Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Infill topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Columbia council approves land-bank plan for four rental townhouses in South Fifth Street infill
Summary
Council approved a certificate of appropriateness for four new townhouses developed through the borough’s land bank; the units will be retained as rentals under a nonprofit owner and be taxable based on use, council members said.
Columbia Borough Council on May 27 approved a certificate of appropriateness (COA) for construction of four new townhouses at 154–156 South Fifth Street and 461 Avenue K, a land bank infill project the council discussed at length.
Sean (identified in the meeting as a project representative) presented the proposal and said the four units will be retained as rentals, managed by a contracted property manager, and owned by a nonprofit redevelopment entity associated with the land bank. The project will include eight off-street parking spaces—two per unit—accessed from Avenue K, Sean said.
Council members and the presenter discussed how addresses will be assigned after subdivision—two units will take Church Avenue addresses and two will be on Fifth Street—and confirmed the units will be taxable. A council member also asked whether properties owned by nonprofits would be fully taxable; the presenter said taxability depends on property use and that these units will be taxable because they will be income-producing rental units.
Project cost estimates discussed at the meeting placed each building’s construction cost at about $500,000, and the presenter said the total project cost is “a little over $2,000,000.” Council members and land bank participants described that level of cost as a factor in choosing rental retention rather than owner-occupied sales, because selling at market without heavy subsidy would not have been feasible.
Council person Stahl moved to approve the COA; Council person Kaufman seconded the motion. The motion passed with all voting in favor.
Council members noted the land bank committee initially opposed adding rental units but accepted the project after review of funding constraints. The council also discussed aesthetic details such as dormer windows and the potential timing for construction; presenters said construction start depends on securing all development funding and no firm start date was set.
The presenter said property management will be contracted and the nonprofit redevelopment authority will own the parcels, with clear parcel lines and designated parking spaces included in the subdivided parcel.
