Planning Commission

9/9/2021 - Minutes I. Call to Order Members Present: Mike O’Brien, Chair; Abby Bleything, Vice-Chair; Amy Houghton; Joe Perron; Sarah van Ryckevorsel; Tommie Murray; Brendan Sage City Staff Present: Heather Carrington, Eric Vorwald Guests Present: Kristine Lott, Mayor; Jim Duncan, Councilor; Robert Millar; Tom Getz; Seth Leonard; Felipe Hoyos Call to Order by: Mike O’Brien Meeting Start Time: 6:32 PM Minutes Recorded by: Eric Vorwald II. Changes to the Agenda Mike introduced Brendan Sage as the newest member of the Planning Commission. Mike introduced the other members of the Planning Commission and Brendan provided a brief introduction to the members. III. Public Comment Filipe Hoyos indicated he was participating to listen in on the information related to parking and supported reducing the parking requirements. IV. Approve Previous Meeting Minutes Decision: 3 – 0 – 1 Motion by: Sarah Second: Tommie Minutes/Notes: Motion to approve the minutes as presented. V. Discussion of Housing Affordability and Land Use Policy Eric provided an overview of the topic and indicated the Housing Commission was tasked with reviewing and analyzing information on parking and how it impacts housing affordability. After providing an introduction to the topic, Seth began his presentation and talked about funding for affordable housing units. He provided insights into the costs, the funding available, and the general process used by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency to review projects and award funding. One item he highlighted was having a process that was predictable at the local level, thereby allowing developers to have a greater level of comfort with investing in projects. Seth noted that the City of Winooski was a state-wide leader in that regard. Seth also provided information on the types of units and stated that studios and one-bedroom units were highly sought after and lease quickly, which is why many are being built throughout the state, including the City of Winooski. The Commissioners asked questions related to unit size, financing for condominium projects, and similar issues. Following the presentation by Seth, Tom provided the Commissioners with information on specific developments that he has been involved with in the City, and in other states. He agreed  sought after and lease quickly, which is why many are being built throughout the state, including the City of Winooski. The Commissioners asked questions related to unit size, financing for condominium projects, and similar issues. Following the presentation by Seth, Tom provided the Commissioners with information on specific developments that he has been involved with in the City, and in other states. He agreed with Seth’s comments regarding the predictability of the permitting process in the City and highlighted examples of how this has been a benefit and expedited the development of affordable units within the City. Tom noted that while Summit Properties has multi-bedroom units in their portfolio, they are more difficult to lease and there is no way to guarantee that these units would be leased exclusively by families. Finally, Tom provided the Commissioners with specific information related to parking at the properties managed by Summit Properties. He stated that in general, the parking works out to one vehicle per unit and drops for units that are subsided for affordability. Following Tom’s presentation, Robert provided information from the perspective of the Housing Commission. He indicated that parking was identified as one of the main factors that impacted costs for development, and therefore affordability. He discussed the Housing Commission’s process using the affordable housing calculator to evaluate a variety of options, and ultimately parking was identified as the primary component that had the greatest impact on costs. After Robert’s presentation, the Planning Commissioners continued their discussions regarding parking, housing affordability, and policy. Eric noted that this information would help inform updates to the land use regulations. He also provided an update on the Parking Inventory, Analysis, and Management Plan that is being conducted by the Regional Planning Commission. He stated that a draft report would be anticipated in the next several months, which will include recommendations based on observed parking patterns in the City. VI. City Updates Eric noted the pool was officially closed for the season, but that the creemee stand would continue to operate for several more weeks. Mayor Lott provided an update on the presentation from VTANG at the Council meeting, information on the City Manager search process, and an upcoming orientation for new commissioners. VII. Other Business Eric reminded the Planning Commission of the next meeting on September 23 rd . Joe asked about the status of St. Stephen’s Church. Mike indicated that discussions were still on-going with the parish related to future sale or uses of the property. VIII. Adjourn Motion by: Abby Second: Joe Meeting End Time: 8:14 PM