SAN MARCOS
The City Council will consider approving an affordable-housing project in the Richmar area, a resolution formally opposing a growth-management initiative and a proposed rooming-house ordinance at its meeting Tuesday.
Additionally, council members plan to discuss updating the city's general plan, the blueprint for development. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1 Civic Center Drive.
The proposed affordable-housing project, from 245 to 335 Autumn Drive, would include retail stores. Community Collective, the developer, wants to build 103 apartment units and 7,500 square feet of commercial/retail space.
The project would require demolishing 25 single-story duplexes and apartments that were built in the 1950s and 1970s. The developer also would extend Lowery Lane, from San Marcos Boulevard to Autumn Drive.
The council must approve a general plan amendment and rezone for the project, which was approved by the Planning Commission last month.
In April, the council approved a $105,500 predevelopment loan from the city's Redevelopment Agency as a match to the developer's $375,000 predevelopment costs. The project is expected to cost about $33.7 million and would involve a loan of up to $13.5 million to the developer from the Redevelopment Agency.
If the developer secures funding, in the form of tax credits from the state, and begins relocating tenants in early 2009, construction could start next year, said Jerry Backoff, the city's planning director.
The proposed resolution would oppose a growth-management initiative that has qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot. The initiative would require voter approval to change most land-use designations in the city's general plan. A controversial element of the initiative is that it would repeal projects approved after July 23, 2007, such as the city's plans for a downtown.
Last month, the council approved a draft of a rooming-house ordinance that would limit the number of renters to four in homes in single-family residential neighborhoods.
In denser residential neighborhoods, landlords can rent to more than four people but would have to complete property-management training. Their rooming houses would be regulated as commercial businesses.
The intent of the ordinance is to curb potential problems associated with houses that are rented to too many people. Problems involve parking congestion, loud parties late at night and litter in neighborhoods zoned for single families.
Tuesday's agenda and related reports can be found on the city's Web site, www.ci.san-marcos.ca.us by clicking on Webcasts on the left side of the page.
Linda Lou: (760) 737-7574; linda.lou@uniontrib.com
