EDC pushes ahead with housing plan
The Olney Economic Development Corporation approved a plan to spend up to $18,500 to help clear titles of city-owned lots that were purchased by a Jacksboro builder but have illegal structures encroaching on them. Crombie Properties of Jacksboro purchased ten lots from the City of Olney last year but soon discovered that at least two of the properties have neighboring structures built across the lot lines or other issues, EDC Executive Director and Mayor Pro Tem Tom Parker said.
“Four are buildable without issues, four need investigating and two need work because of encroachment,” he told the EDC board of directors at their Jan. 3 meeting.
Mr. Parker said the EDC housing committee was working with Brazos Title. and the Young County Appraisal District to resurvey and clear the titles so that Crombie can begin building badly needed housing. Most of the lots are in the northeast corner of Olney.
At least two of the lots may have to be replatted, including one in which a neighbor’s living room is built on a Crom- bie-owned lot, Mr. Parker said.
The builder needs clear titles to be able to insure and sell the completed homes, he said.
City Administrator Arpegea Pagsuberon pointed out that Crombie purchased the lots “asis” and as such, the City has no liability in the title problems.
Mr. Parker and other board members agreed that the EDC should help the builders get started in hopes that they create a housing supply that will encourage people who work at local employers to relocate to Olney and broaden the tax base.
Board member Kelly Mahler reported that he met with a Waco modular home builder whose duplexes could be appropriate for some of the foreclosed lots. The duplexes and other modular homes could be “affordable to teachers and coaches,” Mr. Mahler said. “They bring them in and hook them up to water and sewer and electricity,” he said. Although the City is trying to avoid modular homes because of their depreciation, they could qualify for city zoning if they had concrete or pier and beam foundations, Ms. Pagsuberon said.
The costs of such housing still may be too high for the Olney market but may be appropriate for rental units, Mr. Mahler said.
The EDC also discussed hiring a part-time advisor to help Olney residents apply for USDA home improvement loans and grants to repair and upgrade their homes. Mr. Parker said 20 or 30 residents began submitting applications for the program, which provides low-interest loans for low-income residents and grants for people over 62 years old. The application process proved too onerous for most of them and they abandoned their efforts, he said.