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Monthly Archives: July 2015

Next meeting today, Thursday, July 30

30 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by amyreinholds in What's the future of affordable housing in Lyons? column

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AmyReinholds, artist-live-work, makeitright, spacetocreate

Published in the July 30, 2015, edition of the Lyons Recorder.

COMMENTARY: What’s the future of affordable housing in Lyons?

Next meeting today, Thursday, July 30

by Amy Reinholds

Special housing committee chair Justin Spencer canceled the meeting last Wednesday because town staff liaison Cody Humphrey could not attend, and the Town Hall Annex was not available as a result. I waited on the back patio of the Barking Dog Cafe with an americano and a laptop, hoping to meet people who didn’t know about the cancellation.

One member of the public, Carrie Gonzales, came for the meeting, and she and I chatted at a table in the shade. We talked about ideas including contacting the Make It Right nonprofit organization that has built – and is continuing to build – more than 100 homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I sent in a request for more information through the organization’s website but have not heard back yet. As Gonzales said that day, “It takes a whole village to raise everything from children to flood recovery.”

And since then, I have also reached out to contacts at “Space to Create, Colorado,” a state program to develop affordable housing and work space for artists and arts organizations that was announced by Governor John Hickenlooper on Tuesday. I haven’t heard back yet from this group, but I’ll follow up in future columns, and I also plan to discuss it with the Lyons Arts and Humanities Commission.

The next meeting of the special housing committee is a working meeting at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, at the Lyons Valley Village Community House. The next special housing committee regular meeting at the Town Hall annex is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 12. All housing committee meetings are open to the public and published on the Town of Lyons calendar at http://www.townoflyons.com/calendar. Agendas and meeting minutes are posted at: http://www.townoflyons.com/component/content/article/158-yoocarousel/556-special-housing-committee.

Keep following my columns in both Lyons papers for updates about what has and has not been accomplished to increase affordable housing stock in Lyons. For background and history on the special housing committee, and to read previous weeks’ columns, see http://www.lyonsrecorder.com/index.php/lyons-chatter/6026-what-s-the-future-for-affordable-housing-in-lyons.

 

Amy Reinholds served on the Lyons Housing Recovery Task Force from December 2013 through its end in February 2015. She is currently a member of the Lyons Human Services and Aging Commission and serves as a liaison to the special housing committee. She has lived in Lyons for 11 years and in the surrounding Lyons area since 1995.

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No new committee news this week

23 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by amyreinholds in What's the future of affordable housing in Lyons? column

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Published in the July 23, 2015, edition of the Lyons Recorder. 

COMMENTARY: What’s the future of affordable housing in Lyons?

No new committee news this week

by Amy Reinholds

Nothing new happened with the special housing committee in the past week. On Monday, July 20, trustee Dawn Weller gave a report on behalf of chair Justin Spencer. She reported the change in meeting times that was decided last week: The special housing committee is meeting on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall annex behind the Barking Dog Cafe. Then, every week when there is not a Wednesday meeting, the special housing committee working session is held on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. at the Lyons Valley Village Community House. Weller, the Board of Trustees liaison to the special housing committee, also reported that the committee is still working on forming a subcommittee to work with the Utilities and Engineering Board to help shape a recommendation for a policy for waiving tap fees for affordable housing.

However, the Board of Trustees did vote on an issue on Monday that might interest members of the community who have been saying that new housing could be built on the former City of Longmont water treatment sites east of town. The trustees approved a resolution approving a contract with the City of Longmont to purchase 9.88 acres of the former water treatment plant on the condition that the Town of Lyons is granted funds from the third round Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), expected in 4th quarter 2015. Town Administrator Victoria Simonsen reported that the town received a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant to bring sewer and water lines out to that area of Ute Highway (Highway 66) east of Highway 36.

The former Longmont water treatment land is on both the north and south sides of Highway 66. The town has discussed this purchase from Longmont as far back as 2012 and 2013, interested in economic development opportunities on the eastern corridor. The trustees and staff did not discuss housing on these parcels Monday night, although past discussions showed a support from trustees for housing on commercial property, if it was mixed-use development of residential combined with commercial/ business. Simonsen said at the Monday meeting that a Colorado Heritage Award will fund planning the eastern corridor (in addition to Apple Valley and South St. Vrain Road neighborhoods in the Lyons planning area), so the public will be involved in the planning process for this part of the eastern corridor. No members of the public spoke during the public comment period for this agenda item on Monday. However, trustees and staff said that members of the public will have multiple chances to give input in the future. The Longmont City Council also must vote on the contract. Then, if approved by Longmont, both municipalities still must wait to find out if the CDBG-DR funds are awarded.

