Box 5, Folder 17, Document 11

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Box 5, Folder 17, Document 11

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MINUTES
LAND ACQUISITION PANEL MEETING

HOUSING RESOURCES COMMITTEE



JUNE 20, 1967

The Land Acquisition Panel of the Housing Resources Committee met June 20,
1967, at 10:00 a.m., in Committee Room #1, City Hall. The following members
were present:

Dr. Vivian Henderson, Acting Chairman, Land Acquisition Panel

Mr. Jim E. Land

Mr. Clayton R, Yates

Mr. Cecil A. Alexander, Chairman, Housing Resources Committee

Mr. Malcolm D. Jones, Director

Mr. Wallace L. Lee was not present at this meeting.

Dr. Vivian Henderson, Acting Chairman, Land Acquisition Panel, presided. He
stated that a chairman had not yet been elected for this panel and asked if the
members present felt that action should be taken on this, this date. He also
reported that adaitional members had been asked to join this panel but that they
have refusede He said that he felt the election of a chairman should wait until
full membership was attained. |

Mr. Malcolm D. Jones, Director, said that he felt it would be easier for him
if a permanent chairman were elected as soon as possible.

Dr. Henderson said he thought it would be better if the election was delayed
until a larger number of members were on the panel. He suggested that perhaps
at the next meeting a chairman and vice-chairman could be elected. He stated that
another matter he wished to bring up was to find something which they could come
up with in terms of possible land sites. He also stated that the last meeting
of this Panel was concentrated on requesting information on the availability of
land sites.

Mre Jones stated that the result of that request was that he followed it
up with a Memo to Mr. Dan Sweat, Director of Governmental Liaison, in which he
pointed out lana needs in the City for the low-cost housing program. He
pointed out that it would take three times as much land zoned for this program
as it would require for actual development because every acre that is zoned can

not be acquired. He feels that at least 5,100 acres of land zoned for this type

of housing are needed and he told Mr. Sweat this and Mr. Sweat asked the Planning
Department to take action on this. Mr. Sweat followed this up May 2h by a

Memo in which he stated that he had called on the Planning Department to prepare
a map and listing of all property suitably zoned for construction of Turnkey
and 221 (d) (3) housing. These have not yet been received, but some material
has been received, ie. Sheets showing vacant land in the eastern half of the
City and its current zoning: Mr. Jones pointed out however, that much of this
land is not appropriate for low-cost housing construction.

Mr. Cecil A. Alexander, Chairman, Housing Resources Committee, asked if they
were broken down into apartments?

Mr. Jones replied that they were but the zoning of each parcel was showny
and that much of the land shown was not particularly useful to this program.

Mr. Alexander asked if the developers know that this report is in existence.

Mr. Jones stated that several developers have come into his office and looked
over it and they all agree that it was not particularly helpful. They have gone
through it page by page, and selected sites properly zoned and in many instances,
after attempting to run them down, found out that they were not available because
of future plans, other contemplated uses, etc. The developers cannot tell much
about the land from just a location.

Mr. Alexander stated that the Planning Department's delay is because it is
attempting to develope a Land Use Study over the entire Citys: that one thing
that this panel might do is to ask the Planning Commission to prepare a summerized
Land Use Study before the other one is published.

Dr. Henderson asked what the time table for this report was?

Mre Alexander did not know. :

Mre Jones stated that the list of land suitable for this program was originally called
for by May h.

Mr. Henderson asked if this information was part of the study they would be
getting.

Mre Alexander said yes--a detailed Land Use Study for the City; that one
other thing, perhaps is this information shown on the seperate sheets should be
assembled into larger sections.

Dre Henderson asked if all the report was on land in the eastern half of the

City?


Mr. Jones said yes, that Mr. Alexander has explained that we did
know where available land was in the west. Also in mswer to Mr. Alexander,
Mr. Jones stated that there were too many pages of it to mount successfully.

Dr. Henderson said that he gathered that the study Mr. Alexander referred to
woudl be an analysis of land use.

