Baldwin County is hoping to secure state funding that would be considered a public-private partnership of sorts, but exactly what that grant will entail will be decided at a called meeting in early June.
County Manager Carlos Tobar presented the Board of Commissioners members with two proposals Tuesday night for projects in the Rural Initiative Program, which Gov. Brian Kemp created to encourage developers to make affordable housing available.
Tobar explained the program, funneled through the Department of Community Affairs, was established last year. Baldwin County will apply for the grant, but the proceeds will go to the developer for water, sewer, and road infrastructure costs, dependent upon "affordable housing" being offered.
Tobar said he believes Baldwin County's approach to the program is new.
"This is a first for the state that a city or county has asked for competition for a rural housing initiative project," he said. "Most of the agencies across the state have been approached directly by the developers, and the developers have negotiated directly with the cities or counties.
"Here, we went out and requested proposals. We met with the developers. We received three proposals, and one was withdrawn."
Randy Rich and Lawson Lawrence submitted project proposals, both requesting a $2.5 million grant and a $1 million loan. Tobar reviewed each proposal, detailing the number of homes and price ranges in each.
Rich proposed constructing 80 townhouses on Wrights Drive, with a sale price range of $250,000 to $275,000. Tobar mentioned one concern was the size of the units, which are just 900 and 1,050 square feet each.
Lawrence, meanwhile, proposed offering 35 single-wide homes from $224,000 to $290,000 on a 40-acre tract off Dunlap Road. Tobar indicated the City of Milledgeville would require acceleration and deceleration lanes and a left-turn lane into the subdivision. According to the plans, no house would face Dunlap.
The county manager went through several examples of the size, layout, and cost of the homes, ranging from 1,398 square feet for $224,000 to 1,831 square feet (with five bedrooms, three baths, and a two-car enclosed garage) for $289,900.
District 1 Commissioner Emily Davis commented that Lawrence's proposal would create "overwhelming traffic" on Dunlap.
District 2 Commissioner Kendrick Butts agreed with Davis about the traffic.
"We don't have folks who can afford a $250,000 house in that neighborhood," he said. "That's going to change the dynamics of that neighborhood. I can't support that … I was up on Dunlap the other day. It's like a raceway up there."
District 3 Commissioner Sammy Hall wanted a point clarified before making a suggestion.
"I understand that both of these proposals have some issues that could make them better and more likely to be chosen by DCA. So, I would like to make a motion that we reject all these proposals and allow for changes and amendments to be made that would make the proposal more favorable for DCA."
Considerable discussion followed, with Butts reiterating his concern about who could afford the houses, Hall recognizing housing costs in today's market, and Tobar proposing language in the grant application that workers in Baldwin County would be given first preference for purchasing homes.
District 5 representative Henry Craig discussed how each community is unique and pointed out that Baldwin County should do what is right for Baldwin County.
"I support Commissioner Hall's recommendation and motion that we give another two weeks and give our developers another opportunity to evaluate what we think, what DCA thinks about what should be in the project that will likely get DCA's approval."
Hall ultimately suggested a June 7 deadline for developers to submit updated proposals, with a called meeting on June 10 for commissioners to make a decision. The deadline to turn in the application is June 12, and Tobar said he believed the staff could put the package together in two days.
Since no formal action on the matter could be taken in the work session, the Board voted unanimously in the following meeting to accept any proposals by developers until June 7, with a meeting on June 10 to resolve the issue.
During the public comments portion of that meeting, two men spoke regarding Lawrence's proposed subdivision during the Public Comments portion of that meeting. Nearby resident Vernon Miller, Sr., who lives on Hurst Street, stressed that traffic is already a problem.
"The traffic is already bad enough. From time to time, when I am getting out to go where I need to go, it takes me five to 10 minutes to get off Hurst Street onto Dunlap Road, which is outrageous," he charged.
"I ask you not to put it on Dunlap Road," Miller said of the proposed development. "Every two years, the traffic gets worse over there. I ask you to consider putting it somewhere else. Especially the entrance and exit. Do not put it on Dunlap Road."