Housing Development in Springfield is the Focus of the Latest Chamber Roundtable
In a program entitled “Springfield Development: Navigating Growth and Housing Diversity” this week, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce hosted an informative discussion around current development projects and programs, with a spotlight on the Housing Diversity Tax Exemption (HDTE). The interactive session, which took place in a packed freight room at the Springfield Chamber Depot at 101 South A Street on Tuesday afternoon, provided a unique opportunity for a diverse audience to actively participate in shaping the discussion on Springfield’s development landscape.
The program was facilitated by Allie Camp, Economic Development Manager of the City of Springfield, and began with a presentation by Camp, followed by short presentations from Mark Rust, Planning Manager, Current Planning and Code Enforcement; and Sandy Belson, Comprehensive Planning Manager, both of the City of Springfield.
Allie Camp, Economic Development Manager
Camp began with a helpful rehash of land use and property tax 101 to set up the conversation around ongoing development projects, and the programs and incentives in place to catalyze the construction of new housing units. Camp shared an overview of the City’s largest development prospect, Glenwood, for which the City has finalized the final property acquisition. The master plan of this development area is underway, with considerable attention to the infrastructure investments needed to support new construction. View the full slide presentation here.
Mark Rust, Planning Manager, Current Planning and Code Enforcement
Rust presented largely on the housing development codes in Springfield, and how the City is working to increase housing stock. Since even before the state legislature passed HB2001 in 2019, Rust has worked to change the City’s development codes in compliance with HB2001, to allow developers to build “middle housing” (duplexes, triplexes, cottage clusters, townhouses, et al.) in areas that previously only allowed single-family, detached units. Rust also discussed Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a tool to help make home ownership more accessible to more Springfield residents.
Sandy Belson, Comprehensive Planning Manager
Belson referenced an updated report from earlier this fall which provides an overview of Springfield’s housing strategy, as well as a statistical snapshot of local housing development data. The report shows several challenges for Springfield, including very low vacancy rates, aging housing stock, and increasing average home sale prices, reinforcing the importance of catalyzing new housing and development. Belson reported there are programs through the Springfield Economic Development Agency (SEDA), that have been in place for years, such as helping cover the cost of City of Springfield System Development Charges (SDC) on certain projects. Also, Belson said, the City can leverage tools like the Housing Development Tax Exemption (HDTE) to promote housing development that otherwise wouldn’t exist. The HDTE proposal is under consideration for approval, with a public hearing coming before City Council, likely early in 2024. Full adoption of the prosed tax exemption will require 51% overlapping taxing district approval, which includes public entities like Willamalane, Springfield’s school district, and Lane Community College, among others.
Q&A Session and Roundtable Discussion
The discussion portion of the Roundtable program was largely centered around HDTE. City staff shared the outcomes of discussion with developers in putting together this final HDTE proposal, indicating the need for a program that delivers certainty, efficiency, and flexibility. To that end, the current proposal seeks to minimize the politics involved in approving proposals by providing clear and objective standards to meet program requirements. Development project proposals meeting these standards could be approved by staff, eliminating the need for every project proposal to go before City Council. However, flexibility is provided for developers with projects that offer a more subjective community benefit, for which City Council would ultimately review and approve for the tax exemption.
The group also discussed a clear need for infrastructure improvements, like water and sewer, that are essential to increase housing stock, and where capital for such projects might be derived. There was little disagreement that it will be critical to provide infrastructure to increase housing inventory.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SLIDE PRESENTATION
About Chamber Roundtable
The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly Chamber Roundtable Series fosters interactive discussions on legislation and policy; community and economic development; and workforce and talent. Quarterly, these Roundtables will be coupled with an on-location business tour exploring some of the many unique industry leaders throughout the Springfield area.