The next meeting of the special housing committee is a working meeting at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, at the Lyons Valley Village Community House. The next special housing committee regular meeting at the Town Hall annex is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 12. All housing committee meetings are open to the public and published on the Town of Lyons calendar at http://www.townoflyons.com/calendar. The committee has shrunk down to only 4 current members, and at the last meeting on July 16, only three members attended: Spencer, Martin Soosloff, and Wendy Miller. Since the special housing committee was created in April, Craig Ferguson, Tom Delker, and Tom Lamz have each resigned from the committee, and Nate Mohatt has not attended any meetings since June 18.

Keep following my columns in both Lyons papers for updates about what has and has not been accomplished. For background on the special housing committee and to read previous weeks’ columns, see http://www.lyonsrecorder.com/index.php/lyons-chatter/6026-what-s-the-future-for-affordable-housing-in-lyons.

 

Amy Reinholds served on the Lyons Housing Recovery Task Force from December 2013 through its end in February 2015. She is currently a member of the Lyons Human Services and Aging Commission and serves as a liaison to the special housing committee. She has lived in Lyons for 11 years and in the surrounding Lyons area since 1995.

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Committee discusses updates on ADUs, options for MHP owner

16 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by amyreinholds in What's the future of affordable housing in Lyons? column

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Published in the July 16, 2015, edition of the Lyons Recorder. 

COMMENTARY: What’s the future of affordable housing in Lyons?

Committee discusses updates on ADUs, options for MHP owner

by Amy Reinholds

At a special housing committee meeting Monday, members of the committee discussed with Cody Humphrey, Lyons housing recovery coordinator, what options exist for the former Foothills Mobile Home Park owner who has said he wants to rebuild. John Baranway is on a list for buyout funds for his flood-damaged property, expected this fall, Humphrey said. Baranway wants to build a 16-unit mobile home park in Lyons again but does not yet have a property development team together that could address applying for grants or evaluate potential land for needed site improvements and other planning needs. Chair Justin Spencer and Wendy Miller discussed possibilities: how the possible future affordable housing tap fee policy could apply to manufactured housing parks if landlords could guarantee a permanently affordable rental policy, and how to encourage affordable housing in town by helping potential landlords like Baranway find property development teams to work with.

The housing committee still has a decreased membership since the group formed in April, because three members have quit. There are only four current members, and only three members who attended the July 9 meeting: Spencer, Miller, and Martin Soosloff, who had to leave early. Nate Mohatt hasn’t been able to attend any meetings since June 18, but Susanne Ducker, a new Lyons resident who has been attending meetings, submitted an application for the committee at the end of last week. The June 13 meeting of the special housing committee at the Town Hall Annex only had two members attend: Spencer and Miller, and two liaisons: Humphrey and me.

Although down to a smaller group, the special housing committee still aims to accomplish work through subcommittees: to work with the Utilities and Engineering Board on a tap fee policy for affordable housing, to work with the Planning and Community Development Commission (PCDC) on encouraging residents to build accessory dwelling units or mother-in-law apartments, to identify potential sites for affordable housing, to identify options for affordable rentals, and to identify options for manufactured housing.

I agreed to follow up with the PCDC on the continuing discussion about how to encourage more accessory dwelling units, also called mother-in-law apartments, guest houses, or the acronym ADUs. At the July 9 special housing committee working meeting, I reported that a first draft of an educational hand-out for Lyons homeowners interested in creating apartments on their properties has been created, and town staff are finalizing the information.

I talked to Michelle Allen, PCDC chair, who said that homeowners need to decide whether building apartments is right for them, and they need to weigh the costs and benefits, so providing answers to common questions can aid them in making informed decisions. For example, homeowners need to decide whether they have $10,000 to $20,000 that they can invest in creating an ADU or whether they could get a construction loan to cover those costs. With market-rate rents, homeowners might be able to recoup their costs in 2 years if they don’t take out a loan, or maybe 5-10 years if they do have a loan.

