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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004 08-17 HCM MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND STATE OF MINNESOTA REGULAR SESSION AUGUST 17, 2004 COUNCIL COMIVIISSION ROOM CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center Housing Commission was called to order by Chairperson Yelich at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Chairperson Mark Yelich, Commissioners, Kris Lawrence-Anderson, Mary Barrus, David Johnson, and Judy Thorbus. Also present were Community Development Specialist Tom Bublitz. Commissioner Stan Leino was absent and excused from the meeting. Commissioner Jean Schuster was absent and unexcused from the meeting. Council Liaison Diane Niesen was not in attendance at the meeting. APPROVAL OFAGENDA There was a motion by Commissioner Thorbus and seconded by Commissioner Barrus to approve the agenda as submitted. The motion passed. APPROVAL OF MINUTES JANUARY 20, 2004 Chairperson Yelich noted that on Page 3 of the January minutes the sixth paragraph should give Commissioner Thorbus credit for suggesting the City conduct a survey regarding what residents want in terms of senior housing. There was a motion by Commissioner Barrus and seconded by Commissioner Thorbus to approve the minutes of the January 20, 2004 as amended. The motion passed. CHAIRPERSONS REPORT Chairperson Yelich explained he had attended his neighborhood watch meeting recently and hoped other Comxnission members had done likewise. Commissioner Johnson commented that it seems like the same people come to the National Night Out meetings each year and not that many new people attend. Commission members continued to discuss the National Night Out program. Commissioner Yelich next discussed the legal challenge to the City of Brooklyn Park's provisional licensing ordinance for rental properties. Chairperson Yelich noted that the court ruling on Brooklyn Park's ordinance determined that parts of the ordinance were considered incompatible with State Statute. He noted Brooklyn Park is appealing the courts' ruling and that Brooklyn -1- Center is taking a`wait and see' approach on the issue pending Brooklyn Pazk's appeal. He also noted Brooklyn Center's Chief of Police reported that calls for service to rental units had dropped 25 percent in the year since the ordinance was enacted. Chairperson Yelich stated that the Housing Commission should feel very good about the results of the provisional licensing ordinance in Brooklyn Center and their participation in the development and approval of the ordinance. Commissioner Lawrence-Anderson stated she would like to get a handle on what the Brooklyn Park issues were in the court case and use it to keep Brooklyn Center's ordinance in place. SENIOR HOUSING DISCUSSION Commissioner Yelich introduced the next item which was a discussion of senior housing and the Commission's work in that area. He briefly discussed the Community Development Specialist's report and also noted the City Council's recent discussion on senior housing. I The Community Development Specialist briefly reviewed his memorandum to the Commission pointing out that a draft report on senior housing has been included in their agenda packets and that one item to be added to the report is the Commission's analysis of senior housing projects they viewed over the past few months. He also noted that staffhad done some initial work on a demand analysis for various types of senior housing but that this is an area that is quite technical and beyond the scope of what staffcan reasonablyproduce. He pointed out that a demand analysis for various types of senior housing in the city will be prepared by a private firm and should be available by the October meeting of the Housing Commission. He also noted that at the September Housing Commission meeting the Community Development Director will discuss some of the larger redevelopment issues in the city and specifically how future redevelopment will address senior housing. Commissioner Barrus pointed out that a relative of hers has started a company to address the issue of keeping seniors in their own home, providing the necessary services so that they can maintain their residence. She noted the name of the company is "Provenience". Chairperson Yelich distributed a draft he had prepared titled `Brooklyn Center Senior Housing Recommendations Brooklyn Center Senior Housing Recommendations, Brooklyn Center Housing Commission, August 17, 2004'. Commission members reviewed the Chair's draft report and discussed the first item, which dealt with establishment of housing goals. It was the general consensus of Commission members that establishing specific goals would provide direction and assistance to developers in creating senior housing. Commissioner Johnson also pointed out that the challenge to senior housing is also to make it accessible. Commission members discussed redevelopment and the concept of the "urban village" where senior housing is part of a larger redevelopment program. Cominissioner Barrus discussed the need for seniors to be connected to needed services and she also stated that as residents and Housing Commission members, we need to be sensitive to the elderly s needs. Chairperson Yelich noted that Item No. 5 in his draft report addressed this service need. -2- Commissioner Lawrence Anderson suggested that pazks in neighborhoods are important and serve as a meeting place for seniors to congregate. She noted that lots of parks exist already in the city but that additional small parks should be considered as important to meeting seniors needs. Chairperson Yelich next addressed the issue of increasing the number of owner occupied senior condominiums or cooperative housing in the city. He noted that none of this type of housing exists in the city now and that the Commission has supported this type of housing in the past. Commissioner Thorbus stated that she felt strongly that owner occupied senior housing should be integrated into future redevelopment. Conunissioner Barrus stated that she does not think seniors should be mixed in with non-seniors in housing projects and felt strongly that this creates problems for seniors. �The Commission continued to discuss