Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/01/2007

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New York City took a similar approach in the comprehensive rezon.ing of Green point- Williamsburg in May 2005. As described by the city, the rezoning "sets the stage for the renewal of a vacant and underutilized stretch of the Brooklyn waterfront. . . . It reclaims two miles of long-neglected East River waterfront to create over 50 acres of open space, includ- ing a continuous public esplanade and a new 28-acre park surrounding the Bushwick Inlet. The plan creates new opportunities for thou- sands of units of much-needed housing, including affordable hou.sing, within a detailed urban design plan that addresses the scale ofthe existing neighborhoods." The zoning plan includes a voluntary inclusionary housing program that provides To yield meaningful benefits for home af- ford ability, such strategies generally need to be implemented either on a broad enough scale to significantly increase the supply of homes or in a manner designed specifically to lead to the production of additional affordable homes, such as through inclusionary zoning require- ments or incentives. The latter approach is dis- cussed later in this article. Zoning for a variety of housing types. Many communities have zoning policies that either directly restrict or have the effect of restricting (for example, through infeasible park- ing requirements) the construction of new multi- family homes. manufactured homes. or acces- sory dwelling units. Because each of these housing types can be used to construct homes a density bonus and tax abatements to developers that agree to certain affordability restrictions. Initial reports show a strong take-up of these incentives. According to Mayor Bloomberg's June 26, 2006, press release. "The plan will spur 10,800 new units of mqch-needed housing, and through, a powerful combination of zoning incen- tives, housing programs, and city-owned land, 3,500 ofthose units will be affordable. One year after the rezoning was enacted there are already 1,000 affordable units in the pipeline for near-term construction on the waterfront alone. That's 64 percent of the rezoning estimate of 1,563 affordable units on the waterfront." that are less expensive than detached, single- family homes, such policies tend to make homes more expensive for working families. On the other hand, by adopting zQning policies that maximize the availability of these housing types, communities can both expand the supply of affordable homes and meet a wider range of their constituents' needs. In recent years, tremendous advances have been made in the design of both multi- family and manufactured homes. When well designed, both types are of extremely high quality and fit in well into the community. Multifamily homes can add value to commu- nities by helping to revitalize distressed neighborhoods, increasing the ridership for public transit, and providing homes for working families near where they work-cut- ting down on traffic congestion and improv- ing job retention. Many of the higher-end manufactured homes can no longer be dis- tinguished from stick-built homes, yet cost thousands less. Finally, accessory dwellings- smaller homes that are built next to or as part of a principal home-can be an excel- lent way to provide affordable homes for parents or caretakers ofthe principal resi- dents or to provide opportunities to expand the supply of rental homes while generating income for the owners. Auburn Court, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a good example of an attractive mixed income development that provides 137 homes in a multifamily setting spread out along three garden courtyard residential blocks. Established as part of the larger University Park development on land assembled by the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology, Auburn Court con- sists of a mix of one-, two-, and three-bed. room rental homes distributed among flats and duplexes. Most buildings in the devel- opment are three stories, though several rise up to six stories to frame the entrance to University Park. With half the homes affordable to families with incomes below 50 percent of the area median, and other homes either at market rate or affordable to families at 90 percent of the area median income. Auburn Court was featured as part of a recent National Building Museum exhibit on affordable homes. Many people are familiar with the use of manufactured homes in rural settings, but Oakland Community Housing Inc. [California] demonstrates that they also have a place in the city. As part oftheir infill homeownership initiative, they have produced both single- family detached homes (the "En Street proj- ect) and multistory town homes (the Linden Terrace project). Both Santa Rosa, California, and Mercer Island, Washington, use accessory dwelling units as a strategy for expanding the supply of affordable homes. In Santa Rosa, accessory dwelling units are typically incorporated into new developments, such as Courtside Village. a pedestrian-friendly mixed use development that includes 100 ~ccessory units. In Mercer Island, officials have streamlined the permit- ting process and launched a public education ZONING PRACTICE 12.06 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION I pa~ f:-"~'-' i ../ i"