The PCDC also asked town staff to determine what tap fees apply to internal ADUs like basement apartments or additions and what tap fees apply to separate buildings outside the main home. Basically hidden apartments, these units don’t change a single family zone in Lyons into a multifamily zone. It’s no different than having roommates or other family members, except a newly constructed apartment with a full kitchen gives the homeowners advantages in rental income for an full living space with a separate entrance.

The PCDC recommended that the town find a way to fund promoting information in a workshop and educational materials, including the following items:

  • the ABCs of being a landlord
  • how to estimate costs of creating an ADU
  • how to submit for a building permit
  • how to hire subcontractors to do the work
  • how to check in with homeowners associations and insurance companies for required changes
  • a simple cost-benefit analysis of building ADUs

A future workshop held by the town staff and the PCDC would then answer questions people have about everything entailed in creating new apartments, including those who have never been landlords before. Maybe there could also be a workshop for small contractors to understand the process and help their clients create this new housing. Are there local contractors who can help people create ADUs?

ADUs can be a market-rate option to increase housing stock. Costs can be lower than renting entire homes because the units are smaller and might be less attractive because located in basement, for example. But ADUs cannot be sold separately, and I have not seen likely scenarios to force affordable rents like you can with deed restrictions for owner-occupied homes or non-profit and government affordable rental programs.

The next meeting of the special housing committee is a working meeting at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 16, at the Lyons Valley Village Community House. The special housing committee regular meetings are now on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall annex behind the Barking Dog – the next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 22. The working meetings to tackle subcommittee issues are on Thursdays of the alternating weeks when regular meetings are not held on Wednesdays. Check the town calendar and town email for any updates. All housing committee meetings are open to the public and published on the Town of Lyons calendar at http://www.townoflyons.com/calendar. Keep following my columns in both Lyons papers for updates about what has and has not been accomplished. For background on the special housing committee and to read previous weeks’ columns, see http://www.lyonsrecorder.com/index.php/lyons-chatter/6026-what-s-the-future-for-affordable-housing-in-lyons.

 

Amy Reinholds served on the Lyons Housing Recovery Task Force from December 2013 through its end in February 2015. She is currently a member of the Lyons Human Services and Aging Commission and serves as a liaison to the special housing committee. She has lived in Lyons for 11 years and in the surrounding Lyons area since 1995.

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Valley Bank purchase completed, housing committee shrinks

15 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by amyreinholds in What's the future of affordable housing in Lyons? column

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2nd&Park, AmyReinholds, habitatforhumanity, housingcommittee

Published in the July 15, 2015, edition of the Redstone Review.

Commentary: What’s the fix for affordable housing in Lyons?

Valley Bank purchase completed, housing committee shrinks

By Amy Reinholds
Redstone Review

LYONS – On June 26, Craig Ferguson closed on the former Valley Bank property at 302 Second Avenue, on the originally scheduled closing date. Dave Emerson, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley (HFHSVV) said earlier in June that if the subdivision and rezoning process (a responsibility of the owner) goes smoothly, he expects that his nonprofit group would be able to buy residential lots for 2 tri-plexes by the end of the calendar year. The selection process for potential homeowners could begin this fall, with construction starting in early 2016.

Ferguson, an owner of Planet Bluegrass, said in early July that his business partners are supportive of the project and that he needed their help, so he transferred ownership of the Valley Bank parcel to Planet Bluegrass. Planet Bluegrass, as the owner, would be required to go through the regular town rezoning and subdividing processes. The portion along Park Street is proposed to be rezoned as residential so the six lots can be purchased (at $50,000 each) by Habitat for Humanity, and the the former Valley Bank building is proposed to be zoned as commercial and have a business tenant or owner. A southeast portion of the land is in the 100-year floodplain, so an environmental review that describes mitigation steps is required of HFHSVV.

On June 15, the Lyons Board of Trustees voted unanimously to waive the water tap fees, sewer tap fees, and water shares fees for these six proposed Habitat for Humanity homes, totaling $173,500 in savings, helping HFHSVV meet its permitting and fees budget, which helps keeps mortgages down to around $150,000 for homeowners.

In exchange, HFHSVV commits to a preference policy for Lyons residents who lost their homes in the 2013 floods, and to creating deed restrictions – for the town or another partner to administer – that keep the homes permanently affordable with requirements for new homeowners into the future. The town requirement ensures that someone will not come in and purchase or redevelop those homes in the future at market rate with a great discount on tap fees. Without this kind of agreement, it would be impossible to ensure permanent affordability for these six lots in the future.

