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Philomath council advances 20th & Main affordable‑housing talks, OKs field trip to Commonwealth site
Summary
Councilors approved a work‑session field trip and scheduled an Aug. 11 presentation by a nonprofit/developer that has proposed a 30–40 unit, 1–2 bedroom, four‑story affordable housing project for the city‑owned lot at 20th and Main; council debated issuing an RFP versus continuing with the group already working with staff.
Philomath City Councilors voted on July 22 to tour a nearby affordable‑housing project and to invite the developer to present at the council’s Aug. 11 meeting as part of ongoing talks about a potential project at the city‑owned lot at 20th and Main.
City staff said a nonprofit developer had approached the city and provided preliminary renderings for a four‑story building of mostly 1‑ and 2‑bedroom units. "We're looking at 1 and 2 bedrooms, 4 stories, parking first level office, laundry," Chris, a city staff member, told the council. Staff said the developer would handle grant writing and much of the financing and noted the group had done similar projects nearby. Councilors described the Corvallis project as a useful comparison; staff proposed a field trip/work session at the developer's Corvallis property (Big Bear Flats) and an on‑site guided tour prior to the Aug. 11 meeting.
Council discussion centered on whether to open a short request‑for‑proposals (RFP) to solicit other nonprofit proposals or to continue advancing the existing partner and use the Aug. 11 presentation to decide next steps. One councilor urged broader outreach to maximize options; others noted time‑sensitive grant opportunities and the advantage of working with a group that already had funded projects in the region. Staff also noted procurement, permit and code constraints and said issuing an RFP this week would be a substantial lift for staff and likely produce limited responses in a very short window.
On technical details, staff said the city’s current multifamily parking requirement is "seven parking spaces for every 10" units (70%), but also noted a state statute that eliminates local parking minimums within a half‑mile of a transit stop, and staff said the site is within that range. Staff estimated the concept would yield roughly 30–40 units but said details such as exact unit count, parking ratio and financing remain to be finalized and will be presented in August. A motion to proceed with the site visit and to invite the developer to present at the Aug. 11 meeting was moved and seconded; the motion passed 6–0.
Next steps: staff will coordinate the off‑site work session/tour and a presentation at the Aug. 11 council meeting. After the presentation councilors said they would determine whether to open a wider solicitation or proceed with the current nonprofit. Staff flagged grant deadlines and expects to return with more detailed financial and land‑use information at the August meeting.
