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CRA grants staff wins waiver for Hargett LLC after applicant delayed exterior submission to benefit from policy changes
Summary
Staff had advised Hargett LLC to delay submitting an exterior grant to capture forthcoming legacy‑credit changes; because the policy update was delayed, the applicant faced a tenant occupancy delay. The CRA board approved a staff‑requested waiver permitting exterior work to proceed and still be eligible for the grant.
CRA staff asked the board to waive the rule that grant approval must precede commencement of exterior work for Hargett LLC, a local small business rehabilitating a fire‑damaged building at 2409 Lake Avenue.
Dee Reid explained staff had previously advised the applicant to delay submitting the exterior grant so the developer could benefit from legacy‑credit changes in the pending policy update. Because the policy rollout was delayed, the applicant could not proceed with exterior work and risked losing a tenant and certificate of occupancy. "Staff advised him to wait until October...the policy was not approved in October, so now it's pushed to January, which is impacting his ability to get permits and occupy the space with his tenant," Reid told the board.
Board member Clint Dennen moved to grant the waiver; Board member Maniscalco seconded. In debate, members asked whether the applicant had followed staff direction and whether the same advice had been given to other applicants; staff confirmed that other applicants received similar counsel. The board approved the waiver by voice vote.
What's next: Staff will process the exterior work under the waiver and document how the awarded grant will be applied once the updated policy is effective. Staff noted the decision was made to prevent harm to a small business that followed staff guidance.
