A public hearing for the Heritage Park Apartment Project, a waterfront mixed-use development project, was held Thursday at City Hall, bringing Sanford residents to share their opinions about the proposed development.
The estimated $100 million project has been discussed for several years, with a deal for the property between Sanford Waterfront Partners, the property developers, and the City of Sanford being signed in 2017. The site stretches over three blocks from 1st Street to East Seminole Boulevard in downtown Sanford.
According to the Sanford Waterfront Partners, current project plans incorporate 22 new buildings across 5.5 acres and will include 235 rental residential units and 37,989 square feet of space to be used for commercial space such as shops and restaurants. The rental living spaces will include lofts, luxury residential apartments, townhomes, and live-work units. About 20 percent of the units will be affordable housing, totaling about 47 units.
The goal of the project is to create a “walkable, bikeable urban project that goes back to the history of Sanford,” said Richard Heisenbottle, the executive manager of Sanford Waterfront Partners.
The Sanford Waterfront Partners are seeking $75 million in tax-exempt bond loans from the Capital Trust Authority (CTA), who held the public hearing Thursday.
After the hearing was called to order and instructions were read, CTA Executive Director Denis McKinnon read emails he received from members of the public, then opened the floor for public comment.
The general consensus from residents who sent emails and who spoke in person was they were not in favor of the project because of the affordable housing component.
Some said they had issues with the affordable housing part of the project because it was not a part of the original development plans or because individuals in affordable housing wouldn’t be able to support the businesses in downtown Sanford.
During the hearing residents questioned the difference between affordable housing, low-income housing and Section 8 – a federal voucher program to assist low-income families.
Affordable housing is defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as housing that costs an owner or renter no more than 30 percent of the gross income, while low-income housing is for individuals earning 80 percent or below an area’s median income.
Affordable housing was added to the Heritage Park Project plans in 2019.
One resident questioned Heisenbottle if developers added affordable housing to the building plans so they could get financing for the project. To which Heisenbottle responded it was the “most financially viable option for the project.”
Residents stated on record that including affordable housing for the property in downtown Sanford “would be a drawback.”
“Low-income housing is not needed or desired,” stated one resident through email. Another said they support the bonds being used, but not for low-income housing.
An email read by McKinnon stated that a lawsuit was filed because the low-income housing portion wasn’t a part of the original plan for the Heritage Park Project and doesn’t fit downtown Sanford.
A small few publicly said that they think adding low-income housing would be a good thing and a benefit to the community.
“I think it’s an important project that will bring business to downtown Sanford Monday, through Friday,” said one resident.
Other concerns raised by the public included the desire for the project to include more options for property ownership versus only offering rental properties.
“Is this the best use of prime real estate for Sanford residents?” questioned Nancy Groves, a local real estate agent.
Groves said she feels like the project is being rushed because the contract is almost up. She’s also worried the CTA would run out of money and Sanford will be stuck with the unfinished project. The current contract between the City of Sanford and Sanford Waterfront Partners expires in 2025.
Several residents said they want a new developer to work on the project.
Kareem Spratling, the bond counsel for CTA who was present for the hearing, said that CTA isn’t going to want to finance a project if the public doesn’t want it.
Though the meeting was not hosted by or for the Sanford City Commission, a stenographer was present to record the meeting. Those notes will be delivered to the commission.
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