Title
Resolution to Direct the City Administrator, Ann Arbor Housing Commission, and Planning Commission to Create Proposed Application Materials, Review and Recommend Development Entitlements to the City Council for 415 W. Washington to Support the Development of Affordable Housing in the City
Memorandum
On April 1, 2019, Ann Arbor City Council adopted Resolution R-19-138 which directed the City Administrator and Ann Arbor Housing Commission to provide analysis on the feasibility of City-owned properties as potential locations for Affordable Housing, including 415 W. Washington (the "Site"). On August 19, 2019, the City Council approved a contract with SmithGroup, Inc. to conduct public engagement, develop potential building concepts, and perform evaluation of the feasibility of these concepts for the Site.
415 W. Washington poses numerous challenges toward the realization of Affordable Housing:
* The property is impacted by floodplains, which both limits the potential building envelope and the use of federal funding to support the development of affordable housing.
* The property is adjacent to the railroad, which further renders the site ineligible for federal affordable housing funding.
* Methods to potentially preserve chimney swift habitat could become a limiting factor of site development.
* Unknown environmental impacts to be addressed.
There are numerous positive attributes of the site to support the development of housing as well:
* The eventual dedication of a portion of the site, likely consistent with floodplain, to support the Treeline non-motorized pathway.
* The potential for Downtown Development Authority support, based on the project's location.
Based on the feasibility of development and feedback from the community, it is recommended that this site progress to pre-entitlement phase. This phase would occur through partnership with the Ann Arbor Housing Commission as applicant, and City as reviewer/property owner, to pre-entitle the prope...
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