The Town of Washington, Connecticut
Minutes: Housing Commission
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www.WashingtonCT.org The Town of Washington, Connecticut Minutes: Housing Commission |
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Disclaimer: While we have attempted to reproduce them accurately, the electronic documents you see here are not the official public documents. Official copies may be obtained on paper from theTown Clerk . Also note that minutes of recent meetings are often not yet approved by the Commission, and are subject to correction.
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Posted: July 20, 2010 July 12, 2010
Present: Liddy Adams, Wayne Hileman, Andy O’Hazo, Jean Suddaby.
Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Housing Commission was called to order at 5:00 pm by Chairman Wayne Hileman.Minutes of June 14, 2010 Regular Meeting
Jean Suddaby moved to accept the minutes as submitted. Andy O’Hazo seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.Inclusion of Items Not on Agenda
Liddy Adams moved to put the Town Beach House item at the end of the agenda. Jean Suddaby seconded the motion, which was approved 3-0, with Wayne Hileman abstaining.Updates/Communications
A. Few Good Acres Initiative
Wayne Hileman reported that the Board of Selectmen approved the Housing Commission’s request for an expenditure not to exceed $1,500 from the Town’s Affordable Housing Fund for perc and deep hole testing for the 272 Sabbaday Lane property. This money will not be spent until there is an accepted offer on this property.Liddy Adams updated members on her work with First Selectman Mark Lyon to iron out the details regarding the Town’s purchase of this land, on which an “affordable” house would be built in the future. In the course of their discussion, it was learned that there may be several ways that a property owner selling land to a charity or a municipality could receive a financial benefit. This information will be shared with the property owner.
Old Business
A. New Residential Zones for Village Centers
Wayne Hileman gave members a map of the Washington Depot village center and its adjacent area on which he had sketched a location for a new residential zone. Adding a visual to the suggestions for the language being proposed could be helpful when the Housing Commission discussed this proposal with the Board of Selectmen and other Commissions. He asked the members to bring their reactions and suggestions to the next meeting.B. Alternate Commission Members
The Commissioners discussed ways to notify residents of the call for alternates and some possible candidates.Inclusion of Items Not on Agenda
Wayne Hileman recused himself from this portion of the meeting, as he has filed a complaint against the Town in regard to this matter. He designated Vice Chair Liddy Adams to preside and left the premises.Andy O’Hazo related what he had learned about whether the Beach Cottage might qualify as an “affordable” unit, thus warranting one and ½ points toward the town’s affordable housing appeals list. There are four steps for obtaining the “affordability” designation. The household income must meet the state’s criteria. The housing expenses must be no more that 30% of the renter’s income. There must be a deed restriction for the unit for at least 12 months, which is then renewable. There must be a designated administrator to verify that all requirements are being met.
Adjourn
Andy O’Hazo moved to adjourn the meeting. Liddy Adams seconded the motion which was approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 5:50 pm.
The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Monday, August 9, 2010, in the Land Use Room at Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Patte Doran
Secretary
Posted: June 22, 2010 June 14, 2010
Present: Liddy Adams, Wayne Hileman, Andy O’Hazo, Jean Suddaby, Sue Werkhoven
Visitors: Richard McGregor, Chris CharlesCall to Order
The regular meeting of the Housing Commission was called to order at 5:00 pm by Chairman Wayne Hileman.Minutes of April 12, 2010 Regular Meeting
The May 10 minutes were amended as follows:Under WCHT-Myfield LLC Administration, all words after “affordability administrator” deleted in second sentence.
Under Few Good Acres Intiative-272 Sabbaday Lane, third paragraph, “will be” changed to “was”.
Wayne Hileman moved to accept minutes as amended. Andy O’Hazo seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.
Updates/Communications
A. Annual Town Meeting
Wayne Hileman informed members that another $25,000 was approved for the next fiscal year at the annual Town Budget Meeting for the Housing Fund. This brings the total to $275,000 plus any accumulated interest. Also, the Town’s Housing Commission Ordinance was amended to provide for three alternate commission members.B. Few Good Acres
The appraisal and survey have been completed. Wayne Hileman appointed Liddy Adams to act as the Housing Commission representative in formal negotiations with Mrs. Bronson. Liddy will contact the First Selectman’s office and the Bronsons to initiate talks in the near future.Liddy Adams pointed out that, when considering what to bid, the Housing Commission should keep in mind that the end product will need to be affordable. Andy O’Hazo thought that the needs of both parties could be met with honest dialogue. Sue Werkhoven agreed, saying that the outcome should be fair to both sides.
