State Puts HOLD on Senior Villa Plans

This letter has been referenced during public comments and "Staff" and Council Members have not addressed this situation in public.

Department of Housing and Community Development
Division of Housing Policy Development

Febuary 14, 2005

Mr. Gary Koontz
Community Development Director
City of Grand Terrace
22795 Barton Road
Grand Terrace, CA 91313-5295

Dear Mr. Koontz:

RE: Review of City of Grand Terrace's Revised Draft Housing Element

Thank you for submitting Grand Terrace's revised draft housing element, received for review on December 16, 2004, along with revisions submitted on February 10, 2005. In accordance with Government Code Section 65585(b), the Department is required to review draft housing elements and report the findings to the locality. Conversations in January and February with Mr. John Lampe. Associate Planner for the City, assisted the review.

The City is commended for adopting a variety of programs to facilitate the development of infill and mixed-use projects. Specifically, the Department recognizes Grand Terrace's efforts to use redevelopment funds and other resources to assemble sites and facilities the development of the two mixed-income, senior housing developments currently proposed. These programs will assist the City's efforts to provide a wide variety of housing opportunities for the community.

The revision received on February 10, 2005 clarify the types of project subject to the site and architectural review and those processed under the administrative site and architectural review. The revisions also commit the City to developing an expedited conditional use permit process for emergency and transitional housing, including development standards. While previous revisions made to the draft element adequately address many of the statutory requirements described in the department's march 23, 2004 review, the element must also include the following revisions to comply with State housing element law (Article 10.6 of the government code).

A. Housing Programs
1. Identify adequate sites which will be made available through appropriate zoning and development standards and with public services and facilities needed to facilitate and encourage the development of a variety of types of housing for all income levels, including rental housing, manufactured housing, and emergency shelters and transitional housing. (Section 65583(c)(1)).

The element must commit to zoning an adequate supply of land, with appropriate densities and development standards, to provide the City with a mix of housing types necessary to meet the needs of all segments of the community. Although revisions were made to Program Action 1.n. to propose amending the zoning code to create a new R3+ zone, the program must commit to adopting the zone and clearly identify the sites where it will be applied or commit to applying it to a minimum acreage.

While much of the City's lower-income need will be met with the two senior housing projects (Barton Road Specific Plan and the Mt. Vernon/Grand Terrace Road Specific Plan), the element must demonstrate the City's ability to facilitate and encourage the development of housing appropriate for non-seniors as well.

B. Additional Information

1. While not a compliance issue, the element should include the information discussed with Mr. lampe during a phone conversation regarding the concurrent review of construction drawings during the site and architectural review. This information highlights the City's efforts to mitigate potential delays during the site and architectural review process and facilitate new housing development.

2. Effective January 1, 2005, the State density bonus law has been amended as a result of Chapter 928, Statues of 2004 (SB 1818). The statues has been enclosed for your reference.

3. Program Action 1.e references the City's efforts to upgrade and expand mobilehome parks within the City. The Department's Mobilehome Park Resident Ownership Program provides funds to finance the preservation of affordable mobilehome parks. For information on this program and other housing and community development programs, please visit our website at http://www.hcd.ca.gov/ca/#fac.

Once the City has revised the element to fully address the aforementioned statutory requirement and adopted the element with the revision submitted on February 10, 2005, the element will be in compliance with State housing element law. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Leah Northrop of our staff at (916) 323-7271.

In accordance with requests pursuant to the Public Records Act, we are forwarding this letters to the persons and organizations listed below.

Sincerely,
signed:
Cathy E Creswell
Deputy Director

cc: John Lempe, Associate Planner, City of Grand Terrace
Mark Stivers, Senate Committee on Transportation & Housing
Suzanne Ambrose, Supervisiong Deputy Attorney General, AG's Office
Terry Roberts, Governor's Office of Planning and Research
Nick Cammarota, California Building Industry Association
Marcia Salkin, Callifornia Association of Realtors
Marc Brwon, California Rural legal Assistance Foundation
Rob Weiner, California Coalition for Rural Housing
John Douglas, AICP, Cifiv Solutions
Deanna Kitamura, Western Center on Law and Poverty
S. Lynn Martinez, Western Center on Law and Poverty
Alexander Abbe, Law Firm of Richards, Watson & Gershon
Michael G. Colantuono, Colantuono, Levin & Rozell, APC
Ilene J. Jacobs, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.
Richard marcantonio, Public Advocates
Veronica Tam, Cotton, Bridges and Associates
David Booher, California Housing Council
Jonathan Lehrer-Graiwer, Attorney at Law
Ana maria Whitaker, California State University, Pomona
Joe Carreras, South California Association of Governments
Karen Chen, California Association of Realtors
Marguretite battersby, Brunsnik & Pile
Minh Tran, Inland Counties Legal Services
Robert Bullcok, Inland Counties Legal Services
Christine Diemer Iger, Chistine Diemer Iger and Associates
Won Chang, Attorney at Law, Davis and Company
Jacob Lieb, Southern California Association of Governments
Karen Warner, Karen Warner Associates
Lynne Fishel, Building Industry Association

end of letter:

Note: This letter speaks to the Plan of TWO Senior Housing Developments, and it REQUIRES and INCLUSION of a PLAN to MEET THE NEEDS of ALL PEOPLE not JUST SENIORS. Or the PLAN WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED...

Question asked and not answered: HAS this PLAN BEEN REVISED by who, when, and where was the PUBLIC??

As a matter of fact. THE CITY REDEVELOPED A WOMAN'S SHELTER AND SOLD IT AT MARKET PRICE, TO A NON SHELTER....