Public housing project draws heavy fire

Westside residents oppose rezoning of property; council passes on first reading

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An overflow crowd packed City Hall on June 26 as the Kokomo Common Council heard a rezoning request for a public housing development on the city’s west side. The people were angry and vehemently opposed the project, but after more than two hours of debate, the council passed the measure on first reading, 5-3.

At issue is the intent of the Kokomo Housing Authority (KHA) to have property developer Advantix construct a public housing subdivision to replace the Garden Square Apartments on East Hoffer Street. Built in 1940, the complex has fallen into disrepair and does not meet current housing standards for accessibility. While few remonstrators refuted the need for new housing, they strongly opposed having it placed near their neighborhoods.

KHA director Derek Steele spoke to the council at length, explaining the role of the organization, detailing its history, and explaining the need for new public housing projects. The KHA currently is responsible for the maintenance and services provided at Garden Square. The intent is to turn over the maintenance of all KHA properties to RAD, a company the specializes in such activities and already has accepted responsibility for most of the KHA’s properties.

But Garden Square is unsalvageable, Steele contended, requiring the construction of a new public housing complex.

“Accessibility must be complied with,” said Steele. “At present there are no accessible units at Garden Square, and none of them can be made that way. They cannot have their doorways widened. They cannot have additional bathrooms added on the first floors. All of our two-bedroom units and three-bedroom units, their bathrooms are on the second floor. There is no way to meet the accessibility requirements.”

The replacement project, planned for a property at 3109 W. Sycamore St., has drawn much criticism from neighboring property owners. As with most remonstrations against new development, the detractors cited lowered property values, increased crime, and increased costs for public services as reasons for their opposition.

Steele refuted claims that the public housing brings a high rate of crime, claiming that “the number of service calls at Garden Square are less than the average per capita.” Later remonstrators rejected this claim, citing anecdotal evidence from affected residents. The nearby development of Autumn Trace Apartments, constructed more than 20 years ago, was used as their test case, as some residents experienced crime stemming from the apartment residents.

Steele also pointed out that some may hold misconceptions about who may live in public housing.

“A family of four in this community can make $63,100 and qualify for public housing,” said Steele. “That same qualification will apply to these units. There are multiple people in this room right now that would qualify for public housing assistance.”

When asked why the KHA chose the Sycamore Street property for public housing, Steele explained that his organization didn't have a say in the selection process for Sycamore Street or a sister project along North Market Street on the city’s north side. Incidentally, the North Market Street project, located in a more urban setting and bordering an industrial area, did not receive the same remonstrance.

“We did not have direct involvement in selecting these two individual properties,” said Steele. “We were involved in discussions about multiple properties, and whether or not any of those were satisfactory.”

How 3109 W. Sycamore St. was selected became a topic of discussion. Brian Caldwell, a remonstrator living near the proposed development, claimed the site wasn’t on the original list of prospective locations.

“The mayor himself has told one of our citizens that the city was provided a large list of properties and that 3109 was not on it,” said Caldwell. “How did that property get on that list? We'd like to see some transparency … Responsibility for this decision doesn't seem to be accepted by any entity in our government.”

The city administration’s role in the development was brought into question. When Councilman Matt Grecu asked Steele if the KHA was willing to work with the administration on how the Sycamore Street property would be used, Steele explained that Mayor Tyler Moore actually has control of the process.

“Our plans get sent to the mayor,” said Steele. “My board is appointed entirely by the mayor. And we work closely with the city administration to make sure that our goals match the city administration's goals for development. We will continue to commit to the city to make sure that any development of the Garden Square property meets the city's goals.”

Caldwell also expressed concerns that the Kokomo Plan Commission’s Board of Zoning Appeals helped guide Advantix through the process on June 13 by “coaching” the developer on what steps should be taken to ensure the project's passage. He also claimed that a city council member told him directly that the project shouldn't have been brought before the council because a plan commission member wasn't even sure what they were voting on in the June 13 meeting.

"Clearly, this should not be in front of you right now," said Caldwell. "And it's very, very frustrating to see that happen over here tonight ... What we've experienced over the past few weeks reveals a process for building and land management to be complicated and confusing …

“The real winners in the choice of 3109 are not families who need the assistance and are not residents in the area. The individuals involved in the sale of the real estate, case development, and the ongoing construction are the winners. A very large sum of money will be made in this venture by these individuals that are selling this property …

“There are hundreds of us who are communicating with you. We're not trying to force an issue, but we want to ask you to be certain that this process is not flawed and is being carried out appropriately. There seems to be no transparency in this process.”

After hearing testimony, the council voted. Council members David Capshaw, Kara McKibben, and Tom Miklik voted against the project’s rezoning. Council members Joni DeLon, Tony Stewart, Greg Davis, Ray Collins, and Matt Grecu voted in favor. The rezoning will be heard on second reading by the council on July 10 at 6 p.m.