Editorial Editorial (September 24, 2004)

Moving forward on affordable housing

Next to traffic, concerns most often expressed by voters at candidate forums in recent days have been over the need for more affordable housing, especially for those in the workforce and young families who simply cannot afford the high price of homes and apartments in Pleasanton. To its credit, the city has adopted new rules that require any new single-family residential development of 15 units or more to provide at least 20 percent of its units at a below-market sales prices, or 15 percent of the total units for multi-family developments. On the Bernal property, for example, 56 homes out of the 481 built or under construction were sold at a lottery to those qualifying for below-market ownership, with another 31 of the 100 apartments there leased at below-market rents. Across town, the Gardens at Ponderosa Homes' new Ironwood community are now being leased through FPI Management. This two- and three-story senior complex, which can be seen under construction from Valley Avenue and Busch Road, will offer a total of 138 of its 172 apartments to seniors 62 years of age and older who qualify for below-market rents. The others will be leased at standard market rates.

There are presently over 400 apartments in Pleasanton that are for rental exclusively by low-income seniors. These include Kottinger Place and Pleasanton Gardens on Kottinger Drive for very-low-income seniors, and Ridge View Commons on Case Avenue, Deer Ridge apartments on Division Street and Stanley Junction apartments on Stanley Boulevard. All have waiting lists, with the estimated waiting time at Pleasanton Gardens now almost six years. Other affordable housing also has been developed with the assistance of city subsidies, buy downs and fee waiving agreements. Five small-lot homes were quickly sold at below market prices of $180,000 when the 36-unit Nolan Farm development was built, with the City Council authorizing an additional $50,000 buy down to help those most in need. At the Archstone Hacienda complex, the city approved a partial waiver of fees for this 540-unit complex with the developer reserving 25 percent of the units, or 135 apartments, under the city's below-market rental program. The Promenade, a 146-unit apartment complex on Case Avenue, features a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, including 68 units for rental by households whose incomes do not exceed 50 and 60 percent of the median income level for Alameda and Contra Costa counties. In addition, several apartments are reserved for rental by those with physical or developmental disabilities, regardless of age.

Where Pleasanton falls woefully short is in providing assisted living housing at affordable rates. The former site at Old Santa Rita and Santa Rita roads once planned for a Marriott assisted living facility has been rezoned for offices and possibly a car dealership. Another assisted living site at Stoneridge Drive and Foothill Road, still zoned for that use, has been for sale for two years since Willow Glen Partners gave up on building a planned facility there. Elder Care Alliance of Oakland also appears to have abandoned its plans for an assisted living and skilled nursing care facility adjacent to St. Augustine Catholic Church on Bernal Avenue, which brought protests from church neighbors and criticism from members of the Planning Commission.

Now comes word that the long-awaited and approved affordable assisted-living facility planned for a 3.6-acre vacant, city-owned parcel next to the Pleasanton Senior Center may finally get under way. Delayed by financing problems since 1999, Citibank lenders recently toured the site and expressed optimism to City Manager Deborah McKeehan and representatives of the Bridge Housing Corp., which wants to build and operate the facility. As proposed, it will be a $26 million, 105-bed, 60,000-square-foot mixed-income senior care facility that will also include 19 rooms specifically reserved for Alzheimer's patients. Thirty of the assisted living beds and one dementia bed will be earmarked for lower income patients, those whose incomes are below 50 percent of the area's median income. This and the many other senior and below-market projects built or under way show that Pleasanton is moving forward on providing affordable housing - concerns that candidates can cite at their next voter forum.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.