26 townhomes planned for Patricia

Another multifamily housing project is in store for Patricia Avenue if the City Council okays the proposal in March.

The plan to build a 26-unit townhome complex at 1260 and 1270 Patricia Avenue has already cleared two hurdles in the city’s development process; both Neighborhood Council No. 2 and the planning commission have recommended the project.

The complex is to include four units of affordable housing for lower-income families, and the applicant says he’s ready to build as soon as he gets approval.

The planning commission complimented the design when it reviewed the project Feb. 17 and said it would be a good addition to the area.

“This is another great infill project along Patricia Avenue,” Commissioner Tim Shannon said. “The addition of the affordable housing . . . is icing on the cake.”

Charles Rim of SMV Patricia LLC, the applicant, is proposing to merge two vacant lots to create a 1.82-acre parcel that will accommodate six three-story condominium buildings.

The property is surrounded by townhomes, single-family residences and commercial and office buildings. To the south is the Arroyo Simi.

The 26 town houses will be two-bedroom or three-bedroom units and will range from about 1,400 to about 1,600 square feet. Each unit includes an attached garage and a front porch.

A spokesperson for the applicant told residents at the neighborhood council meeting that, depending on the market, the units would likely sell in the lowto mid-$400,000 range and, if all goes well with city planning, would be available by 2012.

As a concession for the affordable housing, the applicant wants to reduce the number of required parking spaces from 79 to 77.

Before they’re willing to make that agreement, city planners want assurance that the 26 garages will always be clear to park two vehicles and not used as storage areas. That way the project’s 25 guest spots won’t constantly be filled.

Street parking on Patricia is notoriously limited.

Shannon wondered if the city could easily check if a resident is keeping their garage clear and using it to park. Assistant City Attorney Marjorie Baxter said enforcement would have to be complaint-driven.

“Code enforcement has challenges, but they’ve been able to meet them most of the time,” she said.

In addition, the condominium’s homeowners association could write the condition into its CC&Rs, Baxter said.

Recognizing that the economic climate for residential developments is not good, particularly when it comes to securing a loan, Commissioner Jim Dantona Jr. asked the applicant if the units would be built and sold right away.

Project manager Jan Erik Sand told the commission that the developer plans it to be a forsale project. He said that because they acquired the land seven years ago at a reasonable price, they’re in good shape financially to proceed with the project.

“In the next two to three years as the economy slowly improves, we feel this is a market that will really come across well to first-time homebuyers,” Sand said. “We think that it should absolutely be successful.”

The planning commission voted to recommend approval of the project to the City Council as proposed, with one condition: Residents should have access to the Arroyo via a locked gate.

Due to the affordable component of the project, it will go before the City Council for final approval.

Since the Patricia neighborhood has in the past been prone to crime—a problem the council has linked to the number of multifamily and affordable housing units on that street—Councilmember Barbra Williamson said she and her fellow council members would likely take a hard look at the project.

Though Williamson has not yet reviewed the project in detail, she did tell the Acorn that she has some slight concern over the three-story height of the townhomes.

“I’d like to look at it on its own merit. . . . I’m sure it can work; I think the council just needs to be very careful on what we allow to happen there,” Williamson said.

With the lessons of past projects in her memory—ones that still sit incomplete—she wants to make sure that once construction begins, it’s finished.

“If they want to build it and they want to take that risk, then they should follow through,” she said.

The public hearing is tentatively scheduled for March 22.