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By BOB NORBERG
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
The developer of a transit-oriented development in Railroad Square asked Wednesday to shift the location of affordable housing to make the project financially feasible, saying it could be a catalyst for building in the area as a whole.
“We have the opportunity to kick-start immediately the development,” said Jack Gardner, president and chief executive officer of The John Stewart Co.
The company is asking the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit District to shift 68 units of affordable housing from its market and housing complex to the Cannery, an adjacent development the company is undertaking.
The apartments would be built for senior citizens by Burbank Housing, a Sonoma County nonprofit that builds and manages affordable housing, to take advantage of financial incentives.
“It would allow everyone to move ahead with this development in a time of recession and uncertainty,” said John Lowry, Burbank Housing’s executive director.
Stewart wants to renovate the Cannery with Club One Fitness Center on the first two floors and with 68 low-cost senior rental apartments on the third, fourth and fifth floors.
The development, which would cost $48 million, would take advantage of $5 million in Santa Rosa redevelopment funding, $3 million in state grants and $15 million in Burbank Housing financing.
The housing had been required by SMART as part of Stewart’s plan for a separate marketplace and housing complex on nearby SMART land, a project that could cost $200 million.
If directors approved the switch, SMART could remove the affordable housing requirement on the marketplace complex, SMART planning manager John Nemeth said.
The approach assuaged some of the fears by neighbors, who were concerned that they could end up with even more low-cost housing in their area.
“The devil is in the details,” said resident Allen Thomas. “We’d be OK with it.”
Santa Rosa Mayor Susan Gorin urged SMART to approve the request.
“We need your help in making this project financially feasible,” Gorin said. “This is going to be a catalyst for Railroad Square development.”
David Grabill, head of the Sonoma County Housing Advocacy Group, warned that moving from low-income affordable housing to senior housing might violate state fair-housing laws.
“This feels like a bait-and-switch,” Grabill said. “They got our support and then they made it senior housing.”
The issue was discussed by the SMART real estate committee in a closed session because it involves real estate negotiations. The committee said only that it gave direction to its staff.
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The ‘railroad square’ plan includes about 270 units of housing, most of which (200+ units) will not be very affordable. The developer and his NIMBY friends in the West End didn’t want to include any lower income units. So people who work in the shops, hotels and restaurants nearby can walk or bike to work. So it’ll be economically and racially diverse like the rest of the West End. So it’ll be an interesting, fun place to live unlike many areas of Santa Rosa (i.e. Fountaingrove).
And we need an ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AMNESTY CENTER near the tracks so the thousands of illegals the city allowed to come here have a place to meet to discuss the easiest way to come into America illegally! And how to get free parade permits and healthcare and free educations!
As we all know the city will displaced its older folk to benefit illegals all day long!
This whole thing is quite commical, if the freight trains start rolling through town folks aren’t going to be lining up to live anywhere near Rail Road Square.
As an example of my previous post go and look at how well businesses are doing around Silvercrest apartments, Bethlehem towers on Tupper st., Nueva Vista apts., Lamplighter apts., any trailer park in town, 850 Russel, etc…
These are all examples of either low income, senior complexes, or “affordable” housing. They are relatively all good people but not great revenue generators when it comes to shopping downtown.
Businesses don’t develop aroung these places because they don’t provide a good customer base. They just don’t have the money to shop.
I just can’t get over the waste of an excellent opportunity to “redevelop” or “revitalize” an area like this. Some ideas of which have been proposed by developers even before SMART was coming. Like all other ideas in this city they either got shot down or were put through the ringer so bad that the developers walked away. Shame on us for allowing that to go on for so long.
And if this goes like planned all it provides is a green alternative for commuters. A population of people that just pass through Santa Rosa rather than stop here and spend their money and have a good time. I guess we’ll just watch as Windsor and Healdsburg take advantage and increase their general funds. Another successful “Not in my Town” idea (or lack of) from our council. Nice Job!
You are all missing the possibilities the SMART project presents.
For true revitalization people need to come to the area. Sorry to say but low income people are not going to come and spend money in downtown businesses and make the area thrive.
THAT WILL ONLY COME FROM PEOPLE USING THE TRAIN STOP AS A DESTINATION.
The ONLY way that will happen is to develop that area into businesses like restaraunts, gyms, small shops, coffee houses, theatres, etc… (and bars). Put retractable bullards in the streets and close the area off to traffic during the evening for srteet fairs and the like. This area has the character of the old small town that this council is trying to get for all of Santa Rosa and it is going to be lost by importing skateboarders and low income residents. Downtown is almost dead. Put low income housing in there and you will kill it for sure.
The last time I checked consumers don’t flock to low income areas to spend their money!
Many unanswered questions:
Is there a “Density Bonus” on the table for the developers?
Are “in lue fee’ of Affordable housing and option for this project?
What is the overall affordable housing percent that is required,10,20?
What are the buildings height restrictions for this project?
What does “Club One” get out of this deal (Very High End Social Sports Club)?
