Council approves purchase of modular workforce-housing units to meet June 30 deadline

The council voted to authorize the purchase of five modular workforce-housing units from BuiltWise, with authorization to acquire a sixth unit if remaining funds and construction details allow. Moderator (meeting lead) said the purchase is intended to ensure the town meets a June 30 completion deadline tied to existing funding.

The moderator described the procurement history: an earlier pricing proposal from Palomar (Texas) came in above budget, so staff toured BuiltWise in Roswell and recommended the company—s LaPlaya modular product as a faster, on-budget option. "We will be able to spend our 1.6, and they will be here ... installed on-site by June 30," the moderator said, summarizing staff—s timeline and budget assessment.

Why it matters: The purchase is intended to preserve an award or grant timeline and put housing units into service quickly. Staff said the LaPlaya units are about 1,280 square feet, two stories with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, vinyl flooring, taped and textured walls, solid-surface counters and standard appliances. The moderator told the council BuiltWise can deliver five units within the $1.6 million available; staff said the developer already has units on-site and could stage them for installation.

Council discussion focused on site layout, unit mix and operational logistics. The moderator noted the revised site plan reduces previously planned two-story apartment blocks and would place the modular units across the back of the Elkridge property; the prior plan had called for 16 units in that area. A councilor asked whether the longer-term build-out could include one- and two-bedroom units; staff said that after completing the immediate phase and demonstrating progress to state and federal partners, they could pursue design changes for smaller units.

Councilor Justin Randall, who spoke in favor, said the modular style "is great," while others raised practical concerns about driveway access and snow removal that staff must address before installation. The moderator also noted a two-hour firewall rating between units that saves roughly $20,000 per unit by avoiding required sprinklers, according to the presentation.

Motion and next steps: A councilor moved to approve the workforce-housing purchase for five units, with a possible sixth if funds and construction scope permit; a second was recorded and the clerk conducted a roll call. The clerk recorded affirmative responses from at least two councilors, including Councilor Justin Randall; the full roll-call tally and any absent or recused votes were not fully transcribed in the provided excerpt. Staff said they will confirm whether the $1.6 million covers general construction items such as foundations and concrete and will report back on the feasibility of adding a sixth unit using the Workforce Housing account.

The item concluded with the council directing staff to finalize cost and foundation scopes and return with confirmation of whether the sixth unit can be funded. The council did not set a public-date for a final follow-up vote in the excerpt provided.