HFHSVV still must pay fees, totaling close to $5,500 per unit for the St. Vrain Valley School District, for electric taps, for water meters, and for construction meters (fees that the Town of Lyons is responsible for collecting but doesn’t have the legal authority to waive).

In addition to the six proposed homes on the former Valley Bank site, there could be two more Habitat for Humanity homes in Lyons. Emerson and Cody Humphrey, Lyons housing recovery coordinator, have been looking into a possible duplex on town-owned property east of the post office, already zoned for allowing that kind of residential development. Surely, the community of Lyons can do better than helping establish recovery housing for just six to eight families. Of course, eight new homes will make a big difference to those new Habitat for Humanity homeowners. But can’t our Lyons community rise above and provide some opportunities for more of the 100 households who lost so much in the September 2013 flood?

Unfortunately, as its July 9 working meeting, the special housing committee still only has four members, and only three members attended the meeting: the chair, Justin Spencer, Wendy Miller, and Martin Soosloff, who had to leave early. Nate Mohatt hasn’t been able to attend any meetings since June 18, but Susanne Ducker, a new Lyons resident who has been attending meetings, submitted an application for the committee.

With shrinking membership, the special housing committee has committed to a lot of work, with subcommittees to work with the Utilities and Engineering Board on a tap fee policy, to work with the Planning and Community Development Commission (PCDC) on encouraging residents to build accessory dwelling units or mother-in-law apartments, to identify potential sites, and to identify options for affordable rentals and manufactured housing.

I reported to the committee that a first draft of an educational hand-out for Lyons homeowners interested in creating apartments on their properties has been created, and town staff are finalizing the information. A future workshop with town staff and the PCDC would then answer questions people have about adding a small apartment onto their property. Homeowners need to decide whether building apartments is right for them, and they need to weigh the costs and benefits, for example, whether they have $10,000-$20,000 to invest in an ADU and when they can recoup their costs – maybe as early as 2 years.

ADUs can be a market-rate option to increase housing stock. Costs can be lower than renting entire homes because the units are smaller and might be less attractive if located in basement, for example. But I have not seen likely scenarios to force affordable rents like you can with deed restrictions for owner-occupied homes or non-profit and government affordable rental programs.

Keep following my columns in both Lyons papers for updates about what has and has not been accomplished to increase affordable housing stock in Lyons. All housing committee meetings are open to the public and published on the Town of Lyons calendar at http://www.townoflyons.com/calendar.  Working sessions are 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at the Lyons Valley Village Community House at 8:30 p.m. The next meeting is July 16. Regular meetings are now on 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall annex behind the Barking Dog. The next meeting is scheduled for July 22, but check the town calendar for updates.

 

Amy Reinholds served on the Lyons Housing Recovery Task Force from December 2013 through its end in February 2015. She is currently a member of the Lyons Human Services and Aging Commission and serves as a liaison to the special housing committee. She has lived in Lyons for 11 years and in the surrounding Lyons area since 1995.

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No new news this week except report to Board of Trustees

09 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by amyreinholds in What's the future of affordable housing in Lyons? column

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2nd&Park, AmyReinholds, habitatforhumanity

Published in the July 9, 2015, edition of the Lyons Recorder.

COMMENTARY: What’s the future of affordable housing in Lyons?

No new news this week except report to Board of Trustees

by Amy Reinholds

It was hard to find any new progress this week in increasing affordable housing stock in Lyons. However, special housing committee member Wendy Miller did give a short report at the July 6 Board of Trustees meeting that summed up what happened before the July 4 holiday week: Craig Ferguson closed June 26 on the former Valley Bank property at 302 Second Avenue, on the originally scheduled closing date. Dave Emerson, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley has said he expects that if the subdivision and rezoning process (a responsibility of the owner) goes smoothly, then his nonprofit group would be able to buy residential lots for 6 homes by the end of the calendar year, and the selection process for potential homeowners could begin earlier than that – probably this fall. Construction could begin at the start of 2016.

Miller also reported that Ferguson, an owner of Planet Bluegrass, said he transferred ownership of the Valley Bank parcel to his business. Ferguson said in a Facebook post on Monday that his business partners “are supportive of the project and I just plain need their help on this.”

