Commissioners begin work on cheaper housing options

Friday, July 3, 2009

The Housing Commission of Charles County has recognized the state guidelines that declares homes that can be purchased by those making between 60 and 120 percent of the median family income for the county are considered workforce housing.

According to the county's department of economic development, that number is about $83,000. The number is annually calculated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

During their meeting June 17, the commissioners were presented with an amendment to take the first step toward doing that — but first, it's back to the drawing board.

The amendment that needs tweaking would reduce the minimum housing square footage for single-family dwellings in mixed use building zones from 1,650 square feet to 1,250 square feet.

"I'm certainly interested in this, because of the possibilities and availability of affordable homes," said commissioners' Vice President Edith J. Patterson (D). "Certainly there is a correlation between the size of a dwelling and the costs associated with it."

Planning and development staff have been asked to come back within 30 days with proposed legislation that includes the spring 2009 findings by the Planning and Growth Management Advisory Board, and the addition of specific language to ensure areas outside the development district are excluded from the new square footage rule.

Some of the recommendations offered by the 13 members of the commissioners' task force included staggering the minimum square footage, re-examining the moderately priced dwelling unit section of the county's zoning ordinance, and developing an efficient and timely process for project approval.

Not noted in the recommendations is that there is a trend now for a decrease in home size and a growing interest in owning a "green" house that promotes responsible utility usage.

"All of these elements individually begin the process of actually establishing an overall policy for affordable housing," said Commissioner Reuben B. Collins II (D). "I would really like to see us reach that point where all these individual pieces come together to create the comprehensive policy all of us are seeking."

Charles County commissioners' President F. Wayne Cooper (D) explained that staff was asked by the board to consider a change to minimum housing square footage two years ago when affordable housing would be a welcome respite for people who wished to remain in the county, while the economy continued to flounder.

"We did not want the quality [of homes] to change," Cooper said, "but we wanted to improve workforce and affordable housing."

In contrast, PGM Advisory Board Chairman James Lorenzi said he thinks the trend for decreasing home sizes would have come along with or without a recession. Smaller homes allow for "green" opportunities.

"The market demand is for small homes," Lorenzi said. "The cost [for utilities] goes down when you use innovative designs."

Planning and Growth Management Director Chuck Beall said the current text for the amendment was consistent with last year's request by the commissioners to draw up legislation, but did not necessarily reflect the findings of the task force because of the timing of the boards' schedules.

"If the board of commissioners would like us to go back and revise, and incorporate some or all of the recommendations from the [advisory board], we'd be glad to do that," Beall said.

Commissioner Samuel N. Graves Jr. (D) asked where village zones fit into the zoning ordinance, and County Attorney Roger Fink said these areas were under rural village and conservation zones, the former of which would still abide by the current 1,650 square foot minimum. The latter was not addressed in the proposed amendment, but Fink said staff could look into it if the commissioners wished them to do so.

"For the villages to have an opportunity for revitalization, we may want to put that tool in the tool box for them, so that they have a diversity of housing ...," Graves said.

Both Graves and Cooper hailed the advisory board's suggestion for a graduated minimum square footage scale, which would allow mixed use neighborhoods without changing the price of homes too much.

Cooper also warned staffers not to let future developers assume zoning rules when it comes to rural areas, but to include text indicating square footage limits.

County Planning Manager Reed Faasen said the proposed amendment would not be applicable to properties located outside the development district such as agricultural conservation and rural conservation zones, or to 55-and-older communities. If the commissioners wished, a line of text would be added to "let the public know we are not modifying that in any way, shape or form."

Cooper expressed his worry over how much longer action on affordable housing would be suspended while changes were made and information added to the proposed amendment, and Beall assured the president he would return with the board's requests this month.

msomers@somdnews.com