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Council committee approves amendment returning housing grant funds after site-development issues
Summary
The committee approved RS 2025‑1424, a second amendment to a grant contract with Living Develop Concepts Inc., returning unused Barnes Housing Trust Fund dollars after engineering and stormwater problems made two homes uneconomic to build.
The Planning and Zoning Committee on Aug. 20 approved RS 2025‑1424, a resolution that amends a grant contract between the Metropolitan Government (through the Metropolitan Housing Trust Fund Commission) and Living Develop Concepts Inc., reducing the grant scope after site development issues made original plans infeasible.
Why it matters: The Barnes Housing Trust Fund supports construction of affordable homes. Council member Allen asked whether returned funds would remain in the Barnes Fund for reallocation; the Barnes program manager confirmed the money will return to the fund.
What was reported: Catherine Middlebrooks, Barnes Housing Trust Fund program manager, told the committee that the project had been allocated $750,000 intended for four homes but design and site constraints left two viable lots instead. She said the site required moving parking four feet from a property line, could not encroach on two stormwater conveyances without recorded easements, required removal and replacement of a reinforced concrete pipe in a channel, armor work on the channel sides, and a bridge crossing engineered to place a finished floor above the conveyance flow line. Middlebrooks said those conditions would have added “significant cost” and the sponsor therefore proposed reducing the grant to support two houses rather than four.
Council member Allen asked whether the unspent funds would return to the Barnes Fund for reallocation; Middlebrooks answered that the funds did return to the Barnes Fund.
Committee action: After discussion, the committee voted “aye” and the resolution carried.
Ending: The committee approved the amendment and directed the Housing Trust Fund to reallocate returned funds through its existing processes; individual project selection and any new site work will follow normal Metro review and permitting.
