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COUNCIL CHAMBER - MAY 13, I974 <br /> <br />PURSUANT TO THE FOLLOWING CALL: <br /> <br />MR. CHARLES L. BARBOUR <br />MR. FRANCIS H. FIFE <br />MR. GEORGE H. GILLIAM <br />MRS. JILL T. RINEHART <br />MR. MITCHELL VAN YAHRES <br /> <br /> TAKE NOTICE <br /> <br /> A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL WILL BE HELD MONDAY, NIGHT THE 13TM INST. <br />AT 7:30 P.M. O'CLOCK. <br /> <br /> 1. REQUEST FOR APPROVAL DF PROPOSED LOW-RENT PUBLIC HOUSING SITES - <br /> CHARLOTTESVILLE REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY. <br /> <br />2. WORK SESSION: SWIMMING POOL AND RECREATION CENTERS PROJECT. <br /> <br />3. APPROVAL TO PLACE ORDERS FOR CAPITAL ITEMS IN 1974-75 BUDGET. <br />4. INTERIM DOWNTOWN PARKING AND TRAFFIC PLAN. <br /> <br />5. APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO THE JAIL BOARD. <br /> <br /> BY ORDER OF <br /> <br />J, S. RUSH, JR, (SIGNED) CLERK <br /> <br />FRANCIS H. FIFE (SIGNED) <br /> PRESIDENT <br /> <br />STATEMENT: <br />MR. GILLIAM <br />ON LOW-RENT <br />HOUSING <br /> <br /> THE COUNCIL MET IN SPECIAL SESSION ON THIS DATE WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS <br />PRESENT: MR. BARBOUR, MR. FIFE, MR. GILLIAM, MRS. RINEHART AND MR. VAN YAHRES. <br />ABSENT: NONE. <br /> <br />THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS MADE BY MR. GILLIAM: <br /> <br /> THERE HAS BEEN NO MORE IMPORTANT AND VEXING DECISION FOR THIS COUNCIL TO <br />MAKE SINCE I HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL THAN THE INSTANT DECISION. I BELIEVE THAT <br />EACH AND EVERY COUNCILMAN RECOGNIZES THE URGENT NEED TO DEVELOP SUITABLE <br />HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT THE MEANS TO COMPETE IN THE PRESENT INFLATIONARY <br />HOUSING MARKET. BUT WE ALL APPRECIATE THE POSSIBILITY THAT OUR DECISION <br />TONIGHT MAY HAVE AN IMPACT UPON THE AREAS IN WHICH THIS HOUSING IS TO BE <br />SITUATED. <br /> <br /> ON OF THE REASONS THE DECISION HAS BEEN DIFFICULT HAS BEEN THAT EXISTING <br /> LOW DOES NOT TELL COUNCILMEN WHAT CRITERIA ARE TO BE CONSIDERED IN MAKING THE <br /> DECISION WHERE TO LOCATE THIS HOUSING. SECTION 14(A) OF THE CITY CHARTER SIMPLY <br /> STATES THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY MUST ''OBTAIN THE APPROVAL OF THE COUNCIL ON <br /> EACH CONSTRUCTION SITE . . · '' WHEN WE CONSIDER ZONING MATTERS, THERE ARE <br /> STRICT STATUTORY AND CASE LAW GUIDES AS TO WHAT MATTERS ARE TO BE CONSIDERED. <br /> NOT SO IN THIS CASE. THUS, IT IS INCUMBENT UPON COUNCIL TO DEVELOP ITS OWN <br /> CRITERIA AND FAITHFULLY APPLY REASONABLE STANDARDS TO EACH OF THE SITES. <br /> <br /> A SECOND FACTOR MAKING THIS DECISION DIFFICULT IS THE TENUOUSNESS OF <br /> CONTROL WHICH THE COUNCIL CAN LEGALLY EXERCISE OVER THE ULTIMATE SITE PLANS. <br /> THERE ARE SITES WHICH WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO ME IF THE DENSITY WERE REDUCED <br /> FAR BELOW WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. SOME OF THE SITES <br /> WOULD ACCEPTABLE ONLY IF WE CAN REVIEW THE FINAL SITE PLANS. I AGREE FULLY <br /> WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS '' THAT THE NUMBER OF <br /> UNITS ON SOME OF THE SITES BE REDUCED SUBSTANTIALLY IN ORDER TO INSURE LIMITED <br /> NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT. '' I ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO THE LEAGUE'S SUGGESTION THAT COUNCIL <br />'' INSURE OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION FACILITIES . . '' AND THAT THE VARIOUS <br />PLANNING BODIES COORINATE THEIR EFFORTS WITH RESPECT TO THE VARIOUS SITES. <br />NOW WE MUST MAKE CERTAIN THAT THESE REVIEWS TAKE PLACE. <br /> <br /> HOW DO I SEE THE DUTY OF THE COUNCIL? FIRST, I BELIEVE THAT FROM A LEGAL <br />POINT-OF-VIEW, WE MUST TAKE THE SITE DENSITY AND SITE PLANS AS PROPOSED AND <br />ACT UPON THEM. WHILE I WOULD ACCEPT AT FACE VALUE A GOOD FAITH REPRESENTATION <br />FROM OUR LOCAL HOUSING AUTHORITY COMMISSIONERS THAT SITE DENSITY WOULD BE <br />REDUCED AND WE WOULD BE GIVEN INFORMAL SITE PLAN REVIEW, I MUST CONFESS I <br />DO NOT HAVE THE SAME DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE IN HUD. WE SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT <br />HUD WILL DO TO ANY OF THE SITES ONCE THEY HAVE LEFT OUR CONTROL. ACCORDINGLY, <br />WE MUST VOTE FOR OR AGAINST THE SITES ON THE BASIS OF WHAT IS PRESENTLY <br />BEFORE US. <br /> <br /> SECOND, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS OUR DUTY TO REVIEW WHETHER THE HOUSING <br />AUTHORITY HAS COMPLIED WITH FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS. I AM SATISFIED, <br />ON THE BASIS OF THE REPRESENTATIONS MADE AND INFORMATION GIVEN TO ME BY <br />COMPETENT ATTORNEYS LIKE MR. WOOD AND MR. GOULDMAN THAT ALL APPLICABLE <br />FEDERAL AND STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN FULLY COMPLIED WITH. <br /> <br /> THIRD, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE MUST DETERMINE WHETHER THE PROPOSED SITES <br />COMPLY WITH LOCAL ORDINANCES. BASED UPON WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE CITY <br />ATTORNEY, THE CITY ENGINEER, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, THE <br />HOUSING AUTHORITY'S INDEPENDENT ATTORNEY, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITy , <br />MY OWN LIMITED RESEARCH, I AM FULLY SATISFIED THAT ALL APPLICABLE LOCAL <br />ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS WILL HAVE BEEN FULLY COMPLIED WITH. <br /> <br /> <br />