Local Housing Partnership
and
Provincetown Housing Authority
Judge Welsh Hearing Room
September 15, 2006
9:00 a.m.
LHP
Members present: Arturo Alon,
Scott Campbell, Tim Hazel, Melissa Jones,
and Noah Taylor.
PHA
Members present: Pam Parmakian,
and Molly Perdue.
PHA
Members absent: George Bryant,
Nancy Jacobsen, and
Harry Opsahl-Gee
Others: Michelle Couture, Ted Malone, Patrick
Manning,
Maxine Notaro and Doug Taylor
The
meeting was called to order at 9:10 a.m. by the Chair of the LHP.
Molly Purdue of the PHA called their meeting to
order at the same time without a quorum.
Molly wanted to discuss the articles for the
October 13th close of the fall town meeting warrant. She felt that the momentum we are now
experiencing should be capitalized upon.
Pam passed around an article that had been
presented in 2003 as a Home Rule Petition.
Because the language has been established, she thought the article could
be tweaked and placed on the warrant.
The second article could be one about converting existing commercial
properties to allow a portion for affordable housing condo conversions.
Doug –
referring to conversion – said we are changing the affordable housing
by-law – and will propose new changes, as well as propose community housing. A home-owner/applicant will get
benefits. Section 4100 of our zoning
by-laws is our best bet. Two pronged 1. friendly 40B (cluster zoning) also 2. the grass roots and they have to go before
the BoS to get approval on that.
Patrick wondered if we didn’t already pass a law? Doug said that that’s why we need a
specialist!
Doug said his department can’t restrict
development on condo conversions. If
someone says I’m going to go from 40 units down to 20 condos, we can’t stop
them.
Doug cautioned that it’s a lot to sort through
in 30 days (prior to the warrant closing).
Doug, ruminating, said, "How do you get
someone converting rooms to condos – how do you get that person to have to
provide affordable housing?"
"If those conversions have to have a certain percentage becoming
affordable (30% ?) BUT we don’t have the rules to do this."
He continued saying, "I’m not trying to
discourage you – I’m just saying that it’s a very large issue. There’s a lot to comb through." The affordable amnesty had a 2 year limit
on it but when that dropped away there were still many rules that contradict
one another. The other thing – past
planning initiatives – in the 70s – the big fear – was that everyone that had
over 2 bedrooms would convert to guesthouses – that was the fear then. They wrote by-laws to change or control ways
to prevent this.
Patrick said that the real estate transfer tax
took a year’s work at the last try to get that to town meeting. Rather than risk having it shot down again,
why don’t we craft it well enough for the April town meeting?
Tim Hazel – it’s like worrying about a luxury
tax. No one thinks it’s an issue. There is a lot of concern from very few
people. If the national economy tanks,
then it’s not an issue. The average person sees it as a problem
that doesn’t affect them. Growth
occurs in change - - unfortunately we can’t look back in the 70s – but that
change is growth. We’re heading down a long slope if we continue along the way
we are.
Doug thought that maybe the solution is more
grass roots? Maybe this will shake out
and we’ll come out all right. Someone
said a few weeks ago that we’d like to see Growth Management go away.
Patrick - agreeing with the same thing talked
about said - perhaps tie in conversion to mandated affordable housing
percentages.
Michelle Couture - a member of the Board of
Selectmen (BoS) was called upon for her views.
She began by saying that about 3 or 4 weeks ago – when we had the group
from the Figurehead House – she said she’d be looking for some sort of by-law
that would have some element of conversion – applied to affordable
housing. She would like a real estate
transfer tax….. with a cap. It’s a call
to the community. She went on to say
that the 2nd word in Growth Mgmt – is management – and we have
failed in this. We can do it for the
fall meeting. "If it means
meetings every night – and that’s required – I’m willing to do it." She doesn’t care if her colleagues are or
are not in favor of it – she is! The
next couple of months are critical.
Doug decided that what we need right now is a
wordsmith. "If we have to take the
wording from Dennis and change it to Provincetown – I’m all for it."
Pam suggested that maybe an emergency work group
could be convened. Maybe some of you
could be part of a work group.
Molly – how many people want to meet next
Friday? The day after the summit.
Pam – maybe a work group could meet and then
come together for a vote on an article.
Molly thinks that the summit will make everything clearer. We need the people who have lost housing to
express themselves. We’re losing an
artist’s community, etc.
Patrick
Manning said that with the meeting with Ryan (Housing Summit) – if you
go in remember that this is for the community – and no pre-arranged agenda will
be appreciated. John Ryan was actually
clear – no personal agendas!
Tim – personally dislikes conceptual ideas –
hates “worker’s housing” – hates to be part of a drone group. He agrees with Michelle and he’d like to
hear that she’d like to write the thing herself. We are in crisis and we need real leadership. There are still people who don’t want to be
uprooted and placed beside the highway.
Another push at leadership.
We’re really becoming a class – society – rich and poor. There are very few winter rentals. The
minute you have an idea people are ready to throw rocks at this. We try…. and if we get 2% on the transfer
- how’s that money going to keep people
in that apartment? That's what we have
to nail down. Should we get the
transfer tax……………. HOW WILL IT BE USED?
Molly – right in this room we have all the
leadership we need. Don’t knock
Michelle and the BoS. When you talk
about apathy – and if we don’t like the term “worker housing” let’s just change
it. The town needs some type of
leadership and if we feel Ryan is just another consultant - we’ll get
nowhere. Apathy is everywhere.
Michelle said that we have an idea that will
ignite people. She will beat the bushes
and get people down there to the seminar.
It’s critical that we get people moving. She doesn’t take offense about Tim’s talking about a lack of
leadership.
Doug has
no problem with banging an article out.
Where would you see this change of use restriction? There’s nothing that keeps the conversion
ownership from changing. That’s just a
lawyer writing it up and getting it to the Assessor’s office. There’s nothing - so what do you suggest?
Tim asked about what happens when people want to
do condo conversions? Nothing but an
attorney. Maxine – nothing that we now
have on the books would prevent it – just notify us.
Doug – I’d like to have 4 or 5 days until the
summit. Lowell had something (some mill
towns have similar by-laws) and he will look at those. Should come together by Wednesday afternoon.
“When condo conversion happens – the
assessor should know BEFORE – not after the fact. Maxine is the gate-keeper of growth management. So let’s decide on a percentage.
Tim – it’s not that condos are evil. It’s the
lack of management. What we need to do
has to be reasonable. Not what we do
but HOW we do it. Talking about the
Aspen affect. Molly asked if we can
convene during the summit? Patrick will
find out.
Maxine said that every time we talk about the
condo conversion restrictions – we get snowed under with questions and plans.
Molly said all we’re talking about is an
affordable housing content.
Maxine got about zillion calls after the last
"condo-conversion" scare.
It was decided that the next combined
meeting will take place on September 22nd.
Same
time……………………..same place………. 9:00 a.m.
- Friday.
Minutes
for September 8th meeting.
They were incomplete so will be voted on at the
next meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Evelyn Gaudiano
Approved by ____________________________on
______________, 2006.
Arturo Alon,
Chair