PCDC Committee Meeting - January 27, 2026

The Planning and Community Development Committee (PCDC) met on January 27, 2026, to discuss a range of items including permitting transparency, tax increment financing (TIF) policy updates, resolutions of support for 2026 competitive 9% housing tax credits, and designation of two community land trusts. The meeting included public comments from residents opposed to a proposed four-story affordable housing development in Braun Station.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes from the previous meeting by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• David Martinez (District 7 resident) expressed opposition to the proposed Nuestra Tierra four-story, 65-unit apartment building on Gilbo Road, citing concerns about insufficient traffic infrastructure, lack of public transportation, and the bypassing of local zoning under SB 840. He questioned who determines “underutilized commercial areas” and who would pay for water, sewer, and road upgrades.
• Johnette McCart (President, Braun Station West HOA) opposed the project, noting 280 signatures from homeowners within 24 hours against the development. She asked whether the city could regulate building height (suggesting one or two stories) and require adequate parking and transportation.
• Laura Butterfield (Vice President, Braun Station West HOA) opposed the four-story design, arguing it would create an “us and them” dynamic. She requested that the developer lower the height to two stories, add screening walls, and involve the neighborhood in the process.
• James Stopper (Braun Station resident, home directly behind the proposed site) opposed the project, citing negative impacts on privacy, views, traffic congestion on Gilbo Road (a four-lane road without room for expansion), home values, and noise. He stated there are no tall structures within a three-mile radius and that a four-story building is inappropriate.

Discussion Items

• Permitting Transparency (Item 2): Development Services Director Amin Tomaz presented an overview of current processes, including online dashboards, stakeholder engagement, and performance metrics. For commercial permits, minor repairs take 1 business day; complex projects target 18 calendar days. For residential, new home permits target 3 business days; the FY25 average was 20 days (including customer response time). Councilmember Court criticized the presentation as “too rosy,” citing inconsistent information for infill projects, contradictory reviewer comments, and 73 cases in District One where residents received conflicting guidance. She requested disaggregated data for infill vs. suburban projects. Councilmember Castillo suggested a hyperlink to the Office of Historic Preservation and noted wage-related turnover in DSD. Councilmember Galvan asked for usage data on free pre-application consultations and expressed interest in expanding that team.
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Policy (Item 3): Veronica Garcia (NHSD) reviewed the current TIF policy (last updated December 2022), which includes a provision that projects should not cause “direct residential displacement.” The city also uses a Displacement Impact Assessment (DIA) scoring neighborhoods as low, moderate, or high risk. Councilmember Mungia raised that the recent baseball stadium project involved demolition of apartments (Soapworks) with a displacement fund, arguing it violated the spirit of the policy. Council members agreed to update the policy to define both direct and indirect displacement and require clear disclosure to council. Staff was directed to bring back a revised policy.
• 2026 Competitive 9% Housing Tax Credits (Item 4): Erica Ragsdale (NHSD) presented 16 applications received, with 4 withdrawn. Staff recommended resolutions of support for 12 projects: Emanuel Village, Judy and Julian at Vita, NHH Culebra, Nuestra Tierra (Vicino Group), Razor Lofts, Village at Ellison, Vista at Culebra, 111 West Travis (Robert E. Lee Building), Frio Bend, Westminster Square, and Woodlawn Pines. Three projects include high-quality pre-K. Two require waivers for proximity to existing tax-credit properties. The Nuestra Tierra project held a public meeting on January 29, 2026, to gather community input. Councilmember Court noted that even if the city issues support, state scoring determines funding; likely only 2–3 projects will be awarded. The committee voted unanimously to approve the resolutions.
• Community Land Trust (CLT) Designations (Items 5 & 6): Sarah Wamsley Estrada (NHSD) presented the first two CLT designations under the city’s October 2024 policy. Mock Development Fund CLT (serving Districts 4,5,6) aims for 55 homes in 5 years, with up to 10 homes in the first two years. It requested a 50% city property tax exemption on unsold homes. Culture Ringuá’s Silk Road CLT (serving Districts 1,6,7,8) aims for 24 homes by 2028 and did not request a tax exemption at this time. Both received Housing Trust technical assistance grants. The committee approved each designation by separate unanimous voice votes.

Key Outcomes

• Permitting: Staff to provide written follow-up on infill data, reviewer training, and NCD/historic permit coordination. No recommendation for major changes; further briefing may be scheduled.
• TIF Policy: City Attorney’s office, NHSD, and staff to draft revised policy with clear definitions of direct and indirect displacement, to be brought back to committee.
• Tax Credit Resolutions: Approved 12 resolutions of support for 9% housing tax credits. Projects will proceed to state application; awards expected July 2026.
• CLT Designations: Approved designation of Mock Development Fund CLT (with 50% property tax exemption for unsold homes) and Silk Road CLT (without exemption initially). Both must renew annually and report inventory. Next PCDC meeting scheduled for February 24, 2026.