By Gabriel Tynes
Developers can begin breaking ground on the county?s workforce housing project after the Board of County Commissioners approved Regional Utility?s proposal to turn excess real estate into an affordable subdivision and school site. The project was largely presented to and debated by the board last month, but it was approved Tuesday with little fanfare.
Regional Utilities, which provides water and sewer service for the majority of south Walton County, said they recognized the need for affordable housing once they discovered as many as 80 percent of their own employees commute from outside the county to work. They have set aside 400 of 2,200 acres of a spray field east of Freeport for the project, which will also be serviced with city sewage and water.
Regional Utilities and its contracted developer, Lloyd Blue, have decided that the project will be managed by a non-profit entity elected by the BCC. Dewey Wilson, CEO of Regional Utilities, said the development will be paid for with bonds and state grants. Blue also donated $80,000 toward preservation of future school property on the site.
Because the utility bought the land years ago for a low price, they project that houses will be available for no more than $120,000 each. In return, the utility is asking for compensation in the amount of $3,200 per lot, which would be covered in the closing costs of each purchase. For school land, the school district would be asked to compensate Regional Utility?s prorated purchase price of $2,049 per acre.
?Still, people may not even have to make a down payment,? Wilson said.
The next step in the project would be to elect a board to lead the non-profit corporation for workforce housing. Blue disagreed with a suggestion to elect one member of the BCC, arguing that no member of the commission is on Regional Utility?s board, and any such appointment should be a non-voting member to avoid conflicts of interest. Several players in the proposal have mentioned that the county?s Human Resource Director Gary Mattison as a board director, or Bonnie McQuisten of the Walton County Taxpayer?s Association.
The corporation will also determine who is qualified for the housing. Current indications seem to assume that applicants must be current, moderate income residents of the county or employees of essential services. Phase one of the development, which may begin as soon as January, includes 306 homes sites and a few recreational areas. There is no information as when a school may be built on the site.
Developers can begin breaking ground on the county?s workforce housing project after the Board of County Commissioners approved Regional Utility?s proposal to turn excess real estate into an affordable subdivision and school site. The project was largely presented to and debated by the board last month, but it was approved Tuesday with little fanfare.
Regional Utilities, which provides water and sewer service for the majority of south Walton County, said they recognized the need for affordable housing once they discovered as many as 80 percent of their own employees commute from outside the county to work. They have set aside 400 of 2,200 acres of a spray field east of Freeport for the project, which will also be serviced with city sewage and water.
Regional Utilities and its contracted developer, Lloyd Blue, have decided that the project will be managed by a non-profit entity elected by the BCC. Dewey Wilson, CEO of Regional Utilities, said the development will be paid for with bonds and state grants. Blue also donated $80,000 toward preservation of future school property on the site.
Because the utility bought the land years ago for a low price, they project that houses will be available for no more than $120,000 each. In return, the utility is asking for compensation in the amount of $3,200 per lot, which would be covered in the closing costs of each purchase. For school land, the school district would be asked to compensate Regional Utility?s prorated purchase price of $2,049 per acre.
?Still, people may not even have to make a down payment,? Wilson said.
The next step in the project would be to elect a board to lead the non-profit corporation for workforce housing. Blue disagreed with a suggestion to elect one member of the BCC, arguing that no member of the commission is on Regional Utility?s board, and any such appointment should be a non-voting member to avoid conflicts of interest. Several players in the proposal have mentioned that the county?s Human Resource Director Gary Mattison as a board director, or Bonnie McQuisten of the Walton County Taxpayer?s Association.
The corporation will also determine who is qualified for the housing. Current indications seem to assume that applicants must be current, moderate income residents of the county or employees of essential services. Phase one of the development, which may begin as soon as January, includes 306 homes sites and a few recreational areas. There is no information as when a school may be built on the site.
