Council approves land purchase option for Clarence Park tiny‑home project; REACH seeks financing and PCHO offers to manage services

The Neighborhood Jobs & Housing Committee voted to approve a land purchase option agreement that preserves the project plan for a 12‑unit pocket‑neighborhood of tiny houses at Clarence Park.

REACH, the original project sponsor, told the committee the proposal is unchanged from what had previously been approved: a pocket neighborhood of 12 tiny‑house style dwellings. Pat Tobin, identified in the meeting as REACH’s chair, said the zoning approvals are complete and the site is shovel‑ready, but REACH is negotiating with a financially stronger partner to secure the project financing and asked the committee to extend the agreement for two years to allow time to close financing.

Representatives from PCHO said the organization is prepared to support the project’s ongoing operations. A PCHO representative told the committee the group has experience with small‑scale and state‑funded projects, noted clean audits and said PCHO would oversee service delivery, property management, vendor contracts (snow removal, pest control and repairs) and contractual security if it becomes the managing partner. PCHO said it expects to hire contractors that are trauma‑informed and minority‑owned where possible and that it would seek a property manager with sensitivity to the target population.

Why it matters: The project is the city’s first approved tiny‑home pocket neighborhood under this framework; committee members emphasized getting the first project right in order to replicate the model. Council members urged clarity in the legal transition if REACH transfers the project and asked for a clear single point of contact for city staff once the development is operational.

Committee members asked several operational questions: what PCHO’s role would be (management of services, contracts and ownership responsibilities), whether a professional property management firm might be retained, and how the legal transition would be structured if REACH dissolves or assigns the project. PCHO said it may contract day‑to‑day repairs and security to specialized vendors but would retain overall program oversight. REACH said it was exploring a partner with a stronger balance sheet to provide financing while keeping the project scope unchanged.

Council members emphasized that street‑level operations (snow removal, garbage pickup, safety responses) must have a clear owner after construction, telling the applicant group the city needs a contact who can respond to operational problems so the pilot succeeds and future projects can follow. The chair moved the item and the committee voted to advance the land purchase option agreement (introductory number 258).