HomeMy WebLinkAboutEconomic Development Staff Report - 7th & Aspen
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To: Director of Community Development
Fr: Brit Fontenot, Director of Economic Development
Date: September 25, 2024
RE: Approval of Affordable Housing Plan for Project #24191 7th and Aspen Master Site Plan
and Project #24192 7th and Aspen Site Plan
Pursuant to Sec. 38.200.010.H, BMC, as the duly appointed Director of Economic Development,
I am the review authority for an affordable housing plan submitted pursuant to 38.380.040. I
hereby approve the attached Affordable Housing Plan for the 7th and Aspen Master Site Plan and
Site Plan (the “Project”). If you determine the application is appropriate for approval, I request
you include in your approval of 7th and Aspen Master Site Plan and Site Plan the following
conditions:
1. BMC 38.380.040.E. The applicant and owner, if different, must consent to the City
recording a summary of the affordable housing plan immediately following conditional
approval of the 7th and Aspen Master Site Plan and Site Plan.
2. BMC 38.380.060.D. The applicant and owner, if different, must record and provide to the
City of Bozeman a Notice of Restrictions for the Affordable Housing Plan and a
Declaration of Restrictive Covenants that implements the affordable housing plan
immediately following conditional approval of the 7th and Aspen Master Site Plan and Site
Plan. The summary of the Affordable Housing plan and the restrictive covenant must be
recorded prior to issuance of a building permit for the 7th and Aspen Master Site Plan and
Site Plan.
The proposal is utilizing the Deep Incentives allowed pursuant to BMC 38.380.030.B, which were
created to incentivize the increased production of affordable housing to meet the goals of the
adopted Bozeman Community Plan and the Community Housing Action Plan. Deep Incentives
are available to projects for which the minimum percentage of homes meeting the criteria for
affordability is 50 percent. Pursuant to 38.380.030, “Applications for development of affordable
homes that comply with the requirements of this division qualify for and must be awarded the
incentives applicable to the type and tenancy of affordable housing being provided and requested
by the developer. Staff reviewed the Affordable Housing Plan for the 7th and Aspen Master Site
Plan and Site Plan for compliance with every requirement of the Affordable Housing division of
the code and found that it complies with all code requirements. Therefore, the requested incentives
must be awarded.
A compliant Affordable Housing Plan must include the following information.
a. The total number of affordable homes, and market rate homes in the proposed
development.
• The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan includes 17 affordable units restricted
at 50% AMI, 29 units at 60% AMI in Phase 1, and 50 units restricted at 80% AMI
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in Phase 2. Phases 1 and 2 of the project will provide 96 total units, while Phase 3
of the project will provide approximately 75 units, which means that at least 50
percent of the units in all 3 phases meet the affordability criteria for the use of the
Deep Incentives pursuant to Table 38.380.020-1.
b. The table in 38.380.020-1 to be applied to the affordable housing plan.
• The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan references Table 38.380.020-1 –
Affordable Homes Required for Deep Incentives. To be eligible for Deep
Incentives, the requirements of Table 38.380.020-1, including providing at least 50
percent of the homes within the multi-household dwelling for sale or rent at
percentages of AMI. This project meets the requirements because the development
proposes at least 50 percent of the dwellings be priced at 80 percent of AMI or less,
in accordance with requirements found in the table.
c. The number of bedrooms in each proposed low-income affordable home, and market
rate home in the development.
• The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan stipulates that Phases 1 and 2 of the
project will have 96 units, 100 percent of those units are proposed as affordable
units. The proposed project meets the code requirement. With the inclusion of 75
market rate units in Phase 3, the overall project will need to meet requirements
related to 38.380.040.2.b requiring that the “mix of bedrooms per unit in affordable
homes must be as similar as possible to the mix of bedrooms per unit of the market-
rate homes in the development.”
d. Whether each affordable home will be offered for rental or for sale.
• The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan provides that all affordable units will
be offered for rent.
e. The location of affordable lots or units in the development.
• The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan provides an exhibit (7th & Aspen
Mixed-Use Affordable Housing Action Plan) showing the locations of the 96
affordable units.
f. The applicable AMI and maximum rental or sales price applicable to each low-income
affordable home.
• Because each of the affordable units will be offered for rent, the maximum rental
price allowed is 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). The Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is required by law to set income limits
that determine eligibility for assisted housing programs. These income limits are
set at certain percentages of an area’s median family income (MFI). MFIs are also
often referred to as area median incomes (AMI).
