ATTACHMENT 3

SUMMARY OF

PLANNING BOARD ACTION

Subject:                       Comprehensive Plan Amendment: Clarification of Affordable Housing Goal

Meeting Date:             September 20, 2005

Recommendation:       That the Council adopt the resolution to amend the Comprehensive Plan to better describe the affordable housing payment-in-lieu option.

Vote:                           7-0

Ayes:  Ruby Sinreich (Chair), Rebecca Boyles, Margaret Campion, George Cianciola, Timothy Dempsey, Nancy Milio, James Stroud

Absent: Donna Stephens Manley, Gene Pease, Mitch Strobin

Issues Raised:             Issues regarding this item raised by the Planning Board at the September 6 meeting and addressed by staff in the memorandum provided by staff at the September 20 meeting (an excerpt of which is included in Attachment 4) were:

• Determination of sale price of affordable units: A Planning Board member asked who determines the price of affordable dwelling units.
• Application of Percentages to Housing Unit Requirements: A Planning Board member pointed out that Option 1 in the Comprehensive Plan language requests that developers provide 15% of their units at prices affordable to low and moderate income households and does not offer direction whether to round up or down when 15% of all proposed units results in a fraction of a unit.
• Clarification of Options:  A Planning Board Member noted that the Comprehensive Plan section under revision did not clearly indicate that a developer of residential developers should choose between Options 1, 2 and 3.
• The Necessity of Option 3:  A Planning Board member questioned whether Option 3 in the Comprehensive Plan section under revision is necessary.  It was noted that Option 1 asks developers to provide at least 15% of their units at prices affordable to low and moderate income households and does not preclude alternative methods that are allowed in Option 3.

Prepared by:                Ruby Sinreich, Chapel Hill Planning Board
Loryn Clark, Staff