01-27-2003 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, January 27, 2003 • 7:00 o'clock p.m. ( #02- 2789/02 -2840 DAHLSTROM DEVELOPMENT LLC, Continued) to supply affordable housing units from the beginning. She questioned where the issue had gone, and why, as the original proposal had included affordable housing units; the developer believed the requirement went away with the units. She was concerned that Orono does little to provide affordable housing for all individuals, and maintained that a reasonable calculation to determine the required number currently exists in the comprehensive plan. For example, a 162 unit development should provide 10% as affordable, $170,000 or less based on Met Council figures. She encouraged the City Council to take the time to look at this formula, and it's comprehensive plan, rather than losing this opportunity to provide adequate work force housing. Margaret Callahan, 3265 Sixth Avenue North, a teacher in the Orono school system, stated that, unfortunately, most teachers can't afford to live in the community where they teach. She encouraged the Council to wait to decide on the affordable housing issue until they have more information. She added that she is one of those people, Murphy referred to, who rehabbed an old home in Orono in order to live in the community more affordably. She believed Orono needed to do more to provide housing to its working class citizens. Sansevere stated that there must be ceilings for affordable housing, adding that • unfortunately, the City can't supply affordable housing slated specifically for it's own working class citizens. • White agreed, stating that, obviously, residency cannot be required. Callahan stated that she was merely trying to provide the Council with an image of the people they are excluding when affordable housing does not exist. While formulas do exist, White stated that an effective formula for Orono should be tied to the value of the property. He maintained that other Cities are faced with this same affordable housing problem and cautioned the Council to deem the wetlands more important than it's people. He felt he would not be content with the issue until a human scale could be created. Murphy maintained that he would not be comfortable supporting a snap decision or adopting another City's ordinance with regard to affordable housing until Orono does it's homework. He felt adopting this resolution, which includes Dahlstrom's pledge, to provide the financial and /or professional resources to create an affordable housing position was the best the City could do at this time. Sansevere complimented the public, stating that they were responsible for bringing the affordable housing question to the Council's attention. PAGE 13 of 28