Lake Norman Publications

What does ‘affordable’ mean to town pursuing a potential housing moratorium?



MV2 Investment’s 82-unit Station Two 22 apartment building on South Main Street is the next prominent multi-family addition downtown. /Lee Sullivan

MOORESVILLE – “Moratorium” – which stirred debate at the town board’s retreat – may or may not return to board discussions, but more data about growth and more tools to manage it have been identified as prioritized points of interest.

At the early February retreat, the board balked at the concept of pursuing a moratorium on high-density residential development, but two days of discussion and an adopted amended motion did result in clear directions for staff to compile updated data on housing needs and development trends as well as options to slow the pace of growth.

Housing, in multiple facets, was a running theme in retreat discussions. Plans to update the town’s comprehensive plan, the prioritization of transportation projects and the importance of clearly defining terms like “downtown” and “affordable” were all linked to the need to learn more, and refine policies, for future housing development decisions.

Downtown data

With some projects in progress, and a parking deck with affiliated Church Street changes on the horizon through a town/developer partnership, downtown was a discussion focal point.

Multiple times, commissioners stressed the importance of gathering updated information about needs and anticipated demands while finding the balance required to keep the downtown area desirable for residents and businesses.

“We have one shot to do it right,” Commissioner Bobby Compton said during one of the discussions. “We own our downtown, we have to get it right.”

And Commissioner Lisa Qualls, pushing for updated housing data, said fresh information would provide a better understanding of market trends.

“How many more apartments do we need to serve the demand,” Qualls asked in reference to downtown multi-family projects.

But even the often-repeated references to “downtown” came with a caveat.

“How do we define it,” Commissioner Thurman Houston added, pointing out that to consider a policy specifically regulating downtown growth, the parameters of what is officially considered “downtown” need to be established.

Affordable unknowns

Acknowledging he was opening another “can of worms,” Town Manager Randy Hemann asked if new growth-control policies were implemented, how would the town also work toward the objective of providing additional affordable housing?

That tied into other retreat discussions about the prospects of being able to “carve out” desirable projects from possible future restrictions – adding the phrase “public benefit” to the terms that would need to be clearly defined in a potential growth-management policy.

All the conversation led back to the shared perspective that new guidelines for evaluating proposed developments – and defined ways to weigh positive and negative features – were administrative goals.

Moratorium basics

While the idea of implementing a development moratorium (which, by definition, would be temporary) met opposition, Town Attorney Sharon Crawford did explain such a policy, based on state statutes, would require:

– A clear statement of existing problems leading to the decision to impose a moratorium;

– A clear statement of which approvals (i.e. what type of development, which locations) were subject to the policy; and

– What action steps will be taken to address the problems identified.

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