Title
Donation (Disposition) of City Property Tax Parcel #15995-043-000 to Alachua Habitat for Humanity, Inc. (B)
This item requests City Commission authorization to donate one parcel of City-owned land to the Alachua Habitat for Humanity, Inc. to place a new affordable home and sell it to a qualified low-income first-time homebuyer to complete the "Katrina Cottage Project".
Explanation
On January 8, 2007, the City and Santa Fe College (SFC) formed a partnership by which the City Commission, as noted by Legislative File # 060827, approved the award of a $46,500 grant from the Infill Housing program to the Charles R. Perry Construction Institute at Santa Fe College to construct a 1,000 square-foot residence that would be owned by the City, relocated to a vacant City lot and sold to an income eligible first-time homebuyer. Staff has been working with SFC to finalize the completion of the housing project since its inception. In Mid-2009, SFC invited Alachua Habitat for Humanity, Inc. (Habitat) into the partnership because it needed a licensed general contractor to complete the construction of the home as part of the project.
On July 1, 2009, staff provided a project status report to the Commission which indicated that the SFC house, originally modeled after the "Katrina Cottages" to be constructed by SFC students on the Santa Fe College campus, would be relocated to a City-owned site in the Breezy Acres neighborhood located at 2404 SE 13th Street. Since that time, SFC restructured the project from a 2-bedroom/1 bath house plan to a larger 1250 sq. ft., 3-bedroom/2-bath house plan. Additionally, SFC invited Habitat to partner in this endeavor. As a result of the change in the house plans and the inclusion of Habitat in the project, multiple meetings occurred between August 2010 and January 2011, in order to reach a memorandum of understanding of the role of the three entities.
As part of the restructure of this project, Mr. Scott Winzeler, a representative for Habitat, recently met with the Assistant City Manager to express interest in procuring a City of Gainesville (the City) lot located in Breezy Acres known as 2404 SE 13th Street at no cost to Habitat. The lot would be used by Habitat for the placement of the modular home currently being constructed by SFC. Mr. Winzeler requested the City consider this lot donation in conjunction with the City and Santa Fe College (SFC) "Katrina Cottage" project. In addition to the lot donation request, Habitat has agreed via a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City that: (1) Habitat will reimburse the $46,500 General Fund Revenue to the City; and (2) the City will pay for the transportation of the home to the lot as originally approved on January 8, 2007. The MOU is attached as reference.
Fiscal Note
The $46,500 to be returned to the City will be reserved in the General Fund for future Infill Housing Program projects.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) declare 2404 SE 13th Street (Tax parcel #15995-043-000) as surplus property; 2) approve the conveyance of 2404 SE 13th Street (Tax parcel #15995-043-000) to Alachua Habitat for Humanity, Inc. to be used for the installation of the SFC home and sold to a qualified low-income first-time homebuyer; 3) approve the Memorandum of Understanding in substantially the form attached, subject to approval by the City Attorney; 4) authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute the Memorandum of Understanding; and 5) authorize the Mayor and/or City Manager (or his designee) to execute all necessary documents to effect the conveyance of this property and the completion of the project, subject to approval by the City Attorney.