The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted unanimously to rezone a property owned by the County to accommodate single-family home development on the Southeast corner of Miracle Drive and Century Drive.
The new development will provide fee-simple (single-owner) workforce housing, which will be income-contingent. The property is County surplus that was previously designated as a park in an early Spring Hill Master Plan.
The previous PDP(REC)/Planned Development Project (Recreation) designation is now zoned PDP(SF)/Planned Development Project (Single Family).
The original request to allow 25 single-family homes or a maximum of 36 duplexes was amended during the meeting to stipulate only single-family homes would be constructed. During the initial discussion, Chairman Beth Narverud and Commissioners John Allocco, Brian Hawkins and Jerry Campbell were in favor of including duplexes, Commissioner Steve Champion opposed it.
The primary opposition to the construction of duplexes on a portion of the 9.5-acre parcel is that duplexes are not compatible with the adjacent properties. Champion added that the County should not be involved in housing at all. “I don’t think it’s our job to do housing … it’s the market’s job to do that, and people will pay what the market will bear, or they won’t buy it.”
Campbell disagreed, saying, “In some ways, it is [Government’s job] … and I think we’re being forced due to unintended consequences of the Live Local Act to find areas where it is appropriate and … where it fits, otherwise developers are going to come in and do it for us.”
Part of the Florida Live Local Act (SB 102) requires the County to publish “publicly owned properties which may be appropriate for affordable housing development.” Florida has dedicated $711 million to various programs to stimulate the construction of affordable housing so residents are able to afford to rent or purchase in the communities in which they live.
The County’s goal for this development is to provide workforce housing to attract homebuyers who meet income parameters. County Administrator Jeff Rogers reported that the county intends to partner with non-profit groups and will advertise Request For Proposals (RFPs) to explore how much funding is available and what income constraints would be required.
According to Health and Human Services Manager Veda Ramirez, a 30 to 50-year “affordability period” is being sought to apply to the properties, essentially maintaining their attainability within income restrictions in the future.
Development proposals will return to the BOCC for consideration and further discussion.
