Council donates Beaver Street lots to SACA Development for affordable housing after contentious debate

Lancaster City Council voted May 13 to donate the City-owned parcels at 339–341 Beaver Street to SACA Development Corporation for development into owner-occupied and rental affordable housing.

The resolution approved by council transfers the lots to SACA subject to deed restrictions intended to preserve affordability: owner-occupier sales are limited to households at or below 80% of Lancaster County area median income (AMI) and rental units are to be limited to households at or below 60% AMI. The record and presentations at council also noted a 15-year deed restriction term and referenced prior planning and fundraising the city had undertaken for a neighborhood park at the same site.

Mayor Deneen Serachi summarized the parcel’s history, saying the site had originally been planned as a park by the Community Action Partnership but that subdivision, safety and rising cost obstacles stalled that effort. Serachi told council the city had earlier raised about $25,000 toward a park and estimated development costs had grown from roughly $250,000 to about $600,000 by 2023. The mayor said SACA has a track record of infill affordable housing work in the neighborhood and the donation was intended to produce units the city otherwise could not…