Waverly council hears housing study briefing, directs staff to research reuse of Washington Irving school site

Brian Schon, a planner with the Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments (InterCOG), briefed the City of Waverly City Council on a recently completed housing study and walked council through local tools the report recommends to spur more housing, including possible reuse of the city-owned Washington Irving Elementary School site.

The study, which Schon described as “70 pages plus long,” groups recommendations into three broad housing categories—general-occupancy, for-sale and senior housing—and lists about 13 challenges and roughly 27 potential actions for local leaders to consider. Schon told the council many of the items can be addressed at the local level, while others will require state or federal programs or funding.

Why it matters: Council members said the shortage of affordable, starter housing is affecting local employers and commuters, and the Washington Irving site—city-owned and vacant since the 2008 flood—was identified as a candidate for a pilot project that could produce for-sale workforce housing, duplexes or other relatively affordable units.

Schon reviewed local tools and program options discussed in the report: accessory dwelling units, density bonuses, fast-track permitting, first-time homebuyer/down-payment assistance, historic-preservation partnerships, trade partnerships with schools, home-energy loans, infill and land-acquisition…