071007 WORKFORCE HOUSINGWorkforce Housing
City Zoning Ordinance Amendments
•
Comprehensive Plan Revisions
•
Programmatic Provisions
•
•Establishes a new Workforce Housing
Overlay District
•Similar to PD-H2 Districts
–Underlying zoning district classification
remains, but overlay is added on top of
underlying zoning.
•e.g., B-4 property becomes B-4 (WF)
•Rezoning to WFH Overlay District is done
on application by a developer/property
owner (not like other overlay districts in the
City)
The WFH Overlay District will be limited to
those areas of the City in which increased
density is appropriate, including Strategic
Growth Areas
Especially appropriate in mixed-use
?
districts (B-4, B-4C & B-4K)
Not in areas within AICUZ footprint (65-70 dB
DNL Noise Zone and above) or in R-10 through
R-40 Residential Districts
•Purpose:
Provide incentives for development of high-
quality, affordable housing for households in
certain income brackets
•80-120% AMI to purchase
•60-90% AMI to rent
Ensure that WFH will be well-designed, of high
quality and well-integrated into overall
development
•Findings:
–rising prices have made it impossible for
many people to buy a new home or to
rent w/o undue financial burden;
–diversity in housing will preserve quality
of City’s neighborhoods;
–WFH is not inferior & will not adversely
affect property values
Land Use Plan:
•Development in WFH Overlay District must
conform to approved land use plan
•Where land use plan conflicts with regulations of
the underlying zoning district, the land use plan
controls (same as PD-H2)
•Uses allowed in WFH Overlay District are the
same as those in the underlying zoning district,
except that all dwelling types are allowed where
the underlying zoning district is residential
•Land Use Plan must contain (among other
things):
–Architectural elevations, incl. building materials &
colors;
–Detailed description of the differences between the
WFH units and market price units;
–Affordability Statement (number of WFH units
affordable by each income level –80% AMI, 90% AMI,
etc)
–Green development features
–Typical things required in LUPs, e.g., layout, parking,
open space, etc.
•Any “substantial modification”of an approved
plan must be approved by the City Council
–any changes to the approved land use plan that,
in the judgment of the Planning Director, are not
clearly in keeping with the intent of the City
Council in approving the plan;
–any modifications in the number, location, design
or affordability level of workforce housing units
(note that agenda version says “reductions”)
•Bonus density:
–30% increase in residential dwelling unit density
allowed in underlying zoning district if:
•at least 17% of total number of d.u. are WFH units (if <
30% bonus density, number of WFH units may be
reduced proportionally);
•WFH units are integrated in the development;
•WFH units are built at same time as other units;
•WFH units must conform to the Workforce Housing
Design Criteria and any other applicable design
standards in the Comprehensive Plan, including:
Bonus Density, con’t
•Same building materials and finish, and be effectively
indistinguishable from, non-workforce housing units of the
same housing type;
•Comparable in bedroom mix, design, and overall quality of
construction to the market rate units in the development,
except that WFH units are not be required to exceed three (3)
bedrooms per unit; and
•Square footage and interior features not be required to be the
same as other dwelling units in the development units, so long
as WFH units are reasonably similar in size and quality and
are consistent with the current building standards fornew
housing in the City of Virginia Beach.