TO: Urban Renewal Agency Board
THROUGH: Steve Powers, Executive Director
FROM: Kristin Retherford, Urban Development Director
SUBJECT:
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Minor Amendments to the North Gateway Urban Renewal Plan to extend boundaries and simplify property acquisition procedures
Ward(s): 5
Board Member(s): Ausec
Neighborhood(s): Northgate
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ISSUE:
Shall the Agency Board adopt Resolution No. 18-2 URA, approving minor amendments to the North Gateway Urban Renewal Area Plan to expand the boundaries of the Urban Renewal Area to include the 4107 Fisher Road NE property, and simplifying property acquisition procedures?
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 18-2 URA (Attachment 1), approving minor amendments to the North Gateway Urban Renewal Area Plan (North Gateway URA Plan) to expand the boundaries of the Urban Renewal Area to include the 4107 Fisher Road NE property (Exhibit A to the Resolution), and simplifying property acquisition procedures (Exhibit B to the Resolution).
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
Minor amendments are needed to expand the North Gateway URA boundary and to simplify the procedures for property acquisition for consistency with other urban renewal areas.
To increase the supply of affordable housing, the Salem Housing Authority is interested in purchasing an unfinished housing complex located at 4107 Fisher Road NE. The property is adjacent to the existing boundary of the North Gateway URA. The property is not currently located within the North Gateway URA. The property consists of a 19,336 square foot residential building and .58 acres of vacant land. The Salem Housing Authority plans to renovate the facility for low income individuals, increasing the number of residential units from 19 to 36. For the project to be eligible for urban renewal funding, necessary for the project to proceed, the boundary of the urban renewal area must be expanded by approximately 2.75 acres.
The location of the Fisher Road property is ideal for addressing the needs of low-income and homeless individuals because of its proximity to commercial amenities, transit, and social services. There are existing homeless camps located behind Portland Road and along the I-5 sound barrier. The goal, if the project moves forward, is to house those already within that corridor.
The proposed boundary amendment was shared with the North Gateway Urban Renewal Advisory Board at their November 2017 meeting.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
Boundary Adjustment Amendment
Modifying Section 300 of the URA Plan to include an updated legal description and map for the 4107 Fisher Road property is a minor amendment because the additional land (2.75 acres) is less than the one percent of the total URA (926.5 acres), as described in Section 1101 and 1103 (Attachment 4). The updated legal description also corrects a discrepancy in the total acreage that was discovered when the new legal description was prepared.
The planned affordable housing use is consistent with several objectives in the North Gateway URA Plan.
● Objective 402A: To resolve the problems created by existing blighted conditions so that unused and underused properties can be placed in a more productive condition and utilized at or nearer to their highest and best use;
● Objective 402B: To enhance opportunities for residential, civic, cultural, business and tourist-related property to be developed, redeveloped, improved, rehabilitated, and conserved…;
● Objective 402P: To leverage the Agency’s financial resources to the maximum extent possible with other public and private investment and other public and private funding sources; and
● Objective 402Q: To assist in the development of new housing construction in the Urban Renewal Area through renewal techniques such as property acquisition, low-interest loans for low/moderate income housing and provision of upgraded or new public infrastructure, consistent with the Salem Area Comprehensive Plan.
The property acquisition and renovation of 4107 Fisher Road is also consistent with the following:
● Portland Road Strategic Action Plan
● City of Salem Strategic Plan
● Homeless Initiative
Amending Property Acquisition Procedure
The current property acquisition procedures within the North Gateway URA Plan are inconsistent with the procedures in other urban renewal areas. The proposed amendments make the procedures consistent, beginning with the Fisher Road property acquisition.
● Remove Section 603 which outlines specific acquisition procedures for the Plan. Universal property acquisition procedures have already been adopted; Section 603 is in addition to those universal procedures.
● Remove Section 1101F which references minor amendment process for properties to be acquired.
● Remove Exhibit 8, a map identifying specific properties which can be acquired in the future.
Sara Long
Project Manager
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 18-2 URA
2. Exhibit A
3. Exhibit B
4. Map of NGURA