Mr. Jones said it would be, and for the whole City. It will also try to
list proposals of changes which need to be made. He stated that it takes
considerable time and that he does not know when it will be completed.

Dr. Henderson said that he did not see how this panel could do much
until they get this information. |

Mr. Alexaider agreed that it was hardj that the only thing that he knew
of that could help is to make it eng that this is needed to move on as soon
as possible; that one thing which the Mayor mentioned to the Chief Planner
was that he would like to know where industrial tracts were that could be
rezoned for housing.

Dr. Henderson said that he had noticed that there was a housing project
going on near Agnes-Jones School in which the conditions were not very goods
He stated that while the Committee was fiddling around, somebody else was
building. He also stated that this particular prodees is crowded and has
too many families in it.

lr. Jones stated that this area was already zoned, and that there were
some few areas sucn as this which were appropriately zoned.

Dr. Henderson said that we were getting no information on land which is
available outside of these areas.

Mr. Alexander said that the primary problem was the large tracts everybody
knows about which have been refused for one reason or another. He stated that
there is another problem in the eastern part of the City. Perhaps this Committee
should meet with HUD and review with them the principles that they have set up
and inform them of the situation. He also stated that he felt that a man who
really wants to build houses could find some areas on the available sheets
which would be workable.

Mr. Jones stated that this was not the froblem as he saw it. The problem
is that there is not enough land zoned for apartments where the land can be

used for this program.


Dr. Henderson stated that this panel's function is to find land that is
already zoned for apartments and also land which can be rezoned, because zoning
resistance is what is causing the problem now; trying to get vacant or near
vacant land zoned for houses.

Mr. Jones said that specific recommendations for suitable areas were
needed.

Dr. Henderson said that this was another function of this panel, to inform
the Housing Resources Committee of zoning and to coordinate with the Zoning
Committee of the Board of Aldermen.

Mr. Jones said that we need to determine and to express the need and then
let the Planning Department come up with where and what to do.

Dr. Henderson agreed with this but said that we should reserve the right
to review it and have influence on it.

Mre Alexander said that one thing which is available right now are the M-l1
segments; that the problem is the Planning Department's staffing. Another
problem is that some owners of M-l may not want to develope it for apartments;
that one other thing this panel might wish to do is to request the City
for additional help to get this thing solved soon,

Mr. Clayton R. Yates said that the maiter hinges on two things: Location
and Zoning.

Mr. Jones said that our main concern was the part zoned for multi-family
construction. .

Mr. Alexander said that another problem was high prices.

Mr. Jones said that several people have attempted to acquire land for this
program, but could not because prices were too high.

Mr. Alexander said that two other features were utilities and streets; that
he wrote to the Atlanta Real Estate Board and the Empire Real Estate Board
earlier and asked them if they would use us as a clearing housé for their land,
but he has received no answer. He stated that he also talked with them over
the phone and that they sounded favorable, but we still have no answer as yet.

Dr. Henderson asked how much low-income housing was under construction now?
5

Mr. Alexander told him approximately 5,000 units proposed, which appear firm

Mr. Henderson asked if it is known where these are? |

Mr. Jones said that they were listed formally on a detailed Housing Inventory
report.

Dr. Henderson asked what they could do as a Committee on these sites?

Mr. Alexander stated that one of the problems is that when we go to the
Planning Department we have to get something rezoned which they have already
promised would not be rezoned.

Dr. Henderson asked if it would be a good idea to ask Mr. Gladinto go
over this list with us, item by item. He also suggested they follow these two

suggestions: :
1. Try to go over the "Problem Areas" with the Planning Department.

2. See if we can get an over-all picture of this study and ask for
an opportunity to review it.

Mr. Alexander said that another thing would be to sit down with HUD and
review their policy, wnat it means and where to go to apply it.

Dr. Henderson asked if we should go to the Regional Office.

Mr. Alexander said yes, to talk with Mr. Id. Baxter, Regional Administrator.

Mr. Jones stated at this point that a positive position by this Panel
should be taken and shown in the minutes and be passed to the Press.

At this point the Panel prepared and adopted the attached resolution.

