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Jamestown council approves submission to HUD to reallocate $640,000 toward Gateway Project
Summary
At its March 10 meeting the council approved submitting a HUD-required ‘‘significant amendment’’ to reallocate $640,000 in HOME/block-grant funds toward the Gateway redevelopment, prompting public questions about citizen notice, eligibility and local service impacts.
Jamestown City Council on March 10 voted to submit a significant amendment to the city’s consolidated plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that would reallocate $640,000 in HOME/block-grant funding to the Gateway Project.
The vote follows public comment and committee discussion about whether the city’s citizen-participation requirements for substantial amendments were followed, and about potential local impacts including eligibility, parking and emergency-service demand.
Resident Hub Champ urged the council to follow the consolidated-plan amendment process, saying “when you have an amendment, there’s certain specific requirements that have to be maintained and done. A substantial amendment is exactly what is in front of you tonight,” and he warned the funding could be lost if federal programs change. Crystal (staff member) told the council the city has discussed the project with HUD staff and that “this is not the first time we've done a significant amendment. It is underway. It will be followed.” The council set a public hearing for March 31 prior to its voting session.
Committee and staff presentations said the $640,000 would be used to start site remediation and related site-preparation work for redevelopment known as the Gateway Project. Officials described the development as a mix of supportive-housing units with 24-hour on-site staffing, transitional units for youth aging out of foster care, and low- to moderate-income one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Staff said one income-eligibility figure in materials listed $27,000 as an example threshold for a single occupant and that the site plan showed about 50 parking spaces.
Finance committee remarks referenced related commitments tied to the development: a proposed annual pilot payment of $85,000 to the city (described as a payment in lieu of taxes for a 15-year term) and a separate $355,000 contribution to citywide demolition/mitigation work. Committee members said those amounts and mitigation details will be clarified in the mitigation plan and other project documents.
Those who spoke at the meeting raised concerns about process and local impacts. Champ and other council members asked whether the required public notification and waiting periods under the city’s citizen-participation and consolidated-plan rules had been observed; staff replied the formal amendment process is underway and a public hearing is open. Several council members also asked whether units would be limited to Jamestown residents; staff said agencies operating the supportive units would prioritize local referrals but that funding rules require that units be made available to eligible applicants for the program.
The finance committee reported the resolution directing staff to submit the significant amendment to HUD was approved. The record does not include a roll-call vote tally in the transcript.
If the Gateway Project does not proceed, staff said the remediation and site-preparation work funded with the $640,000 would still be coordinated with other city remediation efforts already underway at the site.
Provenance: Public comment from Hub Champ and later finance-committee discussion and vote (public hearing announced for March 31).
