Title
Infill Housing Community Engagement Plan (B)
Explanation
During the July 21, 2020 GCRA Advisory Board meeting (Legistar #200110) members discussed an opportunity to build affordable housing on two vacant lots within the Porters and Pleasant Street neighborhoods. This discussion was continued during the August 19, 2020 GCRA Advisory Board meeting (Legistar #200110). In today’s meeting GCRA staff and GAI consultants will present a proposed community engagement plan.
In 2018, The Porters neighborhood leaders, in partnership with UF Planning Department, engaged residents to develop a neighborhood assessment of community desires. The findings of the assessment report indicates the top concerns regarding affordable housing includes the need for homebuyer education, neighborhood identity and architectural compatibility, owner occupied homes, and the negative effects of gentrification. These concerns were voiced by GCRA Advisory Board members during the July 21, 2020 meeting.
GCRA Advisory Board members also described some neighborhood concerns for the Pleasant Street neighborhood as including: the need for more home buyer outreach, authentic design, maintaining the tree canopy, parking, and connectivity. Some of these points were also described in a report commissioned by the GCRA for the Pleasant Street infill property lot in 2018.
Both properties have opportunities and constraints including limited buildable space, storm water drainage, tree cover requirements, setbacks, and street character. Early planning efforts analyzed various building options including attached homes, single units, and mixed use residential, retail, and office development.
From this feedback and inter-departmental collaboration, GCRA staff has been working with GAI consultants to develop a community engagement plan to bring the discussion about these lots to the Porters and Pleasant Street neighbors. Neighborhood feedback on these items will guide the creation of planning docum...
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