ORDINANCE 07-2023 - AN ORDINANCE to take effect immediately provided it receives the affirmative vote of at least five (5) members of Council, or otherwise to take effect and be in force after the earliest period allowed by law, amending Sections 1121.09(a) Single-Family Maximum Lot Area Coverage, 1123.09(a) Single- and Two-Family Maximum Lot Coverage, and 1133.06 Conversion of Single-Family Structure Prohibited of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Lakewood in order to update the provisions. (1st read and referred to PC & HPD 3/20/23)
The repeal of 1133.06 "Conversion of Single-Family Structure Prohibited. No single-family structure shall be converted to or enlarged or altered to accommodate more than one (1) family." is not in the interest of the community and most homeowners. However, it will benefit landlords, and incentivize them to carve single family homes into multifamily.
This proposal is an opportunity for landlords to buy and split single family homes into multifamily and continue to charge high rents. Investors competing to buy more properties will make homeownership less affordable, inhibiting further wealth accumulation in our community.
Section 5, "This ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, property, health, safety and welfare in the City and for the usual daily operation of the City" appears to misrepresent the timing and impact of this proposal.
Property values may decline and lower tax revenues. Duplexes tend to sell for less than single family homes, because they are valued by their rental income rather than the demand (mortgage financing) of owner-occupiers.
Residents may be incentivized to leave. Street parking will also become increasingly congested and frustrate the community and its visitors. If landlords do not maintain these properties as well as owner-occupiers, wealthier community members may move to nicer neighborhoods, further reducing tax revenues.
The proposal is unlikely to impact the affordability of rents, because landlords will continue to have to pay their own expensive mortgages, and the increase in supply of rental units will be insignificant compared to demand in the region and elevated costs of housing across the country. In short, rents have climbed higher as home prices increased across the country; a few dozen more duplexes isn't going to move the needle on affordability.
I have no issue with allowing 10% more building onto residences.
This is a sweeping zoning change that is not backed up by solid research/best practice. At the very least a test study needs to be undertaken. The city alone has other avenues to provide affordable housing alternatives and it has not done so. [New apartment buildings are approved by the city - but not affordable.] It is not acceptable to shift this burden onto the backs of taxpaying homeowners. This creates more rental property in a city already overburdened with absentee landlords [See Section 3.- the landlord windfall.] Another question: How will increasing the maximum lot area coverage from 25% to 35% affect the consent decree the city signed on 10/22/2022 with the U. S. Government and the State of Ohio for Lakewood’s ongoing violations of the Clean Water Act from 2016-present? https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Interim-Partial-Consent-Decree.pdf
The repeal of 1133.06 "Conversion of Single-Family Structure Prohibited. No single-family structure shall be converted to or enlarged or altered to accommodate more than one (1) family." is not in the interest of the community and most homeowners. However, it will benefit landlords, and incentivize them to carve single family homes into multifamily.
This proposal is an opportunity for landlords to buy and split single family homes into multifamily and continue to charge high rents. Investors competing to buy more properties will make homeownership less affordable, inhibiting further wealth accumulation in our community.
Section 5, "This ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, property, health, safety and welfare in the City and for the usual daily operation of the City" appears to misrepresent the timing and impact of this proposal.
Property values may decline and lower tax revenues. Duplexes tend to sell for less than single family homes, because they are valued by their rental income rather than the demand (mortgage financing) of owner-occupiers.
Residents may be incentivized to leave. Street parking will also become increasingly congested and frustrate the community and its visitors. If landlords do not maintain these properties as well as owner-occupiers, wealthier community members may move to nicer neighborhoods, further reducing tax revenues.
The proposal is unlikely to impact the affordability of rents, because landlords will continue to have to pay their own expensive mortgages, and the increase in supply of rental units will be insignificant compared to demand in the region and elevated costs of housing across the country. In short, rents have climbed higher as home prices increased across the country; a few dozen more duplexes isn't going to move the needle on affordability.
I have no issue with allowing 10% more building onto residences.
This is a sweeping zoning change that is not backed up by solid research/best practice. At the very least a test study needs to be undertaken. The city alone has other avenues to provide affordable housing alternatives and it has not done so. [New apartment buildings are approved by the city - but not affordable.] It is not acceptable to shift this burden onto the backs of taxpaying homeowners. This creates more rental property in a city already overburdened with absentee landlords [See Section 3.- the landlord windfall.] Another question: How will increasing the maximum lot area coverage from 25% to 35% affect the consent decree the city signed on 10/22/2022 with the U. S. Government and the State of Ohio for Lakewood’s ongoing violations of the Clean Water Act from 2016-present? https://www.lakewoodoh.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Interim-Partial-Consent-Decree.pdf