Building incentives have 'far exceeded' hopes

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Council approves 3 agreements, final plat

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With Sulphur Springs approving three more 380 agreements Tuesday, eight total have been signed off on since the ordinance’s passage in August 2020, a number that has “far exceeded expectations” for community development director Tory Niewiadomski.

“We’ve had a lot of interest every month,” Niewiadomski said. “There may be a couple more coming next month. We get a lot of phone calls from different people, and it’s hard to keep track of.”

Council member Jay Julian praised the development incentive, calling it “an excellent incentive tool for infill housing to these lots back on the tax roll and generating revenue.”

“I hope we’re aggressively pushing this to interested parties,” Julian said. “I hope this is a trend that will continue.”

The first agreement approved was for property at 110 West Ross Street, and city tax liens amounting to about $3,200 have been waived in exchange for house construction. The developer is SM Family Holding.

The second agreement involved property at 212-214 California Street, which developer Alexander Bent aims to combine into one lot to build a single family home. Building fees, such as tapping into the city water lines, will be waived.

Gerardo Contreras with Eleven One Homes received the next agreement for property at 220 Craig Street. The proposed house will measure 1,400 square feet, Niewiadomski said, and building fees will be waived.

Council member Oscar Aguilar asked if the planned homes were a minimum 1,200-1,400 square feet, and Niewiadomski affirmed that, adding they “typically been around the 1,500-1,600 square foot range.”

380 agreements reimburse building, tap or liens on property being developed for single-family housing, and the builder has a time frame of three years to complete construction. Developers looking to build new neighborhoods cannot apply for an agreement.

The ordinance was passed to combat sprawl, which is when a city expands its infrastructure too quickly or too wide to maintain properly, and to tackle the affordable housing problem facing the city.

In other items, the final plat for a 72-unit apartment complex on League Street. Two three-story buildings will be constructed, and the apartment will be age-restricted to renters ages 55 or older. The developer is BGE Inc.

“This lot was approved for low-income housing tax credits by city council and the state,” Niewiadomski said.