City Commission - Housing Workshop - 09/08/2025

The City of Lapeer held a housing workshop to discuss the future of the former White Junior High property on Jefferson Street 10:09. Denise Sonsky, the City's Director of Housing, presented findings from meetings held with six different developers in May 2025 12:18. The presentation detailed the financial complexities of modern development, emphasizing that developers often require specific incentives, such as Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LITC) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT), to make projects viable 12:40, 27:12.

City Manager Mike Womack followed with a presentation on policy recommendations from the Michigan Municipal League (MML) aimed at reducing "red tape" and encouraging diverse housing types 46:02. Key suggestions included allowing single-family home conversions into multi-unit dwellings, permitting backyard cottages, and streamlining the approval process via pre-approved "pattern book" house plans 49:52, 1:08:37.

The workshop concluded with a public comment period where residents expressed significant concerns regarding property values, the potential for increased crime or poverty due to high-density rentals, and the long-term impact of tax abatements on the city's tax base 1:39:09, 1:40:15, 1:22:41.

• Development of White Junior High Property: Reviewing developer interest and potential layouts for the vacant site 10:29, 1:13:32.
• Financial Incentives and Tools: Analysis of LITC, TIF/HTIF, PILOT, and NEZ as methods to attract developers 13:02, 15:15, 27:35.
• Area Median Income (AMI) and Affordability: Defining income brackets for extremely low, low, and moderate-income housing 13:26.
• MML Housing Recommendations: Strategies for increasing density, reducing parking mandates, and streamlining approvals 49:09, 51:33.
• Housing Diversity: The pros and cons of single-family homes versus multi-unit developments like duplexes, triplexes, and row housing 1:15:22, 1:16:26.

• Mike Womack: City Manager; facilitated the meeting and presented MML policy recommendations 9:47, 46:02.
• Denise Sonsky: Director of Housing for the City of Lapeer; presented developer feedback and financial tools 10:09.
• Andrew Rivers: City Commissioner (Chair); presided over the workshop and moderated discussions 1:46:38.
• Joshua C. Atwood: City Commissioner; noted for his role as Vice President of the Michigan Municipal League (MML) 48:18.
• Lynne McCarthy: City Commissioner; provided developer connections and expressed concerns regarding high-visibility low-income housing 1:43:27, 1:44:11.
• Dave Clayer: Resident of Oregon Township; raised environmental and rental density concerns 1:37:02.
• Austin Franelier: County Youth Chairman; expressed concerns regarding community stability and poverty 1:38:48.
• Neil Kovick: Local business owner; advocated for property ownership and duplexes over apartment complexes 1:40:15.

• Developer Meetings: Six developers were consulted to determine what features would make the Jefferson Street property attractive 12:18.
• Financial Definitions: Presentation of LITC (9% and 4%), TIF, and the use of PILOT agreements to fund operational costs 18:11, 14:30.
• Property Layout Concepts: Review of potential site configurations, including 32 single-family lots 1:14:40, 22 duplex lots 1:15:22, and row housing/townhome setups 1:15:44.
• Public Comment: A session where multiple community members voiced opposition to large-scale rental clusters and expressed fear regarding property value depreciation 1:37:02, 1:39:09, 1:40:15.

• Developer Interest: The city is seeking to understand why previous RFQs received little response and what specific incentives are required to attract developers to the city's vacant property 11:13, 23:15.
• Housing Shortage: The meeting addressed the lack of affordable "middle-income" and "workforce" housing for local professionals like teachers and nurses 11:58, 40:45.
• Economic Vitality: The discussion explored how increasing housing density could drive long-term tax revenue and population growth, despite the short-term loss of tax abatements 1:23:21.

• Density vs. Neighborhood Character: Debating whether the Jefferson Street property should feature high-density apartments or lower-density single-family/duplex units 1:16:26, 1:20:57.
• Tax Abatements and Revenue: The tension between providing tax incentives to attract developers and the potential loss of future property and income tax revenue 1:22:41, 1:30:27.
• Policy and Bureaucracy: Discussing how to reduce "red tape" and streamline the permitting and inspection processes to encourage development 46:23, 57:12.
• Social Impact of Housing Types: The debate over whether rental properties lead to transient populations and decreased property values compared to owner-occupied units 1:40:15, 1:41:18.

The sentiment from the community members present was largely cautious and skeptical. While there was interest in "starter homes" and duplexes, there was significant pushback against high-density apartment complexes and low-income housing in high-visibility areas. Residents expressed deep concerns regarding the potential for increased crime, poverty, and the erosion of property values 1:39:09, 1:40:15, 1:44:11.

• Commissioner Lynne McCarthy: "I would not move to something that was considered affordable or low income... Not because I'm affluent, but because that's not what I'm trying to move to... I think it's just too visual [for that location]" 1:43:48, 1:44:11.
• Austin Franelier: "We are turning a corner of our community into the ghetto... Be considerate of that. You guys want to see family housing... something where we get people who are nurses, that are teachers, that are community members" 1:38:48, 1:39:51.
• Neil Kovick: "People that you rent... don't have an investment. And that's not true of all of them. But for the most part, when you own a piece of property and it has value, you want to retain that value" 1:40:15.

• Developer Motivation: Why did the previous RFQ process receive so little interest from developers? 22:54
• Property Value: Has the White Junior High property been recently appraised to determine its current value? 27:57
• Environmental Safety: Given the history of the school building, are there ongoing concerns regarding soil contamination or the need for new environmental testing? 1:38:27, 1:29:03
• Financial Impact: If the city provides tax abatements for 15–45 years, how will this affect the long-term tax base and the ability to provide city services? 1:30:27