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Mesquite council approves no-objection for Torrington Briarwood tax-credit project, authorizes housing bonds
Summary
City council voted unanimously to provide a required resolution of no objection and to approve a Mesquite Housing Finance Corporation private-activity bond issuance for Torrington Briarwood, a proposed 313-unit affordable rental development that will seek 4% low-income housing tax credits and MHFC financing.
The Mesquite City Council voted unanimously April 9 to issue a resolution of no objection for Torrington Briarwood LP and to authorize the Mesquite Housing Finance Corporation to issue private-activity bonds to finance the 313-unit affordable rental development.
The developer, JPI Affordable Development LLC, is pursuing 4% housing tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and requested the city’s formal no-objection resolution required under Texas Government Code Chapter 2306. Ted Shinn, Mesquite’s director of finance, told council the state requires the local resolution as part of a bond-financing and tax-credit application; the board’s action also clears the way for the Housing Finance Corporation’s planned $50 million private-activity bond sale scheduled for June 2.
JPI development manager Carsten Lowe said the project is expected to break ground in June 2025 and that the site plan has been revised to respond to council feedback. The proposal described four residential buildings and community amenities; the unit mix would include 47 one-bedroom units, 148 two-bedroom units, 106 three-bedroom units and 12 four-bedroom units. The developer said the project would restrict a portion of units to specified area median income tiers: 10% at 70% AMI, 80% at 60% AMI and 10% at 50% AMI (percent of total units described in developer presentation).
Council discussion referenced previous zoning approval for the site and a payment-in-lieu structure the city would seek in a final memorandum of understanding. Finance director Shinn said the developer’s payment-in-lieu of tax (PILOT) structure is expected to channel funds to the city to offset public-safety and service costs; he said final MOU language would be presented later, and that the Housing Finance Corporation would not issue final bonds until required city accounting entries and documents are in place.
A resident who lives near the project, Ronald Ward, urged approval and said housing close to employers helps the city’s economy. Councilman BW Smith’s written statement, read into the record, opposed the resolution and warned that while a developer owns the property the units would not pay local property taxes and that the city and Mesquite ISD would continue to provide services; he urged denial. Council members who supported the resolution emphasized the project’s role in adding workforce and “missing middle” housing and noted that the developer agreed to design changes and buffers discussed during review.
Councilman Candy Burrows moved approval of the no-objection resolution; Jeff Casper seconded. The motion passed 6-0. Council subsequently approved a separate resolution authorizing the Mesquite Housing Finance Corporation to proceed with the $50 million private-activity bond issue (TEFRA/Tefra-style approval) by the same 6-0 margin.
The council and staff said final project approvals, the developer’s MOU, and bond pricing will return to the city for additional review prior to the corporation’s bond closing.