The commissioners discussed pursuing some additional site work in anticipation of a successful negotiation. Liddy thought it was prudent to have some preliminary work done prior to a Town Meeting to address any concerns.
Wayne Hileman made a motion that the Housing Commission recommend to the Board of Selectmen an expenditure not to exceed $1,500 from the Town’s Affordable Housing Fund for perc and deep hole testing for the 272 Sabbaday Lane property. Sue Werkhoven seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.
Old Business
A. New Residential Zones
Wayne Hileman expressed appreciation to Peter Talbot for providing a digital version of the Town of Washington’s property map. Wayne will denote the overlay areas they have been considering and email the map with these elements added so members can comment. If the town decides to pursue ideas for a rezoning of the village center(s), this map could be a helpful starting point.
New Business
A. Alternate Commission Members
The Housing Commission now has provision for three alternate members. They are to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen, with input from the Housing Commission and the WRTC & WDTC. Members discussed ways of “getting out the word” and considered notices in the Town Newsletter and on the Town website. Jean Suddaby thought it would be beneficial to have another senior citizen on the commission, and all agreed. Wayne thought another commissioner with a young family would also be helpful. He urged the commissioners to begin discussing the opportunity with members of the community.
Public Comment
Wayne Hileman, seeing members of the public present, chose to open the floor to comment. Mr. McGregor, having moved here recently from a city, was concerned when he heard about the Housing Commission’s support of affordable housing. He said that the projects that were built in the city were not appropriate for a small town. Wayne Hileman assured him that large projects such as those described by Mr. McGregor would never be pursued by the town. The affordable housing already here is administrated by the private Washington Community Housing Trust. The Housing Commission is interested in providing home ownership opportunities through limited equity family housing based on qualifying income.B. Town Beach House – Affordable Housing Status
Wayne Hileman recused himself from this portion of the meeting, as he has filed a complaint against the Town in regard to this matter. He designated Vice Chair Liddy Adams to preside and left the premises.Members discussed the criteria for designating this town property as officially affordable. Contingent on income and expense guidelines, this unit could, as a rental, warrant one and ½ points toward the town’s affordable housing appeals list. Liddy Adams asked Andy O’Hazo to ask the Board of Selectmen to keep this unit in mind for this possibility.
Adjourn
Liddy Adams moved to adjourn the meeting. Andy O’Hazo seconded the motion which was approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 6:05 pm.The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Monday, July 12, 2010, in the Land Use Room at Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Patte Doran
Secretary
Posted: May 17, 2010 May 10, 2010
Present: Liddy Adams, Wayne Hileman, Andy O’Hazo, Jean Suddaby, Sue Werkhoven
Visitors: Peter Talbot, Chris CharlesCall to Order
The regular meeting of the Housing Commission was called to order at 5:00 pm by Chairman Wayne Hileman.Minutes of April 12, 2010 Regular Meeting
Sue Werkhoven moved to accept the minutes. Liddy Adams seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.Items Not on Agenda
Wayne Hileman moved to change the order of updates, moving A to the end. Members consented unanimously.WCHT – Myfield LLC Administration
The WCHT resigned as the Myfield Affordability Administrator. The WCHT has informed Myfield that they need to appoint another affordability administrator whose role is to screen applicants for one of the two units that has been designated as ‘affordable’.Town Budget – Affordable Housing Fund
At the May 20th Town Budget meeting, there will be two budget items pertaining to the Housing Commission. One is an amendment to the Housing Commission’s Ordinance to allow for two alternate members. These are appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The second item is in regard to this fiscal year’s annual allocation fund of $25000 for the Housing Commission.Few Good Acres Initiative – 272 Sabbaday Lane
Chairman Wayne Hileman made a motion to go into executive session to discuss a potential real estate transaction.
Andy O’Hazo seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.Wayne Hileman made a motion to come out of executive session.
Sue Werkhoven seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.No action will be taken on the matter discussed in executive session.
