build more affordable housing in the town at its meeting on Tuesday.
On June 26, the board formed the Affordable Housing Task Force, a committee consisting of Aldermen Dan Coleman, Sammy Slade and Michelle Johnson. The board formed the committee in response to the approval of an amendment that allows developers to pay fees instead of building the required percentage of affordable housing in a development.
The committee held four meetings in order to come up with a recommendation for the board on ways to encourage more affordable housing in Carrboro.
“We are in a situation now where developers might choose not to build any affordable housing,” Coleman said. “We took a stance of what we can do to make building affordable houses more desirable than building small houses.”
The committee suggested four ways to meet the town’s affordable housing goals, including reducing the number of affordable housing units that developers are required to build and reducing the cost of each unit. It also recommended that bonuses be awarded to developers who build affordable housing.
“A developer gets a further incentive for built units rather than payments-in-lieu,” Coleman said.
The committee also recommended that the board allow developers to build affordable housing on 40 percent of the open space required in a development.
Alderwoman Jacquelyn Gist said she did not think this recommendation was a good idea because it would significantly limit open space.
“I’m a little uncomfortable decreasing the required amount of open space. That’s exchanging one good for another good,” she said. “It’s something I don’t want to mess with because it does a lot of community good and environmental good.”
Johnson said despite creating these recommendations, she thinks the committee should still meet to try to come up with a long-term strategy for affordable housing.
“I think our committee probably needs to continue to meet to figure out what’s next,” she said.
The board also received an update on proposed changes to the town’s solid waste collection in response to the June 2013 closing of the Orange County Landfill. The changes would include waste pickup three times a week instead of five.
Noteable:
The Board of Aldermen approved an application to plant a tree with a plaque in honor of Dan Coleman. Tuesday was Coleman’s last meeting on the board. He has served on the board for six years, and is moving to Australia in January.
“It’s such an amazing town. It’s such a privilege to be here,” Coleman said. “We’ve accomplished a lot and there’s a lot more for you all to do.”
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