Though a recent spate of high density projects in the Fifeville neighborhood have run into serious snafus, in large part because of neighborhood dissent, the local chapter of the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity is looking to add 23 units to the neighborhood. Joining with private developers, Habitat will appear September 13 before the City Planning Commission to amend a planned unit development that would bring a total of 39 units along Hanover Street, between Cherry Avenue and the UVA hospital.
The 39 units will be split in three affordability ranges: 18 for low income, 10 to 12 for mid-range, and 9 to 11 for market rate.
Private partners will get the market-rate portion of the 3.5 acre property. One of those developers, Mary Newton, is a real estate agent with a social work degree who says she’s excited by the idea of having a mixed-income community.
“I think heterogeneously mixed neighborhoods are more vibrant,” says Newton. “I like the idea of having market rate houses next to Habitat homes, and having it all on one city block.”
Newton anticipates pricing the three-bedroom houses between $350,000 and $450,000. The Habitat homes, if they follow the organization’s usual practice, will be priced so that a family, after working to put in “sweat equity,” can purchase one with an $80,000-150,000 interest-free mortgage. Newton is confident that the proximity to UVA and other urban benefits will outweigh any class snobbery.
“In reality, you have that mix anyway,” says Newton. “There are all these little physical barriers, but you have all these situations where [differently priced houses] are right close to each other. This is just by design.”
Neighborhood Planner Brian Haluska says that there have been some questions about the density of the project, but lauds the idea of income integration. “I think it helps with neighborhood cohesion,” says Haluska. “They want the new houses to be fairly seamless with the surrounding neighborhood.”
“It’s great having neighborhood support,” says Overton McGehee, Habitat’s executive director. “[The neighborhood association] has been clear about two things: They want more owner-occupied housing, and more housing that current Fifeville residents can afford. City Council really listens to these neighborhoods.”
Fifeville Neighborhood Association Herbert Porter, Jr. did not return calls and e-mails by press time.
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