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Show More Questions And Answers On Tropic Affordable Housing Recently the Garfield County News began a report on a two-hour public meeting to discuss the need for affordable housing and the possibility of tying in with a nonprofit non-profit community housing development devel-opment organization, Color Country Coun-try Community Housing (CCCH). We continue with the questions and answers from that meeting: Kon Hams said that Tropic had sought solutions to local law enforcement for five years and that additional housing would add to the need for a solution. Tropic Mayor Jean Seiler replied that it could potentially be a "Bryce Valley" solution and that additional housing would also impact fire protection. "Well," asked Commissioner Clare Ramsay "there's a need but can you afford it? That's the problem. Seiler responded, "When do we cross the part where we have to afford it?" Ramsay asked Ty Tippets, Color Country Community Housing, "... if this particular subdivision or something similar (See HOUSING on page 8-A) HOUSING From Front Page doesn't go, are you involved in this town or any town on an individual basis for an affordable house? If this doesn't go, could I apply and get it just individually without this project? Tippets replied affirmatively saying, "This project is independent . of us working directly with the single families." Seiler said that the town board perceived two potential problems funding for affordable housing, actually "making the numbers work" and the availability of individual lots for building. He said that individuals could approach other subdivisions in the area for lots and seek the same funding, but overall costs might be prohibitive because of lot size whereas the lots in the proposed subdivision are small to keep the costs down. Steve Winters asked if the developer would work with the two other local subdivision owners to make them available. "If the numbers work," said Seiler. "If the buyer qualifies. These guys are only here for a certain type of buyer. Is that a fair statement? Wes Clarke is here for everybody else. Steve Winters, "But I mean, land is land. Lots are lots, right?" Seiler, "Well, but, numbers are numbers." Winters asked if CCCH would work with buyers on other subdivision lots to get loans and Seiler responded that the buyer would have to qualify as needing affordable housing. "When we talk about these affordable housing programs," said Tippets, "you may never ever come see this. You might go directly to Utah Housing Finance with their programs. Or Wes may be able to line you up with Home Start. Or I may just say for your first time home buyers program, you call this number in Salt Lake and they'll deal with them. A lot of people aren't aware of all the programs that (See HOUSING on page 8-A) HOUSING From Page 7-A are out there. You don't need to use us for affordable housing programs period. Because there's a lot of programs out there that lenders know about and again, you can find any lot in time. The key is not where the land is but who is trying to purchase it and what their income levels are. Lamar LeFevre pointed out that Rubys Inn was donating a substantial amount in the deal. He said they were asking only for the original amount they paid for the land. Bob Syrett said Rubys would lose all taxes and interest they had paid in the five years they had owned the land. The cost of sewer system they had installed, and any appreciation on the land would increase the value of the property toward the affordable housing project. "Correct," said Syrett. Tippets said that the Syretts donation optimized the chances for funding in a number of programs available. Harris said that some 12 families, year round employees, were currently renting at Rubys Inn who would likely want to move into affordable housing, as well as several families with local roots now living in Pangujtch who would also be interested. Bob Joe Ott, Tropic, said he was in favor of the low income housing possibilities single family homes but not RV parks or transient rental type units. Seiler said the town board had discussed the same issue and that they understood that the RV park and the apartments are in the last phases of the project and the reality of it must be measured by the developers. Rhea Dearden, Bryce Canyon National Park, asked about those who may be in the area for only a year to four years and may not want to purchase homes, but may want to rent instead. "So you are saying that they are totally out of luck because they are not going to be here for long?" "No," said Bob Joe Ott "I would say that there would be an option for them to buy something and then sell it when they leave ... help make a stable community for us. Tippets said that the market study they had done addresses a lot of the issues under discussion. "Rental is actually an important component of affordable housing," he said, "because there always will be people, who are still stable, but may be shuttle bus drivers for only a certain time of the year, so rental is important. "Rental actually works best with seniors. Down in Kanab there's one where we have units of elderly housing. One woman has $100 a month income and we get a check from her for $27 every month. And that's basically all she pays. And so it would be difficult.. .there aren't programs out there right now that I've seen that can do that with single family homes. ..but in the rental market, that's possible. When you talk about elderly.. .there's probably a way to solve that problem. Bob Joe Ott pointed out, "Most of the elderly who are here are the ones who already own the land." Dixie Burbidge said, "I'm a little unfamiliar with the housing in the Park but I thought that they provide ... housing ... or they have to take care of their employees. They live up there right now don't they?" Dearden responded, "We have a certain amount of housing for people who are required housing, some types of . law enforcement ... It doesn't furnish housing for everyone that's up there. We have a situation where, when you have seasonal people coming in for your summer season to work, we're begging for a place to put them." Dixie Burbidge, "... we don't want seasonal, transient people that are traveling around." Gayle Pollock, "These are educated people ... they have masters degrees." Dearden, "There are seasonal people who work in