RDA advances housing-overlay and Uptown district concepts; board presses for benchmarks and scope on RDA landlord role

Staff presented proposed boundaries for a housing overlay district (including Shawtown) and an expanded Uptown district and described two primary strategies: selective infill (including small accessory dwelling unit prototypes) and traditional commercial redevelopment and blight removal. The staff member explained ADU prototypes are roughly "560 square feet" and said the product could meet "65 or so percent of the waiting list" for the housing authority. The staff member described a potential interim model where the RDA would acquire and site units and the housing authority would manage tenants and day-to-day operations under an MOU, with the RDA conveying properties to the housing authority at a later trigger point.

Board members asked several governance and financial questions. One committee member asked, "What is affordable housing and what does that look like and what is the cost?" and voiced concern about the RDA acting as a long-term landlord. The staff member responded that the intent is short-term ownership to get projects started and that the housing authority would perform income screening and daily management; the board sought benchmarks to define success, timelines for approvals, and clarity on financial exposure (e.g., whether RDA funds or capital plan allocations would be encumbered). Staff proposed returning in October with a more formalized proposal and metrics for board feedback before bringing recommendations to council for approval in December.