What are the parking requirements from the City and what does that look like?
Remember Developers build projects to make money, not to lose money and that is not bad thing people. Especially when the project becomes a success for the city (unlike: The City’s Forefathers choosing 101 freeway location and Santa Rosa Plaza). But at the same time who lame brain idea was it built this project having the stinky train station as the focal point?
This project should be build with it in mind the revitalization of the “Old Town of Santa Rosa” and Not the former!
Low income housing is taxpayer subsidized housing. More tax money going into a SMART utopian train plan. If the SMART concept is so wonderful, why hasn’t a private sector train company jumped in and built the service. Every public train service in the United States loses money including BART. BART does run through neighborhoods, not to places of employment. I took it for several years in the East Bay. I had to drive 12 miles to park in a full parking lot, take the train for 35 minutes, get off and take a bus another 20 minutes to work. That was real convenience. That is why I drove to work.
Steve is right, the poor and seniors are not going to fill the SMART train cars commuting to their jobs in beautiful Marin.
@Bill
The Torpa site SMART property is in a redevelopment area. If nothing gets built, then there will be no property tax increment that can be used by the Redevelopment Agency. Also, if affordable housing is built on that site, those units won’t generate property taxes. To anyone who understands redevelopment, it’s easy to see why they want to build a project there without affordable housing. And that’s besides the fact that there is already a lot of low income housing and low income people in that area. Makes sense to me.
Look at what is around successful BART stops. Urban Housing – nice condos with a wide range of sizes and prices mixed together. Neighborhoods. Neighborhoods don’t happen without unrestrictive housing at all price ranges. Build the train. The rest will grow around the train stop. Keep the land around the train stop flexible and open until the time for developing the kind of housing that builds neighborhoods is right. Why the rush to hand it over to a developer right now? Let the value build and the right developer, who is willing to build the kind of real housing that is needed, will come. Don’t sell out to someone who wants to cut corners and stick in there whatever housing brings the biggest subsidy, all without any regard to the kind of neighborhood that will grow, or not grow out of it 20 to 30 years from now. How about some urban planning – that is not possible without real foresight.
Senor citizens will not be commuting to jobs on SMART. Marin needs maids, gardeners and nannies. Go up the block check out the bus depot. build housing for them.
AND, as there will be no parking for taxpaying commuters, there should be no parking for taxpayer subsidized housing.
@paul and most of it should be for people working full time, but being paid less than enough to make a living. This housing should be available to everyone, not just seniors. There is a ton of low wage jobs downtown. The workers at those jobs should be able to apply to live in this housing. It will cut down their commutes and get them off the road.
slow down, not all low income housing is for people you don’t like, like illagal aliens; some of it is for poor seniors.
I agree with Mike. I thought the Railroad Square development was for downtown revitalization–note all the creative RR Sq summer events for drawing tourists–and as a transportation hub of the SMART train with nearby housing for commuters. I agree that Santa Rosa needs upscaling after earlier urbanization permanently hacked apart and bulldozed historic architectural districts with freeways and shopping malls. What will be the contribution to the neighborhood and city of more low-end?
$300k per unit seems awfully high. especially when considering this type units typically have a very small foot print. Who’s looking over who’s shoulder in this?
Low income housing projects pay no property taxes. However, people living there need city services, sometimes more than higher income people. David Grabill is a shill for Burbank Housing, a company that gets multi-millions in taxpayer subsidies. David Grabill is a member of the ADC that’s been requiring that developers pay them to dictate what their developments must consist of. The unelected ADC members, unions, subsidized housing and other special interests need to be thrown out of the process. We have enough decision makers without their influence.
Does anyone else see the problem with dumping a lot of low income housing into an already glutted housing market? The already destroyed private housing market cannot compete with massively subsidized housing projects. Sure, there’s plenty of people poor enough to move into these units, but then they have a disincentive to do anything to better themselves and get a real job. More freeloaders off our tax dollars. That’s the last thing we need more of.
Oh please Mike, what alot of hyperbole.
This council has cut and cut and cut. If you want to look at spending, research the records of Reagan and the Bush boys. THAT is spending.
And last time I looked, there were more bars on the Courthouse Square side of downtown than in Railroad Square.
ACK. You people are crazy. You really have no idea of what your talking about.
With the local economy in the tank and the progressives spending tax money faster than it can be printed, we will be lucky if all of the housing in Santa Rosa isn’t for low-income in the near future. That should make Mr. Grabill very happy and not violate the state’s fair-housing laws. Its time to bring some common sense to the city. Yes to small business and small government. We need to build this economy, not continue to have the city or SMART or social progressives decide what is best for Railroad Square.
How can the city encourage business to locate and be supported in the Railroad Square area? How many more bars do we need down there? What business can bring in the most tax revenues? Low income housing will have the opposite effect. Santa Rosa needs to upscale not down scale. I am sure SMART will make another intelligent decision just as they have so often in the past with their plans and pie in the sky proposals.