Dare Board picks two partners for essential housing

During its Feb. 22 meeting, the Dare County Board of Commissioners took a step forward in its years-long efforts to develop more essential housing to the county by selecting a private partner to identify land or lands for the project and then design, develop and manage the property.

The board unanimously voted to select the newly formed Raleigh-based Coastal Affordable Housing, LLC. consortium to oversee the county’s affordable housing efforts using the $35 million pot of money the state allocated to the county last year to do so.

As part of the same action, the board also voted to enter into talks with a second company, the Ohio-based Woda Cooper Companies, LLC., about potentially pushing forward to develop an affordable housing project on the county-owned Bowsertown property using the $8 million the county has dedicated to essential housing.

Woda Cooper Companies and Coastal Affordable Housing are the two private partners the commissioners were deciding between after their Capital Improvement Projects Committee had whittled down a number of contenders.

“This motion would incorporate the strengths of both parties, both organizations,” said Commissioner Rob Ross at the Feb. 22 meeting. “And in my opinion, we would be able to frankly take advantage of two outstanding organizations that could bring a lot of good to Dare County and its citizens that we continue to see and hear are in such dire need of affordable, safe, clean housing.”

Coastal Affordable Housing, LLC., which was formed last November, is made up of partners that include SfL+a Architects, Metcon general contractors, Timmons Group as the engineers, and Doug Brindley of Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales, who will serve as the leasing and property management agent. Jordan Hennessy, of Pamlico Management Group is one of the handful of principals in the consortium and has been identified as the group’s main point of contact. Hennessy, well known in local political circles, had been a top aide to former State Senator Bill Cook.

In its December response to Dare County’s request for qualifications, Coastal Affordable Housing, LLC committed to providing at least 400 affordable housing units by May of 2023 and in a second phase, building an additional 400 using private activity bonds. The group also indicated that it was interested in constructing 1,000 dormitory style beds for summer/J-1 workforce housing.

While county officials and Coastal Affordable Housing, LLC. have looked at several properties in the county, there have not been any yet selected for the project, County Manager Bobby Outten told the Voice.

As for the Bowsertown property, Outten indicated that the county is still hoping to develop the site for affordable housing and reach an agreement with the Town of Manteo to connect to its wastewater system. Last month, in a move that seemed to be a significant setback for the 120-mixed unit development, the town rejected a bid from the county for such a connection.

“We are still talking to Manteo, we are still hopeful that we can make something that makes sense to them and makes sense to us,” Outten stated.