Weinland Park Community Civic Association

Housing Committee
Summary of Meeting of January 12, 2015
Matt Martin, committee chair, called the meeting to order at 6:09 p.m. at Godman Guild
Association. Attending the meeting were Erin Prosser, Sean Storey, Susan Colbert, Michael
Wilkos, Steve Sterrett, and three representatives of Green Mountain Clean Out Services: Sophia
Green, Steve White, and Curtis.
Erin Prosser reported on the south of Gateway project. Edwards Communities received input
from the University Area Review Board (UARB) in December on the proposed design for the
building along High Street and is continuing to work on that design. Edwards Communities will
not return to the UARB in January, but may bring revised plans to UARB in February. In
addition to the building along High Street, Edwards Communities plans to construct about 250
one- and two-bedroom units in the area east of Pearl Street. Ms. Prosser said Edwards
Communities will have two management teams; one for the student housing along High Street
and one for the rental units east of Pearl Street. If Community Housing Network receives lowincome housing tax credits for its new building, then it could begin construction this fall on the
east end of the property. Ms. Prosser said Campus Partners is engaging an engineer to determine
if three of Campus Partners single-family houses on the south of Gateway site could be moved
to other locations. Ms. Prosser said she will invite the representatives of Edwards Communities
to attend the February meeting of the WPCCA Housing Committee.
Ms. Prosser said Campus Partners initially acquired about 40 properties and vacant lots in
Weinland Park five to six years ago. Campus Partners purchased the properties with funding
from JPMorgan Chase Foundation, The Columbus Foundation, and Campus Partners. Some 23
properties remain in the portfolio, including a single-family home, duplexes, four-unit buildings
and vacant lots. She said Campus Partners is getting building permits for renovation of the
single-family houses at 1254 and 1314 North Fifth Street. Work on the houses could begin by the
end of February. She hopes the properties will go on the market in March or April. Ms. Prosser
said the housing market has improved to a point where Campus Partners would like to move
ahead with the selling all of the properties in the portfolio in 2015.
Susan Colbert asked the Weinland Park Collaborative to continue to seek housing opportunities
for families in Weinland Park who cant afford a market-rate house. She suggested talking with
Habitat for Humanity about constructing additional houses in Weinland Park. Mr. Martin
suggested renovation of the portfolios properties should proceed with a mix of market-rate and
affordable housing. In response to a question, Ms. Prosser said Community Properties of Ohio is
interested in acquiring duplexes for affordable housing, but further discussion is needed on
financing.

Michael Wilkos suggested that Ms. Prosser ask Joe Williams of Wagenbrenner Development to
talk further with the principals of Veliko Ventures about its properties in Weinland Park.
Ms. Prosser asked if committee members felt the neighborhood was comfortable with Campus
Partners moving forward with investigating how to sell the properties in the portfolio. Committee
members did not object, but Mr. Wilkos suggested a chart be developed with information on the
housing initiatives and future housing opportunities in Weinland Park. Ms. Prosser said she will
return to the Housing Committee in February with a chart as suggested by Mr. Wilkos and
questions related to housing that should be answered in 2015.
Mr. Wilkos said the Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) is willing to continue to do research on
the housing in Weinland Park and to help set housing priorities. Ms. Colbert said the Housing
Committee is supposed to consider the recommendations that GOPC made in its housing report
last spring.
Ms. Prosser asked if the committee was satisfied with offering the four-unit buildings in the
portfolio to Wagenbrenner Development, which is in a position to rehab the buildings in
conjunction with its work on Grant Commons. The buildings would be market-rate rental
housing. Committee members did not object.
Sean Storey noted a housing product sold today as affordable doesnt guarantee that when the
housing product is sold in later years it will be continue to be affordable. The committee talked
about the idea of a community land trust.
Steve Sterrett distributed a flyer from Wagenbrenner Development on the open house January 18
for the first apartments renovated in Grant Commons along East 11th Avenue.
Mr. Martin distributed information regarding the proposed 70-unit building for senior citizens
that would be built by The NRP Group on North Grant at East Fifth Avenue. The NRP Group
will apply for low-income housing tax credits to finance the building.
Mr. Sterrett shared a residents written suggestion for involving neighbors with snow removal in
Weinland Park.
The business of the committee being concluded, Mr. Martin adjourned the meeting at 7:24 p.m.

Summary prepared by Steve Sterrett.