This article describes the forthcoming information articles the PRA AHS committee will begin publishing on the Attainable Housing Strategies Final Report which the County Council will take up when it resumes sessions in September.
As noted in a previous PRA News article, the County Council has scheduled five in-person and one virtual session on the Attainable Housing Strategies [AHS] initiative which is likely to result in zoning amendments intended to increase the supply, affordability, and diversity of housing in the county.
As background for these listening sessions and the zoning amendments the Council will likely consider, the PRA AHS Committee will provide a series of brief articles that explain the potential impact on the Parkwood community, raise questions that require clarification, and identify important issues that need to be resolved. As stated previously, the articles will be as neutral and objective as possible, intended to provide useful information to residents, but will not state a position for or against any of the proposals in the report of the Planning Board. These articles will appear in PRA News on the listserv.
Among the topics to be discussed in these articles are the following:
- Goals of the AHS proposals: What are the problems the AHS initiative is intended to solve? What has happened to the cost of housing in the county? What is the actual extent of the housing shortage?
- Potential effect on types of housing in Parkwood: What types of houses would be permitted/not permitted in Parkwood?
- Market factors: How might market factors affect the rate at which single family homes would be turned into multi-unit houses if the AHS proposals are approved? What is the number of multiplexes [duplexes, triplexes, etc.] projected to be built in communities like Parkwood?
- Possible impact on the value of homes in Parkwood.
- Explanation of Priority Housing Districts and Growth Corridors, whether they would apply to Parkwood, and if so, how.
- Explanation of the Pattern Book, which will provide mandatory guidance on the design of duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes.
- Important issues that need further clarification, such as stormwater management, parking, and impact taxes.
- Discussion of the likelihood the AHS proposals will be able to meet the plan’s objectives, based on experience of other jurisdictions, research reports, etc.
- Potential limitations to upzoning: restrictive covenants, municipal control, litigation.
- How to express your opinion to the Council.
- How to learn more: Notices about speakers, meetings with experts, etc.
- Council schedule for review and implementation, to be updated regularly.
The next article in this series will describe the goals of the Attainable Housing Strategies initiative.
Parkwood Residents Association 