Hamlet Woods developer seeks payment‑in‑lieu; Bladensburg counters with higher per‑unit figure

Town staff briefed the council on Hamlet Woods, a 59‑unit workforce housing project nearing completion. Brian Wood said the property is roughly 85% complete and anticipated to be ready by mid‑August. The developer originally proposed a payment‑in‑lieu arrangement similar to a county structure that equated to roughly a 50% tax reduction; the town has proposed a counter that sets a per‑unit payment of $600 with escalators (2–4% across multi‑decade bands) over a 30‑year term.

Wood said the town’s staff used 2023 assessed values (about $7,972,000) to calculate the town recommendation but estimated the current assessed value could be closer to $10–$12 million, which would raise the effective per‑unit burden if reset to present market values. The town argued the higher per‑unit payment reflects added service costs such as apartment rental inspections, increased public safety and other town services associated with new multifamily housing.

Council members asked whether PILOT terms would transfer with a change in property ownership; Wood said such language would typically be included in the contract and, in his experience, the payment obligation commonly stays with the property rather than the owner. Council also discussed the timing of a formal vote: because financial actions must be taken at a formally noticed council meeting, any resolution authorizing PILOT terms would need to come back to the council at a 7:00 p.m. meeting or a specially called meeting.

Next steps: staff will finalize contract language with town counsel and return with a draft resolution for council approval at a formal meeting. The matter remains under negotiation and no formal financial approval occurred at the work session.