owner occupied senior housing and generally agreed that owner occupied senior condominiums or cooperatives were a good idea for the City of Brooklyn Center. Chairperson Yelich next addressed Item No. 7 on his draft report, which addressed requiring a full range of affordability in all new senior housing proj ects. He pointed out that, based on information received from the Commission's visits to various housing developments, a mix of incomes is essential to the success of senior housing developments. He explained housing providers indicated that, once you get over a certain percentage of low income persons in a particular development, it can become a problem. Commissioner Lawrence-Anderson also addressed the issue of higher income residents and noted that perhaps a 15 percent figure for high income residents in proj ects would also be something the Commission should consider. The Housing Commission continued to discuss income levels of residents and construction of higher end type units in addition to income issues of residents. The Community Development Specialist pointed out that, at some point, the mix of incomes and higher end units becomes an economic decision on the part of the developer. Commissioner Yelich next addressed Item No. 2 on the draft report, which addressed planning for senior housing unit numbers to support long term stability rather than plan for extremes. He suggested that this is an important issue and that construction of senior housing should build for the long term stability and not for just boom and bust extremes in the market. Commissioner Yelich next addressed Item No. 3 on the draft report, which addressed the continuum of care issue. Chairperson Yelich commented that in the Commission's visits to senior developments the issue of vertical integration was very important. Commissioner Thorbus pointed out that the Copperfield proj ect visited by the Commission was an example of a continuum of care project and added that she also believes this is an important -3- element in planning for senior housing. Commissioner Yelich then addressed Item No. 6 on the draft report in addressing city building codes and fire safety and durability for senior projects. He pointed out the Crossings project in Brooklyn Center is a brick and concrete construction building, which is different from a wood frame construction. He pointed out the Crossings project was initially built to condominium standards and that this was the difference in construction. Commission members discussed construction quality of senior buildings and their conclusion was that quality construction was important to consider for senior developments. Commissioner Yelich inquired if there was anything missing from his list in the draft he had prepared. The Community Development Specialist indicated that he would also like the Commission to come up with a list of amenities and other construction related items they found attractive in the properties they visited this past summer. He pointed out this would be added to the final report on senior housing. Commissioner Yelich indicated that he would draft a list of amenities for Commission consideration. He also noted the continuum of care issue would also be emphasized in his draft report. Commission members continued to discuss the items contained in the draft report and there was a general consensus of Commission members that they agreed with items 1 thru 7 in the draft senior housing recommendations prepared by Chairperson Yelich and dated August 17, 2004. OTHER BUSINESS The Community Development Specialist explained that the City Manager had requested him to discuss the issue of Commission recognition with the Housing Commission as is being done with other city advisory commissions. Coxnmissioner Thorbus commented that the Brooklyn Center Taxpayer's Association has suggested a joint recognition of the Brooklyn Center business community and Commissions. She noted this could be an open house type meeting with the business community. Commissioner Barrus stated that she likes the idea of some type of annual meeting where all Commission members come together and highlight the goals and accomplishxnents of each individual commission. With regard to recognition, Commissioner Johnson suggested that the city could just put a thank you in the Brooklyn Center Post listing the names of Commission members. Commission members essentially separated the idea of recognition from an annual meeting where Commission members are able to learn and discuss what other Commissions are doing. Commissioner Lawrence-Anderson suggested a joint meeting of commissions at the beginning of -4- the year. Commission Barrus stressed the meeting aspect of Commission members getting together, what each Commission has worked on and how it affects other Commissions. Chairperson Yelich noted that there are two issues; one is recognition of Commission members, which could be accomplished by an ad in the paper, and the second is an annual meeting where Commissioners learn what other Commissions are doing and are able to interact with other Commission members. Commissioner Lawrence-Anderson suggested that the format for meeting could be a simple statement of the goals and achievements of the various Commissions. Commissioner Yelich brought up the issue of whether or not the Housing Commission should recommend, as a goal of the City Council, to influence home values in the city. He explained that his recommendation would be that some objective measure be established and the goal would be to reduce the gap between Brooklyn Center housing values and metro area median housing values. Commission members discussed the variances and housing values in the metropolitan azea and Commissioner Barrus stated that she does not think the City Council can really affect home values in any other way than they are already doing. Commission members continued to discuss issues relative to home values and redevelopment in the city. There was no other business addressed by the Commission. ADJOURNMENT There was a motion by Commissioner Barrus and seconded by Commissioner Lawrence- Anderson to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed. The Brooklyn Center Housing Commission adjourned at 9:15 p.m. t cn�� -s-