City Delays Decision on Low Income Housing Project in Southwest San Angelo

Tuesday morning’s city council meeting started on a positive note, as Mayor Dwain Morrison gave recognitions and signed proclamations. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by a group of children from Angelo Catholic School. There were many bodies in attendance. The mood was warm, light and jubilant, until the mayor’s invitation for public comment.   

An item that was originally on the consent agenda was moved to the regular agenda because of the number of citizens that showed up to express their concerns. That item reads as follows:

Consideration of adopting a Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Angelo, Texas, in support of the application of Dischinger Development, LLC to be made to the housing tax credit program through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for an award and allocation of the 2015 Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program funds for the construction of eighty (80) affordable housing apartment units for low to moderate income citizens, known as Outlook at Valleyview, to be located at 2900 Valleyview Blvd.

In summary, the city is considering the addition of an apartment complex that would be constructed in the southwest side of town that provides housing based upon low income. The fact of the matter is that, that property is already zoned for a housing development; theoretically any apartment complex could be built on there, low income or not.

“I’ve told everybody that this was not zoned for apartments, that it would come back in a zoning meeting, and that is not true, it is already zoned RM1 to allow this to be built.” Mayor Morrison clarified. 

Additionally, Dischinger Development, LLC has asked that the normal permit fee ($14,000) for the construction of this type of dwelling be waived due to the fact that it’s being built for moderate- to low-income families.

”We’re talking about giving them credits for about $14,000 worth of fees, when in the first year the city would gain $62,000 in taxes back. I look at this strictly as an investment in our city, and also an investment in helping people that need to be spread throughout the city.” councilman Rodney Fleming said. A monthly lease payment at this complex is roughly estimated to be anywhere from $600-1,000 per month, making the maximum earnings that a household can gross per year to qualify $44,000 per year.

When asked her opinion of the proposal, Troi Middleton, member of the Southridge HOA, said, “I was raised in low income housing. I’m not saying that everybody that lives in low income housing is bad, but 90 percent of them are not good. I don’t want crime in my area. I built a $250,000 home because it’s a nice neighborhood, I didn’t think there would ever be low income housing in that area or I would not have made that investment. You don’t know who is going to be living in that housing for $700 a month, that’s poverty level. You are gonna have single moms with unsupervised kids running around doing who knows what.”

As Councilmen Rodney Fleming explained before open forum, he is the representive of 17,000 citizens living in that area of town. Out of those, he received about 40 phone calls from constituents protesting this matter.

“The phone calls I got yesterday, frankly, were very disheartening," Fleming said. "When I was listening to the prayer that the minister gave before this meeting, one of the things he said was to honor and glorify our God. And the phone calls I got yesterday were downright racist. People were calling and saying, 'I want that place on the north side where they belong.' I explained to them that you cannot do that, you cannot force low income people to all be together, that’s not even the American way, we want this to all be for everybody.

“When you are talking about this, if you are talking about low income people, (referring to the public comments at the podium) if you say anything racist when you get up here, I’m gonna ask they cut the microphone off," Fleming warned.  “I grew up in low income housing. So when you’re giving me this argument and saying those people are bad people, you were calling me a bad person, too. I don’t think that’s a stigma. I picked myself up, I put myself through school, I have a successful business now, I was elected as a city council member, and I’m proud to say where I came from. I don’t think that people that come from low income housing are bad people, I think they need a hand up. So that’s where I’m coming from and I hope that we can come to a resolution.”

Not everyone’s opinion was based on stereotypical propaganda. A chief concern among those heard was the fact that the public did not feel that they were informed of the issue. Many stated that they had just learned of the proposal last night. 

“I asked two weeks ago when this came up at the last council meeting that town halls be conducted in a location to hear from the citizens so that they could have their voice," councilwoman Charlotte Farmer said. "That hasn’t been done in the two-week timeframe."

There was mumbled agreement amongst the crowd. One lady even spoke out ,"We didn't know until last night through a neighborhood flyer!" A second woman then stood up and approached the podium. 

“I’m concerned about traffic, I’m concerned about security, I’m concerned about proximity to the school on the backside of Southwest, and I’m concerned about the nursing home right up the street," citizen Karen Rustmann told the council. "Those individuals need to be heard as I much as I do. I do not feel that our councilman, Mr. Fleming, has done that. We were not aware of any of this! No one has done anything to inform or advise us that this was a possibility, that this company had come in and wants fees waived. If they want this property so much, let them pay it. We do not give things for free.” she said to applause from the audience.

Continuing a chorus of shouts from the overcrowded chambers, one fiesty man pumped his fist in the air as he piped, "I called you and you never called me back!" The mayor interjected to remind everyone to keep things civil. 

“The reason I am hesitant to endorse this is because of what I feel is a market over-saturation. I do know that in this portion of town the tax credit properties that were built or were financed--Encino Park, Bent Tree, The Desert Shadows--those are all tax credit properties that were built in the southwest portion of town.” Charlotte Farmer said. “I do know that there 31 different properties in San Angelo, whether it be Myrtlewood Estates, Bent Tree, any of those that currently accept housing assistance programs that currently accept housing assist programs.  I am cautious as to what our needs are, and meeting our needs of our population now and in the future. I think we need to be very careful of our endorsement of over-building in our area. I happen to know what over-building does, and what these properties can draw in; unattended, unwatched habitations; the deterioration and the crowds that it can gather, that is my hesitation on it. I truly believe in not a hand out, but a help up, and that’s what you’re saying these folks would like to establish, but I really would like something in the game besides all borrowed, all tax dollar funds in this. So, I am opposed to the endorsement, and I’ve made that very clear." 

In conclusion, it was  unanimously decided to postpone a final decision until a town hall meeting is held at which the public will be able to not only express their concerns, but also voice opinions and ask questions of the developer.

“Most of you know, each of us represents anywhere from 15-16,000 people. The idea of being able to make a call to your personal residence is impossible, unless someone can figure out a way to do it", Councilwoman Elizabeth Grindstaff said. "I have public meetings monthly, I Facebook, and it’s still so easy to miss people. So, I implore you to watch council agendas and see what it is that affects your neighborhood. We discussed this two weeks ago, but there wasn’t anyone here to speak, maybe just a few people, so we left that day with a very different impression of what the community desires.”