Mr. Alexander suggested that the Panel write to the Real Estate Boards
requesting information on available locations for lowecost housing in the
Citye

Mr. Jim Land asked if any real. estate people had been asked to serve on

this Panel.

Dre Henderson said that the ones asked had declined. He also proposed and
obtained agreement of the Panel to ask, in coordination with Mr. Alexander,
both the Atlanta Real Estate Board and the Empire Real Estate Board each to
provide a representative for membership on the Land Acquisition Panel of
the Housing Resources Committee.

Mr. Alexander reported that one item on which he and Mr. Jones did not

quite see eye to eye is the rezoning of large pieces of land one at a time.


He said that of the over all plan, one portion, Fairburn Road (originally proposed
for Turnkey Housing) was coming up for rezoning soon. He stated that this land
had been discussed with several other people on the Planning Committce and
agreed that the argument against Public Housing on this site is well founded:
that now Mr. Gillmore wants to have 221 (d) (3) housing built there on a co-operative
basis; that Mr. Jones had asked ‘in to appear before the Zoning Committee and
support it; that he (Mr. Alexander) feels that an individual going before the
Committee would not have the sain good result that a committee's going would
have. He asked Mr. Jones to give the location and history of the site.

Mr. Jones reported that this was a location on West side of Fairburn Road
and that it is just north of Holy Fanily Hospital; 59 acres proposed for 221 (d) (3)
co-op. It is ideal for this type of development because of the general nature of
the community in that area. The sponsor is proposing 221 (d) (3) co-op
for sales units only, like Cambridge Square. These are built multi-family and
sold from pre-built models. There must be 90% of the units in a particular
segment already sold before construction can even begin. This type of program
has been very successful in other areas. Under 221 (d) (3) there are two ways you
can go:

1. The cheaper route--3% interest, 40 year mortgage--produces lowest
cost units to be sold.

2. More expensive route--6% interest and LY for FHA insurance fees.
He has a letter from Mr. Gillmore asking that this Panel support him on this
site at the Zoning Hearing. He felt it would do this Panel credit to do so.
He also stated that he and M. W.W. Gates, Housing Resources Committee Consultant,
went to the Planning Board and talked with them. As a result, the Planning Board
recommended favorable action. He stated that he agreed with Mr. Alexander, in
that it would be better to have worked out an over-all plan, but until this
is done the Zoning Committee will not know what part this site and other
similar ones play in our program, unless this Committee tells them so.

Dre Henderson asked if that was originally planned for Public Housing?

Mr. Jones said that it was; that if it is now made available to moderate
income families the experience is that they move out from lower price dwellings,

thus making those units available to lower income families.
Mr. Henderson stated that this was what made slums.

Mr. Jones said not necessarily.

Mr. Alexander stated that he thought that this was a good site for the type
of thing being discussed.

Dr. Henderson asked what the Panel thought?

Mr. Yates stated that it was fine, if 221 (d) (3) at 3% interest could be gotten.

Mr. Jones said that the specific proposal now was for 6% interest and that
it could not be gotten for 3%.

Mre Land asked why HUD refused this?

Mr. Jones explained that this particular site was not actually proposed to HUD:
that HUD made its policy known through the newspapers; that they would not
permit public housing in an area of racial concentration.

Mr. Alexander stated that this was why this site was not submitted to HUD.

Mr. Jones said the developers' main problems were on locations and zoning.

He said that he felt this Panel should support the developers on sites which
we feel are appropriate. He also stated that in the future he could bring
potentially appropriate sites to the Panel's attentiln.

Mr. Alexander asked if anyone (Mr. Henderson particularly) would appear wi th
hin before the Zoning Committee in the Council Chamber of City Hall at 2:00 Thursday,
June 22, in support of the Fairburn Road site.

Dr. Henderson said he could not because he would .be out of town, but Mr. Land
said that he would.

As there was not other business the meeting adjourned 11:00 a.m.

Approved by: Vivian Henderson, PHD, Chairman
Land Acquisition Panel

Encl: Resolution

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