Old Business
A. New Residential Zones for Village Centers
1. Proposed Language for Residential Overlay Zone
Referring to the handout from the last meeting, members perused the sample language for a Washington Depot Residential District.2. Map of Proposed Zone
Members discussed criteria for best determining what constituted ‘the village center’ with topography as one standard. Peter Talbot suggested another criterion be ‘walking distance’, perhaps a quarter mile from a point such as the Post Office or Town Hall. Smaller residential lot sizes within the village center would still be within the soil based zoning regulations.3. Proposed Language for Special Permits for Age-Restricted Housing
Members had already looked at the zoning language used by New Milford and Woodbury for developing Age-Restricted Housing, which is defined as age 55 or older. Woodbury has created a floating overlay zone which allows for greater flexibility when an appropriate property becomes available.
Wayne Hileman said that the Housing Commission would continue exploring this concept.Referring to the map displayed in the Land Use Room entitled “Housing Growth in Washington: 1999 – 2009, Peter Talbot suggested that it was a candidate for digitalization. The map could become a useful overlay showing housing growth relative to protected land. Chris Charles mentioned that it might be worthwhile to calculate what a total build out would look like by using the USDA’s soil varieties designations.
Adjourn
Wayne Hileman moved to adjourn the meeting.
Liddy Adams seconded the motion which was approved unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 6:25 pm.The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Monday, June 14, 2010, in the Land Use Room at Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Patte Doran
Secretary
Posted: April 16, 2010 April 12, 2010
Present: Liddy Adams, Wayne Hileman, Andy O’Hazo, Jean Suddaby, Sue Werkhoven
Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Housing Commission was called to order at 5:05 pm by Chairman Wayne Hileman.
Minutes of March 8, 2010 Regular Meeting
Liddy Adams moved to accept the minutes. Andy O’Hazo seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.
Inclusion of Items Not on Agenda
Two items were added to the agenda by unanimous consent.
1. Wayne Hileman informed members about an upcoming HOMEConnecticut Question-and-Answer program on Wednesday, April 21 from 2-4 at the Lyceum, 227 Lawrence Street, Hartford, CT.2. Wayne Hileman attended a presentation on March 25 given by architect Peter Talbot regarding his Mill Race Road proposal. Wayne reported that the meeting was well attended by the public. The general response was positive since the approach would be one of proceeding in stages. A sensible first step would be to spend a little to gather more data on the flood plain and explore other preliminary possibilities.
Updates
A. A Few Good Acres – 294 Sabbaday Lane
Wayne Hileman informed members that the parcel would probably be appraised sometime this week. If the appraisal is such that both the Housing Commission and the owner are comfortable, then the next step would be to do some preliminary site work. After that, the two parties can enter into a formal agreement. At the next meeting, the Housing Commission may need to recommend some funds for engineering costs.
Working Discussion
A. New Residential Zones for Village Centers
Wayne Hileman distributed a handout with some sample zoning language for a village residential district along with handouts of New Milford’s and Woodbury’s zoning language for 55+ age-restricted districts. Woodbury’s regulation is entitled “Elderly Housing Overlay District” and New Milford’s is entitled “Active Adult Community Zone”.B. Map of Prior Housing Growth
On a large road map of the town, members used colored stickers to show the locations of single family houses, accessory apartments, and other dwellings built in the last 20 years, from 1989 to 2009. The purpose is to help people visualize the need for density zones. The map is on display in the Land Use Room.
Adjourn
Sue Werkhoven moved to adjourn the meeting. Andy O’Hazo seconded the motion which was approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 6:30 pm.The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Monday, May 10, 2010, in the Land Use Room at Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Patte Doran
Secretary
Posted: March 15, 2010 March 8, 2010
Present: Liddy Adams, Wayne Hileman, Andy O’Hazo, Jean Suddaby
Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Housing Commission was called to order at 5:08 pm by Chairman Wayne Hileman.Minutes of February 8, 2010 Regular Meeting
The minutes were amended as follows:
Under Working Discussion, the March 24 date in paragraphs 2 and 3 was changed to March 25.Wayne Hileman moved to accept the minutes as amended. Liddy Adams seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.
Updates
A. Few Good Acres Initiative – 294 Sabbaday Lane
Surveyor Mike Alex met with the property owners and a l.84 acre parcel was carved out with an access way to Sabbaday Lane. In the process of site selection the address of the proposed parcel has changed. The next step is to get an appraiser and then do some initial soil and perc test analysis.Wayne Hileman moved to recommend to the Board of Selectmen an expenditure not to exceed $500 from the Town’s Affordable Housing Fund for the purpose of obtaining a licensed appraisal of 272 Sabbaday Lane. Andy O’Hazo seconded the motion which passed unanimously.
Wayne Hileman will send a letter with this recommendation to the Board of Selectmen in time for the matter to get on their next meeting’s agenda.
