Emporia City Commissioners broadened the city’s opportunities for future housing development Wednesday evening.
During their recent action session commissioners unanimously approved a new Housing Development and Rural Housing Incentive District Policy. The new policy is a much-needed update to the city’s previous housing policies which was, according to City Special Project’s Coordinator Jim Witt, extremely limited.
The original policy only allowed for the development of one type of housing, required 100 percent financing by the developer and had a required minimum number of units that had to be developed. The new policy now allows for a larger range of housing developments and a variety of funding options according to Witt.
The policy comes in response to a recent housing study that shows a significant need for affordable housing within Emporia. Witt says the new policy will not breed an immediate resolution to that issue, however, it as a tremendous step in the right direction.
In a separate, yet related item Wednesday, commissioners also approved an ordinance to submit a property located near Soden’s Road and South Exchange to the state for RHID status. The commission’s actions Wednesday was not a final approval for the so-called Kretsinger Tract to receive RHID status, but instead has begun a multi-month process to that end.
The property is currently not attached to any specific development project, however, Ignite Emporia has been discussing the possibility of using the property for a 60-dwelling project. Tuesday night, the Board of Zoning Appeals tabled discussions on a variance for the property that would reduce the proposed lot size from 9,000 to 6,500 square feet.
Emporia Mayor and Ignite Emporia Director Rob Gilligan says the action by the BZA will have no effect on the property potentially receiving RHID status as the two items are “separate pieces of the same puzzle.”
Word on the property’s status from the state level is expected in the next four to six weeks at which time a public notice will be published. The next step would be a public hearing at which time commissioners would consider lending final approval to the item.
In other business Wednesday, commissioners approved three separate annexation requests for property located within the city limits.
Commissioners adjourned Wednesday’s meeting to next Wednesday at 10 am. Commissioners will convene for a study session at 9:30 am next Wednesday inside the Municipal Courtroom at White Auditorium.
