Published: May 14, 2008 10:33 am      

Council wavers on low income apartments

Galen Scott

gscott@weatherforddemocrat.com

The Weatherford City Council almost killed an out-of-state builder’s plans to construct a low-income apartment complex on the northwest side of town Tuesday.

Project plans call for 76 subsidized housing units on five acres near the intersection of West Second Street and Jacksboro Graham Road.

On April 8, the council gave unanimous preliminary approval to a zoning change request Topeka developers need in order to begin construction.

However, an opposition letter from Weatherford ISD Superintendent Deborah Cron suggested the development would have a detrimental effect on nearby Juan Seguin Elementary School.

City staff also presented data suggesting the development would create an additional 122 calls to the police per year.

Council members decided not to grant final approval at the next meeting, held April 22. Instead, they agreed to table the issue.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Place 4 Councilman Craig Swancy tried to block a resolution the developers need in order to secure low-income housing credits considered crucial to the project.

“I’ve spoken with land owners in the area, and they’re not in favor of it ... so I cannot support this [resolution],” Swancy said.

The planned $7.5 million development would be financed in part by tax credits the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs makes available to developers who provide housing for “extremely low-, very low- and low-income families.”

Once a certain number of tax-credit-funded housing units already exist in a given city, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs starts requiring a formal resolution in support of each additional project from the affected city government.

“I don’t know for a fact which units in town were developed with tax credits, but I believe the Fox Hollow development, and perhaps the Cypress View Villas, originally, even though those are under a different structure at this time,” City Manager Jennifer Fadden explained, in response to inaudible questions from Place 1 Councilwoman Jan Barton.

Weatherford’s planning and development director Trina Finney pointed out the planned development at Jacksboro Graham is in line with the city’s comprehensive plan — more than once.

“We encourage quality, affordable development,” Finney said.

An unusual governmental procedure took place, ending with a unanimous decision to table the issue, delaying both a decision on the tax credit resolution and zoning change request.

Initially, no one on the council offered a motion to approve the tax credit resolution. Then Fadden suggested “it would be cleaner” if the council were to formally deny the resolution. City Attorney Ed Zellers was not present during the meeting.

Swancy made a motion to deny the resolution, which failed for lack of a second.

“I’m really torn on this. This is a tough one,” Barton said. “Can I make a motion to table it? I make a motion that we table the resolution so we can further investigate it.”

Barton’s idea received unanimous approval from the council. The item is expected to appear on the May 27 agenda, marking the fourth opportunity for the city council to discuss the issue publicly.