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Officials suggest incentives and city-owned land as tools to increase long-term housing
Summary
Officials and commissioners discussed tax incentives, property-tax tools authorized by recent state legislation, and city-owned parcels (notably a 26-lot 'city shop' site) as options to expand year-round housing — though staff said financing remains a major constraint.
Several speakers urged pursuing incentives and using city-owned land to increase long-term housing rather than relying solely on restrictions.
Council member Warner referenced recent state legislation that could allow municipalities to use property-tax tools as incentives; Warner said such state changes could give the city "a little bit more freedom" to encourage units to shift from short-term to long-term use. Planning and commission members highlighted the city shop parcel (described during the meeting as about 26 lots) as a place to prioritize development, but staff said financing and an estimated public works building cost in the tens of millions remain barriers. One staff estimate discussed in the meeting put the public works building cost at about $20,000,000.
Participants asked staff to explore incentive models (tax abatements, deed restrictions, utility rebates and similar programs) and to return with potential programs that would preserve private investment while expanding year-round housing.
