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Finance committee approves housing incentives, $1.175 million rail study and equipment purchases
Summary
The North Charleston finance committee on March 19, 2006 approved consent to include city parcels in a joint county business park to allow incentives for attainable housing under a fee‑in‑lieu program (a 129‑unit project with 53 workforce units and 15‑year affordability restrictions), authorized a planning study for elimination of the Durant Avenue rail crossing (HNTB, not to exceed $1,175,000) and approved several equipment purchases including a $359,888.16 pump station.
The North Charleston Finance Committee on March 19, 2006 approved a package of ordinances and resolutions that included housing incentives, a planning and environmental linkage study for a railroad crossing and several city equipment purchases.
Committee members voted to authorize the mayor or designee to consent to inclusion of designated city parcels within a joint county business park to allow incentives aimed at attainable housing. Adam McConnell, who presented the agenda item, described the county's fee‑in‑lieu (FILO) tool as a way to offer tax abatements over an amortized period in exchange for delivery of affordable units. "This project, is about a 129 units total for this project," McConnell said, adding that the abatement is amortized so the city recovers taxes over time.
Ryan Johnson, an economic development consultant with Grow America representing the county, clarified the unit mix: "There's a total of a 129 units in this development of which 53 are workforce. And of those, approximately half are at 60%, half are at 80%. And those are the ones that would have, rental rate restrictions on for 15 years," he said. Committee members asked whether units could later convert to market rate and were told affordability restrictions apply for 15 years.
In separate actions, the committee approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with HNTB Corporation for a planning and environmental linkage study to evaluate elimination of the Durant Avenue railroad crossing in an amount not to exceed $1,175,000; authorized staff to execute an easement to Dominion Energy at the Gethsemane Community Center (TMS4660800504); authorized an easement to the North Charleston Sewer District for property at the Public Works facility (TMS4720000014); certified a property at 1914 Reynolds Avenue (TMS4690800037) as an abandoned building site under the South Carolina Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act; and approved the purchase of replacement generators for Public Works Building E and the fuel station.
The committee also approved purchase of a Watertronics pump station for the Westcott golf course from Paramount Pump Services (Lincolnton, North Carolina) in the amount of $359,888.16. Staff explained the existing pump was 27 years old and at end of life, with parts difficult to obtain; a staff member explained the new Watertronics unit integrates with the existing sprinkler system and avoids replacing ancillary systems.
All items on the finance agenda were moved, seconded and approved by the committee by voice vote.
