Commission moves forward with Tenth Street workforce housing development order on city-owned land

Port St. Joe — The City Commission voted to approve the planning board recommendation to issue a development order for the Tenth Street workforce housing project, a multi-building affordable housing development on city-owned property that city staff said will total about 172 units. The vote came after staff and a city representative outlined the permitting status and the form of future agreements needed to preserve affordability. The project will be developed under a development order that city staff said will leave stormwater and wetland permits in the city’s name because the property is city-owned. Ray Greer, identified in the meeting as a staff member working on the developer agreement, said the developer has filed stormwater and wetland permit applications and that “the permits are almost ready to be issued. We should be before a month or 2, we’ll have all the permits in hand.” The development order covers a total of 172 units (the project was discussed at times in the meeting as 176 but staff clarified the current figure as 172). Greer said the project’s planned mix includes 18 single-family lots at the front that will be sold under deed restrictions and the remainder in a mix of duplexes and quadplexes that will be rental units managed by a single property management entity. “Those will be sold and maintained as affordable,” Greer said of the single-family lots. He added that the entire property will be deed restricted and that a future development agreement will specify affordability controls. The commission and members of the public discussed how income bands and residency priorities will be handled. Greer referenced state requirements and a warranty document provided by the land donor, saying the affordable range will follow the relevant state statute cited in the meeting as “state statute 420” and that the deed restrictions will control resale. A member of the public, Robert Brant of 4 Saint Joseph, asked whether the city or county rules would limit who is eligible; Brant urged prioritizing “citizens in Port St. Joe” for available units, but staff answering said they would follow the statutory affordability rules and county income band calculations for Gulf County. Commissioners and staff said a development agreement and additional legal and administrative documents will follow the development order; commissioners approved the planning board recommendation so the project can move forward into final permitting and agreement negotiations. The commission’s motion to approve carried by the recorded voice vote (aye; no nay votes announced). Greer and staff noted a pending grant decision from the state that would help fund the project, and they told the commission they expected an answer in the coming weeks. Why this matters: The development uses city-owned land and will be subject to deed restrictions and a future development agreement that staff said will define long-term affordability controls and maintenance responsibilities. The development order authorizes the project to proceed with required permits and with the city as the permit holder while the commission finalizes contractual controls. The commission did not adopt the development agreement at the meeting; staff said that document is still under negotiation and will be presented later. Public commenters pressed for local preference for applicants and clarity on income bands; staff replied that eligibility and income bands will follow the statute and the developer’s deed restrictions.