Hays city commissioners on Thursday will consider approving a change they supported last week in the Rural Housing Improvement District section of the city's economic development policy.
The amendment was requested by Doug Williams, Grow Hays executive director, who presented a plan for 75 units of affordable housing to be built in east Hays.
The collaborative project calls for four phases of construction at 22nd and Wheatland.
The homes would cost between $175,000 and $225,000, a price Williams showed commissioners would be affordable for families with the Ellis County median annual income of $50,592.
The current RHID policy requires 10 renter-occupied low-income or income-qualified units.
Williams says that requirement needs to be eliminated for this project to work.
"Clearly, this is not an apartment-type development," he said.
"It's single-family homes only, somewhere in the 1,150 to 1,350 square foot range, three bedrooms, two baths, two-car garage. Some of them with basements, some of them without."
Typically, a new housing development requires a minimum square footage for each home. This development will likely have a maximum square footage, according to Williams, to keep the prices within the promoted cost range.
"The intent is for Heart of America to keep a pretty tight rein on how this is taking place," Williams said.
Heart of America Development Corp., an investment consortium in Ellis County, has agreed to use its resources to support the concept as have multiple local financial lenders and four builders.
"They're not going to sell it to lot speculators," Williams stressed.
"They'll be sold probably four at a time so a builder is going to commit to four homes at a time. The developer will approve the floor plans and price range this is ultimately going to sell for."
The commission expressed its support of the project during the Jan. 16 work session and will vote tonight on the requested RHID amendment.
Other agenda items include:
* Rezoning request of a portion of 700 W. 48th from C-2 (Commercial General District) to A-L (Agriculture District). The property was formerly Mid-Kansas Auto Auction.
* Rezoning request from A-L (Agriculture) to C2 (Commercial General District) for a tract of land owned by Hess Land LLC and a tract of land owned by the city of Hays located at 5809 230th Ave. The property will become part of the proposed travel plaza to be built north of the Interstate 70 Exit 157.
* Pool reimbursement request from Hays Recreation Commission for the 2019 pool loss amount of $26,298.31
The Jan. 23 meeting agenda is available here. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.