Special Thanks to Michael French from the MDJ for this story!

MARIETTA - Ward 5 City Councilman Anthony Coleman on Monday blasted plans by the city’s housing authority to build only 15 affordable single-family detached homes in the eventual 50-home Lyman Homes redevelopment, saying it’s not enough.

In a letter to the MHA Board of Commissioners, Coleman said the authority promised to invest sale proceeds from the Clay Homes redevelopment by Winter Properties in building more affordable housing units in his ward.

“Lyman Homes is your opportunity to meet that commitment,” he said. “I will not support any proposal that does not reserve at least 20 units for low- and moderate-income homeowners and first-time homebuyers.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development generally defines “affordable housing” as homes priced at $250,000 and less.

Coleman said 20 affordable homes in Lyman would replace only 5 percent of the public housing that has been removed since demolition of the former Johnny Walker Homes and Clay Homes and the eventual demolition of Lyman Homes.

Johnny Walker Homes, a 12-acre site demolished in 2003, contained 100 public housing units. Atlanta-based Myrick Co. plans to rebuild it into a mixed-use development that includes 50,000 square feet of retail space, 45 condominiums, 58 townhouses and 18 single-family detached houses.

Meeting Park, the former Clay Homes, which breaks ground today, contained 132 public housing units on its 12-acre site. Winter Properties plans to rebuild the site as a mixed-use development with 166 condominiums, 32 townhouses and nine single-family residences.

Lyman Homes contains 125 public housing units, and the MHA is in the process of relocating residents so it can begin demolition early next year.

MHA Executive Director Ray Buday said about 60 of the 125 families have moved and all residents would be moved shortly after Jan. 1.

MHA Chairwoman Cathy Kampa said families are not being tossed out on the street, but are excited about the possibility to move into affordable homes.

Buday said the 15 affordable homes planned for the 50-unit site near Cherokee and Montgomery streets represents 30 percent of the redevelopment there.

“We think it’s a good percentage,” he said, adding that they did not add any more affordable units to avoid clustering low-income housing.

“You don’t want them all congregated,” he said.

Ms. Kampa said in a letter to Coleman that the MHA plans to provide additional affordable housing in the Lyman-Allgood area around its Lyman Homes site.

“We urge you to take into consideration our full intent to provide a similar proportion of affordable housing throughout the entire Lyman-Allgood area, so that in two, three or four years there are many more than 20 affordable units in that part of town,” she said. “We are going to be doing more in (Coleman’s) ward, just not necessarily at the (Lyman) site.”

Coleman said he is skeptical of efforts outside the Lyman Homes site, where the housing authority only owns a few lots, far fewer than the 20 lots it would need to build affordable housing.

“They don’t own anything outside Lyman,” he said. “I’m not interested in them doing anything outside of Lyman.”

Ms. Kampa said the affordable houses would be blended with market-priced houses in the neighborhoods.

“We want to spread out our affordable houses,” she said. “We want to use (Lyman Homes) as a model community.”

Coleman said he did not want the majority of the redeveloped Lyman Homes site to be market priced, but below $250,000 to attract younger families and city and school district employees.

“I will not support any proposal that enables the majority of new housing in Lyman Homes to be developed as ‘market rate’ without restriction,” he said.

Coleman added he would consider the developments in the Allgood Road area Ms. Kampa proposed.

“I will keep an open mind on supporting that type of approach,” he said. “Only if it results in more affordable housing, more workforce housing and faster redevelopment of Allgood Road.”

Housing authority board member Pete Waldrep said adding more affordable houses to the Lyman Homes site is not out of the question.

“We could get some more in Lyman,” he said. “The standard is 20 (percent) to 25 percent. We kicked it up to 30 percent. That could be tweaked additionally.”

Coleman said he would like to see 100 percent of Lyman Homes become affordable housing.

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” he said. “That’s what the need is.”

He said city and school employees need homes to live in within the city limits.

Ms. Kampa said the housing authority is prepared to provide downpayment assistance to city employees for home purchases.

Mayor Bill Dunaway said he is confident the authority is providing adequate affordable housing in its redevelopment plans.

“I think the MHA is committed to building affordable housing in that area,” he said.