09/14/1992 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

e V. PUBLIC HEARING; COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AND HOME GRANTS FOR LOW-INCOME HOUSING Acting Assistant City Manager Linda Norris introduced the item. Richie Weinman, Planning and Development Department, presented the staff report. The Housing Policy Board recommended approval of funding for four low-income housing projects totaling $523,800 that will contribute to the new construc- tion of 121 housing units. Eleven applications by seven agencies were received through the request-for-proposal (RFP) process. Funding for the following four agencies is being recommended: 1) St. Vincent dePaul; 2) Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC); 3) Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO); and 4) Metropolitan Affordable Housing Corporation. Mr. Weinman said that the funding recommendation for ARC is for the acquisi- tion of property on which a specialized housing project will be developed. He said the site that was initially being explored for the project has already been sold. He said that some of the funding requests may come back in different form to the council in the future, such as in property tax exemption requests. Mr. Weinman said that representatives from the four agencies were present to answer questions. Mr. Boles opened the public hearing. e John WaQner, 1183 Van Buren Street, introduced himself as the Director of Mainstream Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing company acting as the developer for ARC's project. He thanked the Housing Policy Board and City Council for the opportunity to apply for the CDBG funding and staff for their assistance. He reiterated that the site that ARC was initially considering for its project has been purchased by another party. He added that ARC was in the process of finding an alternative site. He offered to answer questions. Mary Thomoson, 84 Green Lane, representing the property owner (Marge France) of the site which was initially being considered by ARC, reported concerns ex- pressed by Ms. France about the reference to her property included in the public notice for this hearing. Ms. Thompson noted that Ms. France is 84 years old and was unable to attend the meeting. She said that Ms. France sold her property to representatives of a church-sponsored housing project for elder care. She said she spoke to staff earlier today, who she said acknowl- edged the City's interest in Ms. France's property but also said that ARC's funding was not necessarily tied to her property. She said she also spoke to a City planner who indicated that the housing project for elder care was no longer being developed. She added that a consultant working on behalf of the City was taking photographs of Ms. France's property earlier today. Janet France, 2175 Ironwood Street, speaking on behalf of her mother, Marge France, who owns the property in question, and her son, David, who owns the property next to it. She said her mother has requested that the grant be e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 14, 1992 Page 9 7:30 p.m.