You can read more background in my column last week and previous weeks at http://www.lyonsrecorder.com/index.php/lyons-chatter/6026-what-s-the-future-for-affordable-housing-in-lyons. The time line is not yet defined, but the owner’s responsibility is to go through the regular rezoning and subdividing processes with the town. The southern portion of parcel along Park Street is proposed to be rezoned as 6 residential lots so that they can be purchased (at $50,000 each) for 2 tri-plexes built by Habitat for Humanity, and the portion of the parcel that was the former Valley Bank building is proposed to be zoned as commercial and have a business tenant or owner.

Unfortunately, as of Monday, the special housing committee still only has 4 members, and only 3 members attended the last meeting on June 25: the chair, Justin Spencer, Miller, and Martin Soosloff.

The special housing committee has committed to a lot of work, with subcommittees or breakout groups defined for the following areas:

  • working with the Lyons Utilities and Engineering Board on the previously described tap fee policy
  • identifying potential housing sites
  • identifying options for affordable rentals
  • identifying options for manufactured housing
  • working with the Planning and Community Development Commission on encouraging Lyons residents to build accessory dwelling units or mother-in-law apartments

So many people originally committed on Facebook to help this effort, but most of them have either quit or stopped attending meetings. How can a shrinking special housing committee accomplish anything that results in more than the 6 Habitat for Humanity homes and another possible 2 homes in a duplex that Emerson and Cody Humphrey, Lyons housing recovery coordinator, have been looking into east of the post office? Even if both of these projects come to fruition, there would be only 8 affordable homes for the approximately 100 displaced households, compared to the previous proposal in Bohn Park that would have provided between 50-70 homes (but Lyons voters rejected back in March by 614 to 498).

Surely, the community of Lyons can do better than helping establish recovery housing for just 6 to 8 families. Of course, this will make a big difference to those new Habitat for Humanity homeowners. But can’t our Lyons community rise above and provide some opportunities for more of the 100 households who lost so much in the September 2013 flood? Craig Ferguson has done his part by purchasing land, the partners of Planet Bluegrass have done their part by taking on responsibilities as owners during the development process, the Board of Trustees have done their part by waiving water and sewer fees for Habitat for Humanity for this project, and members of past and current housing task forces and committees have done their part in seeking and encouraging solutions. So, what will you do?

The next scheduled meetings of the special housing committee are the Thursday, July 9, working meeting for subcommittees at 8:30 p.m. at the Lyons Valley Village Community House, and a Monday, July 13, special housing committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Annex (behind the Barking Dog). All housing committee meetings are open to the public and published on the Town of Lyons calendar at http://www.townoflyons.com/calendar. Keep following this weekly column for updates about what has and has not been accomplished.

 

Amy Reinholds served on the Lyons Housing Recovery Task Force from December 2013 through its end in February 2015. She is currently a member of the Lyons Human Services and Aging Commission and serves as a liaison to the special housing committee. She has lived in Lyons for 11 years and in the surrounding Lyons area since 1995.

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Valley Bank purchase completed; shrinking housing committee reaches out to new members for subcommittees

02 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by amyreinholds in What's the future of affordable housing in Lyons? column

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2nd&Park, ADUs, AmyReinholds, habitatforhumanity, housingcommittee, rentals

Published in the July 2, 2015, edition of the Lyons Recorder. 

COMMENTARY: What’s the future of affordable housing in Lyons?

Valley Bank purchase completed; shrinking housing committee reaches out to new members for subcommittees

by Amy Reinholds

June started with drama about which fees and how much could be waived by the Lyons Board of Trustees for 6 proposed Habitat for Humanity homes on the former Valley Bank site and whether Craig Ferguson would pull out of his contract to purchase the 0.76-acre parcel at 302 Second Avenue. But the month ended with Ferguson closing on June 26, just as originally scheduled.

Ferguson confirmed that he closed on June 26 and now owns the parcel. The time line is not yet defined, but the owner’s responsibility is to go through the regular rezoning and subdividing processes with the town. The lots on the southern portion of parcel, along Park Street, are proposed to be rezoned as residential so that they can be purchased for 2 tri-plexes built by Habitat for Humanity, and the portion of the parcel that was the former Valley Bank building would be zoned as commercial and have a business tenant or owner.

Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley (HFHSVV) could use disaster recovery funds to purchase the 6 lots from Ferguson (at $50,000 each) possibly by the end of 2015, Dave Emerson, executive director of HFHSVV said last week – if an environmental review that is required of his organization and the subdiving/rezoning process required of Ferguson, is completed. A southeast portion of the land is in the 100-year floodplain, so mitigation steps in building the new homes must be detailed. Construction could begin at the start of 2016 but would need to be completed in 18 months. The selection process for potential homeowners would start ahead of the land purchase, which means maybe late in fall 2015, HFHSVV could start working with households who want to live in the new homes. HFHSVV commits to a preference policy for Lyons residents who lost their homes in the 2013 flood, and to creating deed restrictions – for the town or another partner to administer – that keeps the homes permanently affordable with requirements for new homeowners into the future. In exchange, the Lyons Board of Trustees voted unanimously on June 15 to waive the water tap fees, sewer tap fees, and water share fees for these 6 homes, totaling $173,500 in savings, helping HFHSVV meet its permitting and fees budget, which helps keeps mortgages down to around $150,000 for homeowners.

While this proposal for 6 affordable homes is moving forward one step at a time, other progress on creating affordable housing in Lyons is even slower. At a June 25 working meeting, special housing committee chair Justin Spencer reported that another member has resigned, this time due to changes in work responsibilities – Tom Lamz, who said a week earlier that he would lead a subcommittee that works with the Utilities and Engineering Board (UEB) on shaping a recommendation for an affordable housing policy for tap fee waivers.

Now the special housing committee is down to only 4 members, although a new resident to town, Susanne Ducker, said she was planning to apply. In addition to Spencer as chair, the other existing members are Nate Mohatt, Wendy Miller, and Martin Soosloff. The only members at the June 25 meeting were Spencer, Miller, and Soosloff.

The special housing committee has committed to a lot of work, with subcommittees or breakout groups that liaise with other town commissions defined for the following areas:

  • working with the UEB on the previously described tap fee policy
  • defining potential housing sites
  • defining options for affordable rentals
  • defining options for manufactured housing
  • working with the Planning and Community Development Commission on encouraging accessory dwelling units or mother-in-law apartments.

I see the shrinking number of special housing committee members as a big challenge for accomplishing anything that results in more than the 6 Habitat for Humanity homes and another possible 2 homes in a duplex that Emerson and Cody Humphrey, Lyons housing recovery coordinator, have been looking into on town-owned property east of the post office. That would be 8 affordable homes for the approximately 100 displaced households, compared to the previous proposal in Bohn Park that would have provided between 50-70 homes but was voted down on March 24 by 614 to 498.

There are still chances for residents of Lyons or the surrounding community to get involved at upcoming meetings. There are no meetings the week of the July 4 holiday. The next scheduled meetings of the special housing committee are the Thursday, July 9, working meeting for subcommittees at 8:30 p.m. at the Lyons Valley Village Community House, and a Monday, July 13, special housing committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Annex (behind the Barking Dog). The special housing committee is also on the agenda at the next regular Board of Trustees meeting to give a report: Monday, July 6, at Town Hall (meetings start at 7 p.m.)

All housing committee meetings are open to the public and published on the Town of Lyons calendar at http://www.townoflyons.com/calendar.

Keep following this weekly column for updates about what has and has not been accomplished to increase affordable housing stock in Lyons. For background information on the special housing committee and the fees that the Board of Trustees voted to waive for Habitat for Humanity at the former Valley Bank property, you can access previous columns at http://www.lyonsrecorder.com/index.php/lyons-chatter/6026-what-s-the-future-for-affordable-housing-in-lyons.

 

Amy Reinholds served on the Lyons Housing Recovery Task Force from December 2013 through its end in February 2015. She is currently a member of the Lyons Human Services and Aging Commission and serves as a liaison to the special housing committee. She has lived in Lyons for 11 years and in the surrounding Lyons area since 1995.

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Links to other resources about affordable housing:
  • Town of Lyons Recovery Action Plan
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  • PBS NewsHour report about Lyons, Colo., Sept. 17, 2013

Editor/Author of this blog

amyreinholds

amyreinholds

Amy Reinholds served on the Housing Recovery Task Force in Lyons, Colo., from December 2013 through its end in February 2015. She is currently a member of the Lyons Human Services and Aging Commission and served as a liaison to the Special Housing Committee during its existence from April 2015-April 2016. She has lived in Lyons since 2003 and in the surrounding Lyons area since 1995.

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