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Affordable housing plans approved
By Richard Reeder
This document was published online on Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Plans for a proposed affordable housing development were approved Tuesday night despite an objection from a neighbor.
The city council passed the preliminary plat for the Marlisa Lane Addition Planned Unit development on 29th Street.
The subdivision near the airport will include 26 duplexes priced at $100,000-$150,000, Heather Christenson of GDA Engineering told the council.
But neighbor Duane Orkney spoke against the PUD.
“I didn't receive any notice of the public hearing before the P&Z board, so I apologize for coming in late,” Orkney said. “The entrance to the subdivision is a private road with no sidewalks and the city could be setting a precedent it doesn't want to.
“It would be introducing higher volumes of traffic into an area on 29th Street that has no sidewalks,” he added. “There could be potentially 52 vehicles in that subdivision.”
Orkney owns property on 29th Street and may develop it in the future.
“My lot is larger than the lot with 26 duplexes and I would only have three or four home sites,” he said. “Another property is for sale and I know of three potential buyers for it.
“My homes might be in the $300,000 range and the other property may have $400,000-$500,000 homes,” he added. “Is the council designating 29th Street as the slum of Cody with this project?”
Orkney said the subdivision may not fit with the surrounding neighborhoods.
“Unfortunately, cheap housing is often taken care of cheaply,” he said. “You look around and the homeowners in the area have pride in their homes and take care of them.”
Public Works Director Steve Payne disagreed with Orkney's view of the plan.
“The property is in a B zone, which would allow for an apartment complex with 34 units,” Payne said. “What the developer is saying is it won't be cheap.
“The plan is laid out nicely and there is a path around the exterior that connects all the units,” he added. “In the future the city will (consider) construction of sidewalks on 29th Street.”
Payne said the city staff had concerns about the density of the plan, but the P&Z board decided the need for affordable housing made the density acceptable.
He added that sidewalks aren't currently an issue because installing curbs and gutters require a storm drainage system and that doesn't exist on 29th Street.
“I'm sure once the new Sunset School is built up there sidewalk concerns will come forward,” he said. “The homeowners association knows they will be part of that installation.
“But there are many ways to pay for sidewalks including SLIB grants from the state,” he added. “But that is a long way in the future.”
Christenson also took exception to Orkney's comments.
“I find it offensive for this to be referred to as a ‘slum,'” she said. “This isn't low income housing, it's mid-income housing.
“There will be restrictive covenants set out by the homeowners association,” she added. “The developer is making one of the covenants that the duplex be owner occupied, so no renting will happen.”
Orkney asked if the homeowners were the only ones who could enforce the covenants or if neighbors could intervene.
“Ultimately it's up to the homeowners association,” city attorney Scott Kolpitcke said. “There are many things that can happen before the city has anything it can do.”
The motion passed unanimously.
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MB wrote on Sep 19, 2008 10:35 AM: