Exploring senior housing on Vineyard Exploring senior housing on Vineyard (January 30, 2004)

EAH gets council OK to look at developing project
by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

The City Council gave the go-ahead last week for staff to meet with a nonprofit housing corporation to explore the potential for a possible new senior housing project on Vineyard Avenue.

"I applaud members of the community for searching out property," said Councilwoman Kay Ayala. "I just want to caution everyone that we have a lot of things in the works."

EAH, a nonprofit housing development firm, wants to explore putting senior housing on a 2.76-acre site on Vineyard Avenue at Birch Creek Drive. City staff recommended that it meet with EAH to evaluate the potential for senior rental housing, the possible rent amounts and what the financial involvement of the city might be.

Deputy City Manager Steve Bocian, who presented the report, said that because the project was not on the City Council's priority list, staff wanted some guidance before spending time on it with EAH.

Mayor Tom Pico warned that his term and those of council members Ayala and Matt Campbell are ending this year.

"It's going to take well over a year before anything comes back to the council," said Pico. "There could be a significant change in the council before it comes back."

EAH was founded as the Ecumenical Association for Housing in 1968 to increase the supply of affordable housing. It has developed more than 4,600 units and manages more than 4,950 units throughout California and in Hawaii. It is also currently working on obtaining a piece of land in Dublin for a housing project for families.

Andy Blauvelt, project manager for EAH, told the council that his group has been hearing from people living in Pleasanton that there is a "real desire for senior housing." He asked the council members for the OK to discuss the project "so staff will feel comfortable spending time with us."

Blauvelt said EAH had met with the Auf der Maurs, who own the vacant parcel. "They like the idea of senior housing," he told the council. "They're going to be patient sellers."

He also expressed the need to talk to neighbors. "We want them to talk about their concerns and see how we can fit this into the neighborhood fabric."

The Housing Commission, which reviewed its list of priorities in December, rated the EAH project as "highest priority" and recommended to the City Council that it authorize staff to explore the development. It could have as many as 120 units, although Blauvelt said this is a very rough estimate.

Members of the community also addressed the council in support of the project.

"To ignore this and walk away from it is criminal," said affordable housing advocate Jack Dove. In response to the mayor's concerns about the changing makeup of the City Council, he noted that the golf course project has moved forward through more than 10 years of different councils. "If we don't do it soon, there won't be land available anywhere in the city to do what has to be down," said Dove. "In our dreams we couldn't come up with something better."

The development also will be studied as a possible solution to the displacement of very low-income seniors at Kottinger Place and Pleasanton Gardens on Kottinger Drive if those two complexes are redeveloped. In November the council OK'd appointing a 10-member task force to study the issue.

Councilwoman Jennifer Hosterman said she is not buying into the redevelopment of those two properties, plus she is concerned that the city may need to make a significant financial contribution to the EAH project. "But I don't see a downside of having the city look at this," she added.

The city's Lower Income Housing Fund has a balance of approximately $10 million, but $4 million is committed to projects already approved. These include the assisted living facility being built at Junipero and Sunol, and the Busch senior housing development. The city is estimating the redevelopment of Kottinger Place and Pleasanton Gardens would need up to $5 million assistance.

The council members agreed unanimously to authorize city staff to join EAH in studying the project on Vineyard Avenue and Birch Creek Drive.

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