title
DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS - AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONCEPT REVIEW AND APPROVAL (B)
Ordinance No. 0-04-28; Petition 26TCH-04 PB
An Ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida; amending subsection 30-160(b) of Article VII, Chapter 30, the Land Development Code, regarding the development review process; providing for conceptual review approval for affordable housing developments; providing directions to the codifier; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT
The State of Florida created the State Housing Tax Credit Program for the purposes of stimulating creative private sector initiatives to increase the supply of affordable housing in urban areas, including specifically, housing for the elderly, and to provide associated commercial facilities associated with such housing facilities. As part of the program, the private sector development entity is required to submit a competitive application to qualify for tax credits. The awarding process is a point system that allocates points on the basis of the local government support for the project and the development consistency with the local government Comprehensive Plan. One way that some local communities show support for a project is to grant that project some type of approval. While the City has a process that allows for preliminary development plan approval, affordable housing providers have approached the City and requested that the City develop a less costly procedure for affordable housing developments.
In order to assist the affordable housing developers with the application process for the tax credit program, staff recommends the City establish an Affordable Housing Conceptual Approval Process (see attachment). The concept review process would be encouraged-not required-for all certified affordable housing development. Affordable housing concept review would be intended solely to assist affordable housing developers with meeting the application requirements for the State of Florida Housing Tax Credit program, in support of the State Housing Strategy as promulgated in F.S. Section 420. The review will alert an applicant to problems with, or objections to, a particular proposed development. Concept plans must address conformity with the comprehensive plan, zoning, environment concerns and concurrency. The appropriate reviewing board may grant a non-binding conceptual approval. The conceptual approval would not grant to the applicant any development rights and does not represent a development order. The conceptual approval is only an indication that the development proposal appears to be consistent with general requirements for development approval and that a development order will only be granted after the requirements for a final development plan have been met.
The Plan Board heard the petition and recommended that it be approved.
Public notice was published in the Gainesville Sun on February 3, 2004. The Plan Board held a public hearing February 26, 2004, which was a continuation of the recessed meeting of February 19, 2004. Planning Division staff recommended that the Plan Board approve the petition. The Plan Board recommended that the City Commission approve Petition 26TCH-04 PB. Plan Board vote 5-0.
CITY ATTORNEY MEMORANDUM
This ordinance requires two public hearings. Should the Commission adopt the ordinance on first reading; the second and final reading will be held on Monday, April 12, 2004.
fiscal note
None