By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
BUCHANAN, MI – Two ordinances to encourage workforce housing development in the city of Buchanan are expected to come before the Buchanan City Commission in August. Public hearings are scheduled for Aug. 10 and 24 on the two ordinances.
Both ordinance proposals come after the city commission approved the sale of 12 city-owned lots to two developers, Allen Edwin and AStrong, in June. The majority of the lots are on the city’s north side and are expected to be the site of new duplexes being built.
The first public hearing on Aug. 10 will serve as an introduction of an amendment to the city’s Unified Development Code after a recommendation from the city’s Planning Commission. The planning commission discussed the proposal in May and held its own public hearing earlier this month.
Buchanan City Manager Tony McGhee said after last week’s meeting that the proposed ordinance amendment pertains to the rules governing the density of residential units allowed. He said the goal is to create additional affordable housing opportunities by increasing the density allowed on single family lots to include not only duplexes but multi-unit buildings.
He noted that Buchanan and many other cities have already seen numerous instances where single family homes have been converted into multiple unit homes. He said the new amendment would expand allowable uses in the zoning ordinance to include duplexes and multi-unit buildings on single residential lots in certain zoning districts.
McGhee emphasized that the ordinance amendment won’t automatically permit situations with higher residential density but sets down the rules where they could be allowed. He said one of the biggest concerns could be making sure enough parking would be available to residents of such developments.
The other public hearing will be for a new ordinance to allow for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) for developments promoting workforce housing. That public hearing and first reading of the new ordinance is scheduled for the commission’s Aug. 24 meeting.
McGhee said government financing available for new projects that support workforce housing typically come from the land having either a brownfield designation or a PILOT plan in place. He said that Allen Edwin in particular is interested in pursuing a PILOT agreement with the city.
The PILOT plan would allow a developer to pay a certain of percentage of gross annual rent income as a service charge to the city in lieu of paying property taxes. McGhee said that percentage is generally around 10 percent. It also requires the developer to provide housing to families with income at 120 percent of the area median income.
“It gives them a tax break in exchange for committing to maintain affordable housing in the community,” he said.
He noted that passing the PILOT ordinance would not mean an automatic granting of it to Allen Edwin or any other developer. Each PILOT agreement would have to be approved by the city commission.
In other action at last week’s commission meeting, commissioners approved the proposal from Peerless Midwest to cap and close one of the city’s municipal wells at a cost of $9,820. That 42-foot deep well hasn’t been in use since 2020 when high levels of manganese were found.
Commissioners also approved the purchase of a new mower for the city’s Oak Ridge Cemetery. It is being purchased from Weldy’s, a local company, for $8,685.98 and is the second of two mowers bought this year.
Earlier in July, commissioners approved a new 10-year contract for the city police department. The contract will cost the city a total of $329,096.98 over 10 years and save the city an estimated $172,704 compared to what the city is paying now. The new contract also includes camera equipment intended to monitor the Riverfront Park boat launch area.
The contract consolidates the agreements the police department has with the Axon company covering body-worn cameras, in-car digital video systems, Tasers, and digital evidence cloud access.
McGhee noted that the city relies on Axon for a number of critical public safety technology needs. Rather than continuing to operate under separate agreements, renewal schedules, and replacement cycles, this contract would consolidate those pieces into one long-term program. The commission’s action terminates the existing Axon contracts Sept. 1 and rolls all those services into one contract.
He said this approach creates a more predictable cost structure, ensures equipment remains current, and reduces the likelihood that the department will fall behind on replacement of equipment that is now central to law enforcement operations, transparency, officer safety, and evidence management.
He reported that a significant benefit of this structure is the Technology Assurance Plan (TAP). Under the plan, the city is not simply purchasing equipment and then waiting until it becomes outdated or fails. Instead, the agreement includes scheduled technology refreshes throughout the 10-year term.