Chilmark Housing Committee
MINUTES
Tuesday April 5th, 2016
Chilmark Town Hall, 401 Middle Rd.
Present: Jim Feiner (Chair), Ann Wallace, Bill Rossi, Jessica Roddy, Michelle Leonardi, William Randol, Andy Goldman, Sam Hart, Jessica Holtham (Admin)
Absent: Zee Gamson & Roland Kluver (Alternates)
Meeting was called to order by the Chairman at 2:30pm
Reviewed and approved amended March 15th meeting minutes.
Review of draft Middle Line Road Rental Units Operating Budget for July 2016 – June 2017. The Committee requested information gathered as to where the Annual Net Income from Middle Line Road rents account(s) is held. Admin to collect MLR accounts information from town Accountant/Treasurer for next meeting.
Two CHC Calendar additions were suggested; 1) MLR Accounts Balance Review at time of drafting Fiscal Year Budget (April/May) and 2) Yearly Review of Affordable Housing Inventory.
Draft Chilmark Affordable Housing Inventory charts were brought to the table for review. After first-draft edits are made the CHC committee then plans to compare the AH Inventory chart with information from Assessor’s office and Deed Restrictions. Discussion followed on the definition of Homesite Lots (Lots with affordability/residency criteria and deed restrictions). To consider; is there a distinction in the definition of Homesite Lots as it relates to a Town-owned Leased Property (a Town Lot subset with perpetual affordability) vs. a deed restricted landowner? Do all properties currently listed as Homesite Lots have a registered deed & deed restriction? Continuing to Youth Lot inventory, a number of affordable youth lots from 1975-1990 have sold,
brining awareness to how and why the affordable program has changed over time. The vision of the program remains the same, to give the Youth of Chilmark their start.
Discussion continued on Housing Production Plan (HPP) goals, one being to have as many Town Lots counted towards State Affordable Housing as possible. The State recognizes 80% Area Median Income or less as “Affordable Housing”. Currently in Chilmark Three (3) out of Sixteen (16) Lots fall within State Affordability definitions. The Housing Committee observes that if our objective is to provide more opportunity for the people of the town, than we need to more closely look at our Zoning requirements. An effort to comply with the 80% AMI or lower is extremely difficult in Chilmark. Where Chilmark has succeeded is by helping out the townspeople who are hardworking and falling within the “community housing” 120% AMI definition. Speaking to the
demand of Chilmark family housing needs, from a pool of 16 applicants, 4 young families recently received houses at Nab’s Corner.
The amount of town-owned land limits what the town can do when comparing Chilmark to other island towns that own significantly larger acreages. To gain developers’ interest in affordable projects, there requires a larger number of units than town land can support. By changing zoning and density requirements we could advocate for the possibility for planned unit development. Chilmark can participate in regional goals more generously than providing increasing affordable housing. Pace of production; a gradual, acceptable, incremental strategy (for example, 2 units per year) is a more palatable presentation, while focusing the HPP on rentals would more immediately aid the island-wide population. Rental housing gives families traction in any community.
The MV Commission is working with an All-Island Joint Affordable Housing Group to create common definitions for affordable housing. Draft Uniform Definitions for AH and HPP Work Plan were reviewed.
Next Meeting of the Chilmark Housing Committee was scheduled for the first Tuesday of the month, May 3, 2016 at 2:30pm, Conference Room #1, Chilmark Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted by Jessie A. Holtham.
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