12/09/2014 (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

In accordance with state requirements, the county identified several surplus lots suitable for affordable housing. Some of those lots were donated to non-profit housing organizations, including Habitat for Humanity (HFH), Every Dream Has a Price (EDHAP), and Coalition for Attainable Homes (CFAH). Now, HFH has indicated that two of its County -donated lots should be turned over to EDHAP and that a one year extension is needed for HFH to build an affordable home on another County -donated lot. The Board of County Commissioners is now to consider those requests. ANALYSIS In 2007, staff used County Property Appraiser data and conducted a search for county owned properties. That search yielded a total of 441 county owned properties. After extensive research and coordination with other departments, planning staff identified the designated use for each of the properties on the list: Many of those properties were purchased by the county for right-of-way, stormwater, conservation, or other county related uses. Other properties were identified as park sites in various subdivisions that were dedicated to the county through the platting process. Based on its research, staff determined that only 10 out of the 441 parcels on the original list were not designated for any specific public use. On June 19, 2007, the Board of County Commissioners held a public hearing and adopted Resolution 2007-068. That resolution identified the 10 properties that were determined to be appropriate for the provision of affordable housing. The resolution also directed the General Services Director to offer those properties to non-profit housing organizations with established community land trusts for the provision of affordable housing. Consistent with the Board's direction, the General Services Director offered the surplus properties to non-profit housing organizations with established community land trusts. Despite that offering, no qualified non-profit housing organization applied for the lots. Eventually, the Board decided to donate the lots to non-profit housing organizations without established community land trusts. In 2009, the county donated two properties to HFH, four properties to EDHAP, and three properties to CFAH for the construction of affordable housing units for very low and low income households. HFH built three units on its donated properties; EDHAP returned two of its properties to the county and built a duplex on its remaining property, while CFAH did not initiate construction on any of its three donated lots. For all three non -profits which received donated lots, the County included a deed restriction in the property transfer which required the non-profit to build affordable housing for very low and low income households on its lots within three years. In the CFAH's case, that provision was incorporated in Exhibit B of the deed for each of its lots. Before its three year building timeframe expired, CFAH informed the county that it would not be able to utilize its three lots and indicated that it wished to return its three lots to the county. Those three properties consisted of the following: • 4716 33`d Avenue (in Smith Plaza subdivision)/32-39-22-00007-0090-00009.0 • 1865 38th Place (in Geoffrey's subdivision)/32-39-26-00010-0080-00110.0 • 1855 38th Place (in Geoffrey's subdivision)/32-39-26-00010-0080-00111.0 2 188