Low Income Housing: The Corvallis City Council will continue discussions on a low-income housing tax exemption program at their March 6 meeting. The council is expected to finalize a resolution for the cost of an outside firm to review the logistics of the program.
At the Feb. 1 council meeting, both the Multiple Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE) and Low-Income Rental Housing Property Tax Exemption (LIRPTE) programs were approved.
“Both projects are generally large in size and have complex financial proformas and therefore go through an extra step which involves review by an outside financial consultant. This step ensures the funding request is warranted and the city’s interests are being met, said Community Development Director Paul Bilotta. “This outside analysis costs approximately $5,000 per project and therefore these fees are set at what is expected to be an approximate breakeven rate. As with other city fees, fee revenue and expenses will be monitored and can adjusted over time as needed.”
The total cost of $10,000 dollars for the review includes the current anticipated costs of the program review, which consist of staff administrative processes and the use of an independent financial consultant.
Right-of-Way Pilot Program: Also, on the agenda for the March 6 meeting, the Corvallis City Council will look to continue discussions on its business right-of-way pilot program. At the Feb. 21 meeting, the council directed city staff to move forward with the 2023 Business Use of Right-of-Way (BROW) Pilot Program.
In the staff report for that meeting, staff proposed a fee of $200 per parking space for span of the season which would be April 1 to Oct. 31 of 2023. If a business applies to use street space that is not in a delineated automobile parking space, that area would be assessed at $1 per square foot.
“The proposed BROW fees are based on the existing Sidewalk Café program. Staff did not discuss at the Feb. 21 meeting that the Sidewalk Café program has a $100 application fee. Staff recommends that a $100 application fee also apply in addition to the per space fee,” said Economic Development Supervisor Jerry Sorte. “This would defray some of the costs associated with application review.”
This means that a business using three parking spaces would pay a $100 application fee and $200 per parking space for a total of $700 for the season. These same fees would apply for businesses that use the right-of-way for the full season or for part of the season.
According to an analysis from City Staff, “the program is estimated to generate approximately $9,000 in annual revenue for the General Fund, and represents an estimated $5,000 annual loss of revenue to the Parking Fund.”
Take the Climate Survey: The City of Corvallis is asking residents to participate in a survey aimed at helping the city become more climate friendly. The Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) Rules were adopted by the Oregon Legislature in July 2022.
The new rules require local governments to study, identify, and designate “climate friendly areas” to help provide local residents with more housing and transportation choices while also meeting Oregon’s Climate Pollution Reduction Targets for 2050.
In a release from the city, a Climate Friendly Area (CFA) is intended to be a place where residents, workers, and visitors can meet most of their daily needs without having to drive.
For the City of Corvallis this means a minimum of 25 dwelling units per acre and buildings no less than 85 feet tall for the primary area, and 15 dwelling units per acre and buildings no less than 50 feet tall for the secondary areas, with commercial uses allowed throughout each CFA.
The deadline to complete this survey is Friday, March 10th. Responses will be kept confidential and reported in aggregate.
Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CorvallisCFAs
By Jennifer Williams
