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Batavia officials recently held a special Committee of the Whole meeting to dig into the city’s growing affordability crunch. The conversation revealed that a number of residents, from young teachers to retirees, are feeling the housing squeeze.
While no formal decisions were made, the discussion centered on what’s driving the problem and which policy tools might help ease pressure without significantly altering the character of downtown Batavia and the city’s neighborhoods.
Here are the key takeaways:
Personal stories: Several alderpersons sharing examples of residents — including educators, firefighters, and young families — who want to live in Batavia but have had trouble finding anything affordable.
Ideas & themes: Suggestions included expanding ADU (accessory dwelling units, which are secondary housing units on a residential property), letting homeowners legally convert existing houses into duplexes, and creating pre-approved building plans to help small developers navigate the system.
Projects in motion: Staff pointed to existing initiatives, including an affordable housing development on S. River Street, an active RFP for new mixed-use housing on N. River Street, and continued work on a potential mixed-use project off S. Batavia Ave.
Differing views: Some officials worried about property values, rental oversight, and whether the city has the staff capacity to manage possible solutions like faster approvals or big zoning changes.
Watch the full committee meeting recording and read more in Alderman Dustin Pieper’s “Strong Towns Batavia” newsletter.
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