Story Category: The Bay Net Exclusives »

The St. Mary’s County Commissioners on Tuesday approved three grant applications aimed at workforce housing. The commissioners were recently criticized by the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce for not doing anything about the issue and a task force disbanded because of that.

During the discussion Tuesday several commissioners expressed reservations about the proposals. But Commissioner President Francis “Jack” Russell noted the criticism and said, “I see this as a golden opportunity to maintain some of the structures we have.”

Commissioner Cynthia Jones (R: 1st) strongly challenged Russell. She said, “I don’t agree that we haven’t looked at affordable housing.” She used as an example a request by the commissioners to the Housing Authority to provide more information about what the county can do to encourage the private sector to provide affordable housing.

But Jones did vote against one of the projects aimed at assisting a private enterprise to lower rents to continue to provide workforce housing. The 4-1 vote came on a motion to support the Housing Authority’s grant request to the Maryland Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for $515,000 for assistance in refinancing of Spring Valley Apartments so that the owner, Humphries Management, could lower rents for the tenants in the 128-unit complex. The grant from the state would be pass-through monies from the federal government.

Much of the discussion centered around Section-8 housing versus workforce housing Both Commissioners Todd Morgan (R: 4th) and Daniel Morris (R: 2nd) said they did not support the expansion of Section-8 subsidized housing, which often provides assistance to people unable to work, such as the handicapped and senior citizens.

Humphries Management Vice President/Development Tim Barila assured the commissioners their proposal was not intended to expand the number of Sectioin-8 units at the complex, but he added his company had nothing to do with the number of such units and they had to comply with federal housing laws. He insisted his complex was intended for working people.

In addition to the CDBG request for Spring Valley, the commissioners did support on a 5-0 vote the submission of a grant request to the Department of Housing and Community Development for tax exempt bond financing for the renovation of the Spring Valley Apartments, largely to upgrader their energy efficiency. That will also allow the complex to maintain lower rental prices to encourage workforce housing.

The commissioners did enthusiastically support the third grant request, also a CDBG submission, for $213,994 on behalf of Patuxent Habitat for Humanity. The monies would be used to move two houses and two garages that are in the way of the construction of FDR Boulevard and are currently owned by the county and rented on a month-to-month basis. The non-profit agency will move the units to their property in Patuxent Park and convert them into four workforce housing units.

Dan Doherty, a Patuxent Habitat board member, said the national organization, founded by former President Jimmy Carter, was committed to neighborhood revitalization, such as their Patuxent Park projects, including Chief’s Build I and the second Chief’s home now under construction.

Commissioner Morgan called the project “no brainer” and Morris agreed.

County Attorney George Sparling said a public hearing was required before the county could turn over the structures to Patuxent habitat, even though the structures would have otherwise been demolished for the road construction. The county will also have to obtain appraisals of the property.

Commissioner Lawrence Jarboe (R: 3rd) noted that the cost to the county would be recouped by having the homes on the property tax rolls. The vote for that grant request was 5-0, with Jones making the motion.