the park ... My husband was a rancher for 27 years. He grew up on a ranch. He worked seasonally for the Park Service for a couple of years. Does that make him a transient? ... It has nothing to do with the Park Service. But I don't connect that people that are transient that are low life or whatever you want to call them are going to come to live in a place like Tropic. There's not that much here for them." Gayle Pollock said that such people are already in the local area. "We mentioned multi-family housing," said Tippets. "We're under a microscope with our investors and so we necessarily have to check background, have to check police reports and have to check credit history and basically we have to police that ourselves. And if somebody is going to come in and has a record of meth-amphetamine meth-amphetamine labs all over. Guess what, they don't come in. They don't come in on the project. Because we're not concerned about transient housing at all because each one that comes to the project will be stable and will have good credit history. And so, we don't see that as a problem ... multi-family housing is a real critical component of any affordable housing program" "I would like to see us be able to make those people welcome and have a place for them, said Lamar LeFevre, "Certainly everything is not going to be strawberries on the icing but there's going to be a lot of good icing come in and stay for awhile and be gone." Danny Brinkerhoff, " They are not going to be your neighbor either." Shauna Mecham Talbot asked, "After the initial people move in and buy the house and then there's resale, do most of the programs make them go back to the same type of program? We're trying to get this in for affordable housing. What happens in the turnover? Do we then sometimes lose some of that affordable housing?" " Sometimes," said Tippets. "It depends on the program. For instance, if a person qualifies for affordable housing and they go down to Arizona and hit the lotto, we don't kick them out, they still stay in there. On the other hand, ' depending on how extensive the aid is to help them get into that home, there are more deed restrictions. For instance, and I think this is what you are asking, there' may be deed restrictions of up to 10 years on a certain home" because of the amount received. "But if we are bringing it in for affordable housing," said Talbot, "My concern is that it stay affordable housing. "Maybe 10 or 20 years down the road, it will be all market," responded Tippets, but at least the first 10 years in some cases, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer, it's at least initially got families into the homes. Talbot asked if, as the property turns over to new owners, they Would be held to the same CC&R's (covenants, codes and restrictions) in perpetuity. Tippets cited the example: "For instance, if the $2,000 that they received under the Olene Walker Housing Trust Fund or First Time Homebuyers Program, the only restriction on that is that they pay back when they sell the home. "However, if they receive a $5,000 principle buydown from a bank in Seattle, they may have to keep that home, that home will have a deed restriction on it for up to 10 or 15 years. And so, five families may go through that home but it will have to be sold to low income families. Talbot asked if the CC&R's would include regulations such as no parking of RV's on the street. Are you doing-any other CC&R's like you can't park you RV out on the street, in addition to what the city requires? and no dogs, etc. Tippets, As far as restrictions? Yes, we'll have scimc':::; of those. There may be sometrfjng else required. - Nancy Twitchell asked how; for''--' CC&R's on some of CCCH's okJer; ; : -i projects go.? A ' " We're an agency that's about: ! two years old," said Tippets. "We! : '! just closed our first one in KanaJ;; ! it's going very well. We just broke; ; ! ground on a $5 million project that; - we are working on in St. George,1 i1 j 60-unit apartment complex therel 1 We're working on a subdivision iri: I Milford and another subdivision irj: t Hurricane." But he did not anstyet ! her question. ,v Bob Joe Ott asked about resiitts, of site reports and Tippets replied ' that an extensive soil and wetland ! report showed that are some sevefa. soil problems ... the first 30 inches typically is silt, and anywhere frorrv j 30 inches on down to bedrock. is j severe clay. "And so, that's one'o j the reasons that we ara 1 championing manufactured homes. j We've got a couple of systemsi-'. - :j One is simply augering out the s6i - : . all the way down to the bedrock and: : pouring concrete. And that serves' - I as pylon for the manufactured - "j homes. i "And so, even as you water your - j lawn and water comes in as the soi - ;i swells up, the concrete is right on . i the bedrock and it doesn't affect jhe -! -j homes" ; "What are you going to do with ; j your waste water run off that runs j down in there plus our irrigation j land goes through there?" asked : Danny Brinkerhoff. , . - "Our engineers are working ;on the drainage for that those fields to the west there. I was worried about wetlands because all the irrigation water, or water in the alfalfa fields is coming right down through that swell and I actually thought it was wetlands. But they said it is not. It's just coming off ; -the fields. And so we're having to . have that engineered and drained out i to the road and taken off. "Our only involvement is the ;j same as it would be on any other I project," said Seiler. "Seeing if it - fits the existing town ordinances I and either approving or disap- .- proving." "' "In any community, I don't care-" - what size it is," said Lamar Feltner,: ; -"it goes before the planning commission and if the planning -commission approves it and . '. everything is fine, it goes before 1 : the town board and they approve itj " It doesn't have to go to a vote." t ' I , "Really that's my major point" ;'; here," said Tippets. "You've got; " -elected individuals or appointed. " " individuals in the city to represent you. And the way, the way you4 use your voice is talk to your duly-elected duly-elected representative and that's howi the system works. " : " I think those are good points, said Seiler, "and that's the reason' we are here tonight." Interested individuals can contact. Tippets at his office at 435-673-' 3131 for additional information. : |