The agenda for Monday night’s Bridgeport City Council meeting included review and consideration of an economic development grant to the proposed Lodgeville Estates.

 

The 12-building, 96-unit housing development is to be constructed along Lodgeville Road, just above Jenkins Subaru-Hyundai and adjacent to Interstate 79. Earlier this year, the property was rezoned from business to residential use. Since then, the Bridgeport Development Authority recommended to Council that the economic development grant for 50 percent of construction costs be awarded to the project. That grant is one of three business incentives offered by the city.But with regard to housing, it's new ground. 

 

As Council approached the subject Monday night, Councilor Diana Cole Marra recommended that it be postponed until more information could be gathered. That process, she said, will be beneficial to form a better set of standards when like future requests are made.

 

“I just think the development authority and Council should formalize a program so when these situations are brought forth, they can be evaluated and considered,” she said. “I would like for the staff to go back and look more specifically at the application process and make sure enough information is available.”

 

It’s a good opportunity, Marra said, to lay the groundwork for a formalized program.

 

Councilor Jeff Smell, also a member of Bridgeport Development Authority, echoed those concerns.

 

“It was my understanding that we took applications prior to going before the development authority and I’m not sure we saw all of those pieces in place,” he said.

 

City Manager Kim Haws said the last time the matter was discussed, there was some concern by Council about being “backed into a box.”

 

“They wanted a little bit of freedom to be able to make (case by case) decisions and not be tied to details,” he said.

 

He recommended that staff develop a process for evaluating the requests.

 

“It won’t be black and white, but we can evaluate what impact it would have on the city,” he said. “We did that a little bit with Heritage Farms, identifying it in the comprehensive plan as a real need in our community. It’s kind of unusual for a municipality across the U.S. to incentivize housing, but I can see that being effective. We can use this tool to stimulate not only industrial development, etc., but also housing.”

 

City Attorney Dean Ramsey said the city does need a uniform way in presenting incentives to businesses coming into the city.

 

The matter will be revisited at a future meeting of Bridgeport City Council.