B. February 25 Selectmen’s Meeting with Commission Chairs
The Commission Chairs shared what each group was working on. Wayne Hileman attended the meeting as Chair of the Housing Commission. He felt that a lot of thoughtful discussion occurred. He floated the idea of creating a new residential zone for the village center(s). The Board of Selectmen will also seek an amendment to the Housing Commission’s Ordinance to allow for two alternates.C. March 25 Special Selectmen’s Meeting – Mill Race Road
At 5:30 pm on March 25, Peter Talbot’s proposal regarding Mill Race Road will be discussed among Town Commission members.D. Myfield LLC – Possible Change of Affordability Administration
Liddy Adams reported that at last Tuesday’s Housing Trust meeting, the WCHT voted to resign as the affordability administrator for Myfield LLC after the pending sale of the one existing affordable unit is finished. Myfield LLC will need to appoint a new affordability administrator for the property. The Zoning Enforcement Officer will be notified.
Working Discussion
The Housing Commission members discussed some sample language for creating zoning regulations that would provide for a Washington Depot residential district. Some ideas for visuals that could show various aspects of density were floated. Wayne will draft further language to include the possibility for senior housing (for ages 55 and over). Members also felt that a map showing all recent housing growth in Washington could be a good tool to demonstrate the need for a more targeted approach.
Adjourn
Wayne Hileman moved to adjourn the meeting. Liddy Adams seconded the motion which was approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 6:25 pm.The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Monday, April 12, 2010, in the Land Use Room at Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Patte Doran
Secretary
Posted: February 13, 2010 February 8, 2010
Present: Liddy Adams, Wayne Hileman, Andy O’Hazo, Jean Suddaby, Sue Werkhoven
Visitors: Chris Charles, Peter TalbotCall to Order
The regular meeting of the Housing Commission was called to order at 5:05 pm by Chairman Wayne Hileman.Minutes of January 11, 2010 Regular Meeting
Sue Werkhoven moved to accept the minutes as submitted. Wayne Hileman seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.
Updates
A. Wykeham Rise LLC – Affordable Housing Application
The Wykeham Rise LLC project has not yet filed its zoning application so there is no movement to report on this project.B. Few Good Acres Initiative – 294 Sabbaday Lane
Wayne, Liddy and Andy walked the parcel being considered with surveyor Michael Alex and one of the owners to discuss the parcel’s parameters. The surveyor will do some preliminary work for the Housing Commission and owners to look at.
Working Discussion
A. New residential Zones for Village Centers
Chairman Wayne Hileman invited Peter Talbot to the table to join members in a discussion of this topic.Peter Talbot informed the Housing Commission that he has scheduled a special informal meeting with the Board of Selectmen for March 24 at 5:30 p.m. He will read into the record plan ideas for developing the 16 Titus Road property. He would include the letters of support he has received from the Housing, Planning, and Conservation Commissions on his exploring ways to develop this area. Peter’s goal would be to use thoughtful planning for this area in order to benefit the entire village center
At the March 24th meeting, Peter will share research he has done, the responses he has received from Town Commissions and adjacent property owners, 15 of whom he has contacted with 9 responding so far. He will answer questions from the Board of Selectmen and the public and listen to their observations.
Housing Commission members discussed various issues related to this topic, including use of FEMA and DOT maps, DEP recommendations, and possible aerial topographic maps of the town to be done at some point. Studies from such field work would be valuable to the town no matter what the future ideas for development might be.
The Washington Congregational Church, which owns the Ellsworth Apartments, liked the concept of creating future scenarios for the development of the village center but was not interested in participating in a dialog at this time. The Congregational Church also expressed some concern about whether future projects would necessitate a re-design of the apartment complex’s septic system. Andy O’Hazo suggested getting the Church’s permission to do some surveying and engineering assessments which wouldn’t impact Ellsworth in any way.
Thanking Peter Talbot for the update, Wayne Hileman said he would love to see conversations on this topic occur with a larger part of the public involved.
Having sent the members information on why and how towns could use overlay zones, Wayne also gave out a Check Off Chart from the NW CT Regional Planning Collaborative titled “Housing Tools Checklist”. Wayne Hileman felt the use of overlay zones could help to provide housing opportunities for two segments of Washington’s population whose housing needs merited more consideration, namely senior citizens and young families. He proposed recommending changes to the zoning rules to accommodate such an overlay zone. This zone would surround a village center, allowing for higher housing density for single family homes and, by special permit, age-restricted, multi-family housing such as condos and/or apartments for senior citizens.
