(A) The city will evaluate each complete project application to determine whether or not to certify the proposed project. The city's preference is that projects include low-income housing as defined by this chapter.
(B) A project to qualify for city certification must satisfy each of the following minimum criteria:
(1) The project must be entirely located within an approved VHDZ. A VHDZ does not obligate the city to certify a project as qualifying for the VHDZ partial tax exemption.
(2) The city will strive to inform non-profit agencies about the city's VHDZ program and preference for low-income housing. The city will allow the use of project-based vouchers as an eligible source of providing low-income affordable housing.
(3) The project must include one or more equalized floors as determined by the city. If a project has at least one equalized floor of low income residential housing the taxable value of the land necessary for the project may be certified for partial tax emption. Land not necessary for the project may not be certified for partial land tax exemption.
(4) The project must be comprised of a multiple-story building, or a group of buildings, including at least one multiple-story building, so that a portion of the project is to be used for non-residential uses and a portion of the project is to be used for residential use.
(5) A portion of the project must be committed for residential use and a portion of the project must be committed to non-residential use. The commitment to non-residential use must be accomplished as follows:
(6) At least 50% of the project's ground floor that fronts on the primary public street must be committed to non-residential use. If a project has access to only one public street, the square footage of driveways, loading docks, bike storage, garbage and recycling receptacles and building entryways shall be excluded before applying the 50% test. For the project's ground floor to be considered committed to non-residential use, all ground floor interior spaces that front on the primary public street must be constructed to building code standards for commercial use. Such ground floor interior spaces on the primary public street may be used for commercial purposes and/or live-work units upon completion. The non-residential component of the live-work unit must have an entry to street level entrances of the project.
(C) The primary public street shall be the highest order street in the city's street classification system or as otherwise determined by the Director after consultation with the applicant. The Director's decision as to the primary public street shall be final.
(Ord. 2018-03, passed 7-17-2018)