“These are infill lots, parcels where homes were ... demolished some years ago,” said Michalla Perkins, program manager for the city’s community and economic development department. “We’re looking to redevelop those lots.”
The program’s goals include increasing homeownership, diversifying the city’s housing stock, reducing city maintenance expenses such as mowing and trash removal and maintaining competitive design review and quality control.
The city owns several hundred vacant lots across the city, many of them acquired through the Butler County Land Bank, according to Perkins. In the past, the city used a side lot program and letters of interest to offload the lots.
The first 12 lots under the new RFP are in the Avalon, Dixie Heights, Spring Hill neighborhoods west of Breiel Boulevard and north of University Avenue, as well as in the the Highlands neighborhood near The Alameda.
Lots vary in size, and proposed homes may be built on one parcel or two combined, Perkins said. Construction will be limited to single-family, market rate homes, though the city has not yet determined how much the lots will sell for.
Depending on staffing capacity, Perkins said city staff would like to see at least two dozen homes can be developed per year.
Some criteria apply:
- Homes must be owner-occupied for at least 10 years
- Construction must apply to city development code standards
- Initial site preparation, such as surveying, will be completed as part of the purchase
- Construction must be completed within one year, with the possibility of a six-month extension
Councilman Paul Lolli questioned whether the 10-year owner-occupancy requirement was sufficient.
“What we don’t want is these things to turn into rentals,” he said.
Mayor Elizabeth Slamka asked if there would be a homebuyer assistance program established, which Perkins said is not currently planned, though developers or those looking to own the home themselves can submit through the RFP.
City staff hope the proposals are visually attractive, enhance the suburban environment and complement the existing neighborhoods, according to Perkins.
When the RFP application period ends, staff will present selected proposals to council for approval.
“If there are many developers interested in one lot, we’ll pick the best one,” Perkins said.
Once approved, city staff will draft an ownership agreement and begin the process for development.
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