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o The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan provides that 17 of the units
will be offered at 50 percent of AMI. Given the current AMI, a one bedroom
unit will be offered for rent for $986, a two bedroom will rent for $1,183
and a three bedroom will be offered at $1,368 per month.
o The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan stipulates that 29 of the units
will be offered at 60 percent AMI. A studio unit will be offered for rent for
$1,105, a one bedroom will rent for $1,184, a two bedroom will rent for
$1,420, and a three bedroom will be offered at $1,641 per month.
o The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan stipulates that 50 of the units
will be offered at 80 percent AMI. A one bedroom will be offered for rent
for $1,684, a two bedroom will rent for $1,893 and a three bedroom will be
offered at $2,103 per month.
g. A description of the requested incentives from section 38.380.040.
• The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan includes a description of the requested
incentives from section 38.380.040. These incentives include an additional stories
of height, block frontage standards, façade standards, and roofline modulation.
h. Any other information that is reasonably necessary to evaluate the compliance of the
affordable housing plan with the requirements of this division, as determined by the review
authority.
• The information provided with The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan
satisfies the requirements of 38.380.040.A.1 and is adequate to evaluate the
compliance of the affordable housing plan with the requirements of this division as
explained by this staff report.
i. If the development is to be constructed in phases.
• All of the units meeting the affordability criteria are being provided in the first two
phases of the development with market rate units only being offered in the third
and final phase of the development. Pursuant to 38.380.040.A.i.(2), the Applicant
must update the Affordable Housing Plan to reflect the market rate units in Phase
3. “As the number of low income affordable homes for each later phase is finalized,
the developer must submit an update to the affordable housing plan including or
updating the information required in this section. The review authority shall review
and approve, approve with conditions, or deny the update using the criteria in this
section.”
BMC 38.380.040.A.2. requires that the Applicant meet the following development standards for
affordable homes.
a. The number of affordable homes must meet or exceed the minimum standards needed
to qualify for the applicable incentive in section 38.380.030.
• This application proposes to utilize Deep Incentives. Minimum standards for Deep
Incentives are found in Table 38.380.020-1 and require that a project supply at least
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50 percent of the total homes as affordable homes at a price no greater than 80
percent of AMI for a duration of at least 30 years. The 7th and Aspen Affordable
Housing Plan shows 96 units, or more than 50 percent of the project’s units, will be
priced at or below a rent that is affordable for households making at or below 80
percent of the area median income. The duration of the affordability of the units
will be satisfied by recording a deed restriction requiring the affordable units to
remain affordable at rent of no greater than 80 percent AMI for a period of 30 years.
b. The mix of bedrooms per unit in affordable homes must be as similar as possible to
the mix of bedrooms per unit of the market-rate homes in the development.
• The 7th and Aspen Affordable Housing Plan stipulates that the project will have 96
with 100 percent of those units proposed in Phase 1 and Phase 2 as affordable units.
BMC 38.380.040.A.2.b. The proposal meets the requirement that the mix of
bedrooms in the affordable homes is as similar as possible to the mix of bedrooms
in the market-rate homes. Pursuant to 38.380.040.A.i.(2), the Applicant must
update the Affordable Housing Plan to reflect the market rate units in Phase 3. “As
the number of low income affordable homes for each later phase is finalized, the
developer must submit an update to the affordable housing plan including or
updating the information required in this section. The review authority shall review
and approve, approve with conditions, or deny the update using the criteria in this
section.”
c. Access to shared amenities and services by residents of the affordable homes must be
the same as to those in market rate homes in the development.
• The proposal meets the requirement that all units have access to shared amenities.
The Applicant must confirm continued compliance with this criterion with their
updated Affordable Housing Plan for Phase 3.
d. If the development is to be constructed in phases, and the developer has requested
affordable housing incentives, at least 75 percent of the dwelling units in each phase
must be affordable homes, unless the city has received adequate legal or financial
assurance that any shortfall during earlier phases will be constructed before approval
of the final phase of development.
• 100 percent of the affordable housing units will be constructed in Phase 1 and Phase
2 of the project.
The review authority has approved the Affordable Housing Plan for the 7th and Aspen Master Site
Plan and Site Plan and finds that the plan includes all information required for the City to confirm
compliance with the standards and criteria in BMC 38.380, including the standards in
38.380.030.B – Incentives Available. The Applicant requests the following incentives from BMC
38.380.030.B – Incentives Available:
• One additional story of height (38.380.020 – 1.3.c)
• Exemption from the following (38.38.020 – 1.3.f)
▪ Special residential block frontage standards along internal pathways
(38.510.030.J)
▪ Maximum façade width standards (38.530.040.E)
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▪ Roofline modulation (380.530.040.F)
The Affordable Housing Plan has been incorporated by reference in the Site Plan documents.