<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Sp9P3_1A8QAd3O00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Sp9P3_1A8QAd3O00" width="1280" height="853" >In the months ahead, a task force will work on a project to guide how Lane County acquires, prepares and resells parcels of land, with an eye toward spurring affordable housing development in communities across the county. Lane County commissioners, at their meeting Tuesday, March 31, approved a slate of 13 task force members who will work on recommendations to guide the county’s new land-banking program. The county plans to buy parcels of land and move them through regulatory and zoning steps that prepare the property for affordable housing development. From there, the land is resold to developers who complete the housing projects. The work comes as Lane County communities are wrestling with an affordable housing crisis that stretches from the Eugene-Springfield urban area to rural cities. The program offers an additional approach to the issue: The county navigates complex issues on the front end — including land use, zoning and annexation — to make the process more attractive to developers. In May, county commissioners approved the land-banking program, setting aside $2 million in video lottery funds for future parcel purchases. The money can essentially be used more than once: By reselling properties and putting the money back into the program, the county can repeatedly use the funds in a revolving fashion. Land-banking could work in different ways, depending on the project. For example, the county could buy multiple contiguous parcels and combine them into a larger parcel for a developer. The program is likely to work within the urban growth boundaries of cities, where the demand for affordable housing is the strongest. The county likely will work with cities on some of those issues. Lane County Housing Production Manager Eric Mongan said the framework will offer high-level considerations of things like the county’s comprehensive plan and how the program will mesh with existing housing policies. The task force will also look at how to gauge how the program is working in the long term, he said. “We do want to come up with a framework that allows us to evaluate how it’s going,” Mongan said in an interview with Lookout Eugene-Springfield. The framework also has to be broad enough so that it can be applied to communities across the county, he said. The task force will not analyze or look at potential parcels of land. Commissioners had input on the member selection in their districts and County Administrator Steve Mokrohisky selected three members. “We received 36 amazing applications from Florence to far east Springfield,” Mongan told commissioners. Due to the interest, the county increased the task force size from seven to 13 members. Land-banking has been in place in Eugene for decades. Commissioner Pat Farr, a former member of the Eugene City Council, said the city has had success with land-banking and has seen empty lots turn into affordable housing for hundreds. The task force meetings will start as soon as next week, and continue until August. A final report will go to county administrators by the end of September and the board will hear more details about the program’s proposed parameters by the end of the year. When the work is finished, the task force will be disbanded and the recommendations will go to the county commissioners for a vote. The task force meetings will be open to the public, but they will not have a public comment period. But like any proposal, the public can weigh in when the recommendations go before The county Board of Commissioners. The 13 task force members are: <ul><li>District 1 appointees are Benjamin Abbe of Eugene, a program service coordinator for Lane County Health and Human Services, overseeing contracts and procurement; and Taylor Kohn, a mental health therapist and coach from Florence.</li><li>District 2 appointees are Fabian Gomez Hernandez of Springfield, a planning technician for the city of Creswell and member of the Springfield Planning Commission; and Gary Jones, a retired attorney from Springfield. </li><li>District 3 appointees are Luke Lonstron of Eugene, a senior project manager of real estate development at DevNW; and Melissa Graciosa of Eugene, a planning process and management lead for the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement. </li><li>District 4 appointees are Margaret Thumel of Eugene, a retired property developer and manager; and DJ Kelly-Quattrocchi of Eugene, a consultant who works on equity and inclusion issues. </li><li>District 5 appointees are Liz Cawood of Springfield, president and chief executive officer of a marketing agency; and Jenny Jonak of Eugene, an attorney.</li><li>Mokrohisky’s appointees are: Brooke Standifer of Eugene, a project manager and consultant experienced in housing development, land acquisition and zoning; Michael Fleck, executive director of Community Sharing, a nonprofit in Cottage Grove that provides a food pantry, rent assistance and energy bill assistance; and Karen Hall, a scientist educator from Eugene.</li></ul></div></body>

Block Source: lookouteugene-springfield.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

In the months ahead, a task force will work on a project to guide how Lane County acquires, prepares and resells parcels of land, with an eye toward spurring affordable housing development in communities across the county. Lane County commissioners, at their meeting Tuesday, March 31, approved a slate of...

County names task force to help launch program to boost affordable housing

NewsBreak

In the months ahead, a task force will work on a project to guide how Lane County acquires, prepares and resells parcels of land, with an eye toward spurri

County names task force to help launch program to boost affordable housing

Comments