During a special meeting yesterday (Thursday), the Carroll City Council voted unanimously to remove a property value cap from the community’s infill housing incentive program. Initially, the program awarded a $20,000 grant to new residential construction within specified neighborhoods in Carroll with a maximum value of $325,000, excluding land/infrastructure. At their Aug. 22 meeting, the council directed city staff to research and prepare an amendment to lift that cap to maximize potential construction. City Manager Mike Pogge-Weaver says they were able to draft a resolution that removes the $325,000-cap and also meets legal requirements for the use of public funds for housing programs with help from the city’s urban renewal and economic development attorney, Nathan Overberg.
In August, the city council approved a previous amendment to increase the program from 10 grants to 20 and allocated additional funding to cover the expense. They also added other neighborhoods to the program so that it would include nearly all of Carroll. Pogge-Weaver explains how the infill housing program would be applied after this latest amendment was approved.
He adds Rolling Hills is the only neighborhood not eligible for this particular program, but that is due to other incentives created for the area. Council members indicated they received almost zero negative feedback regarding the change. Mayor Mark Beardmore says he fully supports moving forward with this plan to address Carroll’s housing shortage.
While building permit applications have been limited at city hall since the program officially began just over a month ago, Pogge-Weaver notes the infill housing incentive program has generated plenty of buzz within the community. With the property value cap lifted, city officials are optimistic that more contractors will be drawn to Carroll for their next projects. Learn more about the program at www.cityofcarroll.com/housing-incentives.
