A developer looking to put low-income homes onto Walnut Street has somewhat scaled back plans in response to conversations with the city’s Planning Division, according to records obtained by The Signal.
The city’s Development Review Committee, which meets weekly to discuss projects brought to Santa Clarita’s planners, is expected to look at a new set of plans this week.
The original plans proposed for 24878 Walnut St. from Tabibian Development included 18 apartment units for a 14,130-square-foot lot that has a 960-square-foot home and a pool on it.
The new plan under review asks for permission to demolish the existing single-family home, backfill the existing swimming pool and construct a three-story, eight-unit building.
The plans were scaled back “to address concerns related to the access roadway,” according to city officials.
Ben Tabibian of Tabibian Development noted several recent housing laws in his application, mentioning back in September, following the initial submission, what a competitive market it is right now for residential builders, particularly in low-income housing.
His application mentioned Assembly Bill 2011, which calls for a streamlined ministerial review process with no California Environmental Quality Act review if a project meets low-income standards; Senate Bill 6, which adds a government code permitting housing development projects, including both 100% residential and mixed-use projects with a minimum of 50% dedicated to residential use, without the need for rezoning; and SB 35.
Under SB 35, a developer can submit an application for a multifamily housing development, which satisfies specified planning objective standards, that is subject to a streamlined, ministerial approval process, as provided, and not subject to a conditional use permit, according to the state law. The law also demands the local authority notify the applicant in writing if it determines the plans conflict with any of its objective standards by a specified time or the project is automatically deemed compliant.
The developer submitted a one-stop application, which is a preliminary review of a plan that a city will conduct in order to give any concerns or feedback on the feasibility of a proposal. A one-stop does not directly lead to any approvals, according to city officials.
A city Planning Division official not authorized to speak directly on the project previously said the plans would be reviewed for whether the number of units exceeds the state’s allowable density rules, which can let a developer exceed local zoning requirements in the interest of meeting the state’s identified housing need.
The project would have been eligible for virtually no parking requirements if it was found to be within a half-mile radius of a transit center but a search on Google Maps indicates the shortest walk to the Newhall Metrolink station to be approximately 0.8 miles southeast of the proposed project.
The city’s Development Review Committee meets weekly on Thursdays to discuss projects and their compliance with city standards.