HomeMy WebLinkAbout04202022 PACAB Work Session Laydown - Jaffa PO Box 1°7 Moose Pass,Alaska 99631
Bruce Jaffa 907-288-3175
PACABBoard Bruce@JaffaConstruction.com
Member °� 01.
PACAB Chair and All, L/101 -
Sorry to miss this meeting but I will offer these comment for information.
1. I have reviewed and appreciate the SMIC Development Plan. I do not have any serious
addition or comments and feel the redline language is adequate and should be
incorporated.
2. Regarding adding correspondence to the agenda package I am surprised this is an
issue. If a letter is sent to the clerk for distribution, I have generally seen it sent around
to all.The chair should be the principal recipient, at a minimum, and make
presentations to Board of the resolution given to all correspondence. I am not sure what
correspondence this letter refers to but I do agree the Board should be aware of all
correspondence directed to the PACAB.
3.The record should reflect that I was not confused by the lack of presenters or forward
progress. Unfortunately, and likely without fault the ambitious schedule of gathering
information was lost during the transition of PACAB Chairs. A list of contacts and
potential presenters was turned over to the new Chair.The concept to have presenters
in rapid succession was to advance a summary as soon as late March or April.The
invitation to presenters has stalled,therefore the goal of a response to the
administration could never fully completed as originally conceived.
4. In regard to housing, I had an informative tel-corn meeting with Andre Spenelli with
Spenilli Homes. He is very familiar with Seward housing issues with local experience.
Unlike the Anchorage or Girdwood markets, he sees Homer and Seward as having very
similar issues regarding a lack of housing, although Seward had some benefit due zoning
Homer does not. The solution that he expressed would be a developers method and
included finding available land, affordable development costs including utilities,
favorable local rules, a partnering of development ideas to allow the developer to have
certain discretion and responsibility for development plans. Developed plans offered by
an owner or city to the builder come with costs to the overall project and may increase
rather than decrease the ultimate cost of housing. Often engineering firms hired to
develop plans go to builders for advice that might otherwise have been available at
lower costs. Mr. Spenelli felt that the difference in cost of single family, multifamily,
townhomes or apartments was a small percentage of sale price. Further selection of
housing type is a strategy regarding what will sell profitably. He stated developers
worked at relatively small margins and the greater involvement(start to finish)the more
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attractive a project would be to a developer. Labor availability is clearly a problem to
every builder. Some larger firms had some advantage in that regard.
5. Last week in Anchorage, I had the opportunity to discuss housing with HUD and Ak
Affordable housing at the Infrastructure Symposium. It may be noted that affordable
housing complexes are in greater supply in Seward than other similar communities.
Although single family homes remain a strong market there are an equal number of
buyers looking for middle cost high density single family homes and apartments.
Agencies are willing to support either as a developer determines the need.
6.To my understanding,the Heat Loop adhoc advocacy group selection can be by action
from the Chair. I hope a community cross section group of volunteer's steps forward. I
have offered to serve and will be willing to work with any group the Chair selects. I
believe this group will and should continue activity during any PACAB hiatus.
Respectfully,
Bruce Jaffa
PACAB Board Member
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