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CRA board schedules workshop to study expanding downtown grants to residential properties
Summary
The CRA agreed to convene a workshop to consider amending its downtown grant programs (façade, building code, food service) to include residential properties; Main Street urged careful legal review because residential use under redevelopment law requires a public‑necessity test.
The City of Clermont Community Redevelopment Agency voted to schedule a workshop to examine possible changes to downtown grant programs, including whether to extend façade, building‑code, and food‑service grants to residential properties.
Staff explained the CRA currently funds three downtown grant programs (building code assistance up to $10,000, façade improvement up to $10,000, and food‑related service grants up to $15,000) and that the city and CRA budget $100,000 each year for the program. A public comment from Patrick Bianke, president of Main Street, advised the board to workshop residential eligibility because, under the redevelopment act, residential uses must meet a heightened "public necessity" test.
"Residential has a weird subset in the community redevelopment act where it talks about it's a little... heavily scrutinized because it really has to pass this test of public necessity," Bianke said, and he offered Main Street's participation in developing the policy and vetting examples (for example, rehabilitating dilapidated homes or creating affordable housing).
Board members said the grant program should be aligned with the downtown master plan and any adopted code, and they expressed interest in using grants as tools to execute the plan's vision. Members suggested inviting partners such as Main Street, DPZ (the planning consultant), and other stakeholders to the workshop.
The board directed staff to place a workshop on the calendar (discussion centered on Q3/Q4 timing; staff and members agreed to place the item on the April 21, 2026 workshop calendar for further discussion). Staff said formal amendments to the grant program would be returned to the board as a resolution if the workshop produces recommended changes.
