TOWN OF REDDING
INCENTIVE HOUSING ZONE COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
JUNE 23, 2016 — 7:00 P.M.
OLD TOWN HOUSE
Present:
Toby Welles, Becky Parkin, Nancy King and Joel Novak
Also present: Planning Consultant John Hayes, First Selectman, Julia Pemberton and one member of the public, Karen Gifford.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm.
DISCUSSION
Mr. Welles opened the meeting and provided an overview of statewide affordable housing initiatives, the state’s 10% goal for affordable housing units within each municipality’s housing stock, and the fact that Redding currently has zero housing units that qualify as affordable by State standards. He went on to discuss the Incentive Housing Zone (IHZ) program in Connecticut, and what events resulted in the creation of Redding’s IHZ Committee.
Mr. Welles and Mr. Hayes discussed and exhibited maps of the two Redding sites where IHZ overlay zones have been situated, on Old Mill Road and Ethan Allen Highway. The Committee discussed the water supply, sewage, and septic capabilities of both sites, their proximity to existing and proposed transit, and other site requirements of the state’s IHZ program. As proposed, the developments would include a total of 367 housing units.
The Old Mill Road IHZ site is owned by a variety of private owners, while the Ethan Allen Highway site is wholly owned by the State DOT. IHZ development on the Old Mill Road site would likely be private, and incremental, while the Ethan Allen Highway site could be developed as a single project, if the DOT is interested in transferring ownership of the site to the Town. (George) questioned whether there could be advantages to a non-profit corporation developing the projects, and what taxes would be collected from developers. Mr. Hayes proposed that the different development scenarios for the sites could be demonstrated via a feasibility study.
The Committee determined that its initial actions should be:
- To contact the State DOT to obtain information about the acquisition potential of the Ethan Allen Highway site.
- To contact the property owners of the Old Mill Road site to disseminate information about the IHZ, and determine their relative interest in developing Incentive Housing Developments.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Mr. Welles requested volunteers for the positions of Committee Chair and Secretary. Becky Parkin volunteered to be Committee Secretary.
Motion: Move to elect Becky Parkin Secretary of the IHZ Committee. King, Welles. Approved. Unanimous
Motion: Move to elect Toby Welles Acting, Temporary Chair of the IHZ Committee for the purposes of the first meeting. King, Parkin. Approved. Unanimous
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: Move to adjourn Committee. (Novak, King). Approved. Unanimous
The Committee adjourned at 8:44 p.m.
These minutes have not been approved by the Committee.
Submitted by rmp 6/27/16