Galveston Housing Authority announced plans to build 20 duplexes, like those at The Oaks, across the street at the site of the Palm Terrace development.
GALVESTON — Planning commission members Tuesday agreed to take public comment and weigh all alternatives, including a plan proposed by a neighborhood group, before approving Galveston Housing Authority’s plan to rebuild public housing.
The housing authority must submit its redevelopment plan to the planning commission, which, under the city charter, is required to approve or disapprove of all public housing plans. The commission will make its recommendation to the city council for final approval.
Tuesday, the housing authority’s executive director and board chairman presented the planning commission with a proposal to build 20 duplexes on the two-block site where the Palm Terrace public housing development stood before Hurricane Ike. The duplexes, which will mirror those already at The Oaks, a mixed-income development at 4300 Broadway that opened in 2007, are separate from the agency’s overall redevelopment plan and should be considered separately, housing authority officials argued.
Planning commission members did not agree. Instead, commission members said they wanted to see the “big picture,” a comprehensive plan that outlines in detail the agency’s proposal to rebuild the 569 units of public housing occupied before Hurricane Ike struck Galveston on Sept. 13, 2008. Specifically, commission members said they wanted to know:
• Why the agency needed to rebuild 569 units;
• How many displaced public housing residents intend to come back;
• Who public housing should serve, including questions about reserving public housing for students;
• How public housing will be integrated into the community, including transportation, connectivity between neighborhoods, and the creation of amenities, such as parks and recreational facilities.
On Tuesday, commission members did not take action on the agency’s plan to rebuild 40 one-bedroom houses, identical to The Oaks. Instead, commission members agreed to hold a public workshop and invite all those interested in public housing to share their opinions about rebuilding public housing at the sites of all four developments — Cedar Terrace, Oleander Homes, Magnolia Homes and Palm Terrace — that were razed after they were flooded by Hurricane Ike.
The commission tentatively set the hearing date for Dec. 15. Residents will be allowed three minutes each; organized groups will be allowed to give 15-minute presentations.
When considering presentations by groups, the planning commission specifically referenced a proposal by the Galveston Alliance of Island Neighborhoods. The alliance’s plan calls for decreasing density at Cedar Terrace, 2914 Ball St., and Oleander Homes, 5228 Broadway, but recommends greater density at Magnolia Homes, 1601 The Strand. The alliance also calls for renovating existing vacant houses and earmarking some public housing for low- to moderate-income students.
Rebuilding public housing is one of the biggest recovery issues in Galveston because redevelopment, done correctly, could revitalize stagnant neighborhoods north of Broadway, Chula Ross Sanchez, vice chairwoman of the commission, said.
“You’re our biggest developer,” Sanchez told housing authority officials Tuesday. “You are our opportunity. And you have a great opportunity to do something wonderful.”
The housing authority has hired a contractor to build the duplexes at the former Palm Terrace site, 4400 Sealy St. However, the agency must await planning commission approval before moving forward with the $2.8 million project. The duplexes will house low-income elderly or disabled people.
The Galveston Housing Authority board is accepting public comment on its plan to rebuild three other public housing developments flooded during Hurricane Ike. The last hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. The board is expected to approve a redevelopment plan in December.
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At A Glance
WHAT: Galveston Housing Authority redevelopment plan final public hearing
