Contact: Kate Hoving
Phone: (757)220.6197
khoving@williamsburgva.gov
February 9, 2009
Williamsburg Mayor Jeanne Zeidler announced today members of
the “Focus Group on Rental Housing near the College.” The group is
an ad hoc advisory panel, created at the request of city council. Its
purpose will be to explore and discuss community issues surrounding the
use of houses in predominately single family neighborhoods located close
to the College of William and Mary for rental housing, particularly for
off campus housing. The focus group will be asked to meet weekly or
bimonthly between February and May of this year, and the mayor will ask
the group to report back to the city council and the community before
the end of the May 2009.
William “Bill” Porter, retired James City County Assistant County Administrator, will act as a disinterested convener and facilitator
for its initial meetings. All meetings will be open to the public to
observe.
“It is the city council’s hope that the focus group can illuminate
the hopes, aspirations and expectations of the various parties at
interest, and lead to consensus recommendations for actions various
players can take -- and should take -- for the good of all,” said
Mayor Zeidler. “I’m very pleased that in consultation with residents,
students and city staff, we have assembled a diverse and capable group
of citizens who have an interest in and knowledge of this issue from
various perspectives: neighborhood owner occupants, student renters,
landlords, college administration and city government.”
In her letter of invitation to participants, Zeidler highlighted some
of the issues expected to be addressed by the focus group:
● Means of improving neighborhood quality of life; including
property maintenance, nuisance abatement, and neighborly good behavior
and good will.
● Assessing the demand for off campus housing, and ways in which
that demand might be feasibly addressed.
● Evaluating existing and proposed city zoning regulations
governing the number of unrelated persons in a dwelling unit, and other
city regulations.
● Identifying appropriate roles and responsibilities for the city
government, college, as well as owners, renters and landlords.
An organizational meeting will take place on February 16, 7:00 p.m., in
the Williamsburg Municipal Building 3rd Floor Conference Room. A second meeting that
same week on Thursday, February 19, is planned to begin work.
