Final approval was granted by the County Planning Commission last month that will bring a 99-unit affordable apartment complex to the eastern end of Foster Road adjacent to Highway 101. 

           Four years ago, the project was considered by the County under the provisions of SB 35, the state legislature’s effort to promote affordable housing and which restricted county purview for the 61 units in the original application. Under this state law, the project did not require a public hearing and therefore was approved by the County in May of 2023.     

            Residents who live in single family neighborhoods, condominiums, and mobile home parks surrounding the project expressed concern about parking and traffic impacts because of the project’s proximity to St. Joseph and Righetti High Schools. 

            Neighborhood wrath became intense, and in 2023 the project’s applicant entered into a Development Agreement with the County to redesign the project to include more parking, increased setbacks and more units. 

            According to county planner Soren Kringel, “the approved project did not involve the restrictions of SB35 but qualified under the Housing Accountability Act which still prevents the county from applying restrictive conditions for approval.”  However, the development must follow County zoning and design standards. 

On October 8 of this year, the Planning Commission approved the project which includes removing a private school on the property and increasing density from 61 to 99 units. The adjustments allow four buildings and 150 parking spaces on the 4 ¼ acres. 

             Soren says that “the [trip density] study concluded the approved project will not generate a significant number of new trips, rather it will generate fewer morning and evening peak hour trips.”   

            Rent for the units will be determined by income level and apartment size. Gene Broussard, representing the developer Amgland Development of Encino, says “I would say we will most likely have some [units] in the lower and higher categories but [most units] will average around the higher 60 percent average median income levels for the entire project.”   That translates to $2,754 monthly rent for a three-bedroom, two-bath apartment with renter income under $114,200 per year.

          After four years of negotiations, some neighbors still do not agree with the projected traffic impacts.  At one meeting organized by Supervisor Bob Nelson, he commented, “Sacramento approves projects and forces them down our throats.”    

Steve Southwick reporting