(A) Purpose and intent. It is the intent of Northampton County to work toward realistic and practical solutions for its workforce and affordable housing needs. The purposes of this section are:
(1) To establish an incentive to encourage developers to assist with solutions for housing needs;
(2) To establish development standards to assist land owners, developers, health department officials, and local housing officials in finding creative solutions for housing problems;
(3) To promote a full range of housing choices and to encourage the construction and continued existence of moderately priced housing.
(B) Affordable, low and moderate income (LMI), housing defined. In the context of this chapter the following definitions shall apply:
(1) AFFORDABLE HOUSING. Housing for individuals and families earning less than 120% of the area median income, as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(2) VERY LOW INCOME. Individual or family earning 50% or less of the current area median income;
(3) LOW INCOME. Individual or family earning 50% to 80% of the current area median income;
(4) MIDDLE INCOME. Individual or family earning 80% to 120% of the current area median income;
(5) LMI. An abbreviation for low and middle income used here to mean all three of the income categories defined above;
(6) WORKFORCE. Households whose primary source of income is from W-2 wages and whose income ranges between the weekly income available from a minimum-wage salary and the weekly income available from the current "average wage" salary as defined for Northampton County by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(C) Affordable housing oversight and planning. The Northampton County Board of Supervisors designates as its agent the Accomack-Northampton Regional Housing Authority, hereinafter "the agent." The agent is charged with the responsibility for:
(1) Ensuring that units said to be affordable LMI units meet that definition in fact;
(2) Assisting landowners and developers planning affordable LMI units;
(3) The agent for the Board of Supervisors shall report directly to the Board any violation of this provision and shall recommend enforcement action to the Zoning Administrator, who shall be responsible for carrying out such enforcement action.
(D) Affordable housing density bonus. When a rezoning application is made which includes the provision of affordable housing units (AHUs), the Board may approve a density increase up to 10% higher than otherwise allowed in the zoning district. In determining the percentage of increased density, the Board may consider the conformance of the proposed project with the Comprehensive Plan, the design of the project, the number of AHUs proposed, the community need for affordable and workforce housing in the area of the proposal, the impacts of the development, and whether the application and any proffers mitigate the impacts of the proposal.
(Ord. passed 4-12-2016)