Wayne recommended the Housing Commission begin crafting sample language for an amendment to the regulations. The members concurred.
Adjourn
Wayne Hileman moved to adjourn the meeting. Jean Suddaby seconded the motion which was approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 6:10 pm.The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Monday, March 8, 2010, in the Land Use Room at Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Patte Doran
Secretary
Posted: January 18, 2010 January 11, 2010
Present: Liddy Adams, Wayne Hileman, Andy O’Hazo, Jean Suddaby, Sue Werkhoven
Call to Order
The regular meeting of the Housing Commission was called to order at 5:04 pm by Chairman Wayne Hileman.Minutes of December 14, 2009 Regular Meeting
Wayne Hileman moved to accept the minutes as submitted. Sue Werkhoven seconded the motion, which was approved unanimously.Inclusion of Items Not on Agenda
Chairman Wayne Hileman opened the floor to public comment.Peter Tagley, board member of Quarry Ridge, asserted that those attending the Town Meeting on January 7 from Quarry Ridge were not an organized group. Rather, he felt that the community-at-large was not disposed to view this project positively. One of his own concerns was the plan’s possible impact on adjacent property values. Other concerns included the question of proper upkeep of the proposed houses.
Sue Werkhoven commented that the WCHT’s presentation could have benefited from people coming forward who were interested in buying a proposed house. She had left the Town Meeting feeling that there was a “we don’t want that in our town” sentiment. Liddy Adams said that some of the comments made at that meeting made her feel ashamed for the Town. Wayne agreed, stating that he felt some of the things that were said “did not show Washington in the kindest light.” Mr. Tagley concurred.
Mr. Tagley said that feedback he had gleaned from casual encounters with people in Washington indicated a renewed interest in condominiums for those thinking of downsizing. Also, there have been many requests for one floor living from potential buyers looking at Quarry Ridge condos. He suggested that the Housing Commission do a survey of residents to elicit their thoughts on housing needs. Jean Suddaby responded that the Housing Commission had done such a survey three years ago, publishing its findings in a full report (which is available on the Housing Commission’s web page). The survey showed a desire for this kind of housing and even more demand for senior apartments and a congregate living facility.
Peter Tagley wondered whether Mr. Hileman could approach the WCHT with suggestions on how to more fully recognize community desires/needs/expectations. Wayne explained that the Housing Commission is an advisory public board and has no authority over the WCHT or any other private organization. The Housing Commission doesn’t choose who comes before it with requests for funds. It analyzes proposals brought to it and makes recommendations to the Board of Selectmen. Unlike the WCHT, which focuses on affordable housing, the Housing Commission studies all types of housing in Washington.
Andy O’Hazo thanked Mr. Tagley for his comments but felt that some of them concerned the WCHT, not the Housing Commission and that those should be directed to the Trust.
Election of Officers
Sue Werkhoven nominated Wayne Hileman to serve as Chair. Andy O’Hazo seconded the nomination which was approved unanimously. Wayne Hileman nominated Liddy Adams as Vice Chair. Sue Werkhoven seconded the nomination which was approved unanimously.
Updates
A. Wykeham Rise LLC’s Affordable Housing application: Inland Wetlands has approved the application. However, there is a possibility a neighbor may be appealing this decision.B. Town Meeting on Marbledale Meadows on January 7: 139 voted against the plan and 81 voted in favor of it.
C. Few Good Acres Initiative: Nothing to report; inclement weather has hampered progress.
D. Talbot–Mill Race Road proposal: Wayne Hileman has forwarded to the Selectmen a copy of the November 9, 2009 letter he sent to Peter Talbot, in which the Housing Commission expressed its interest in pursuing further dialog about Peter’s proposal.
Working Discussion
Members discussed doing a written study detailing ideas for keeping Washington’s village centers viable. Having some possible plans ready would make it easier to respond to the pressures of future development. These plans would build on the goals given in the Town Plan of Conservation and Development. Wayne Hileman gave members a draft of questions they could use as a guide for developing this study and share responses at coming meetings.
Adjourn
Wayne Hileman moved to adjourn the meeting. Jean Suddaby seconded the motion which was approved unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm.
The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Monday, February 8, 2010, in the Land Use Room at Town Hall.
Respectfully submitted,
Patte Doran
Secretary
Housing Com
Meetings in 2009