The Santa Clarita City Council has a second reading on its Tuesday agenda for a housing project that could generate nearly 500 homes next to the Vista Canyon project in Canyon Country.
The plans originally called for a mix of apartments, condos and 10% affordable senior housing over 20.4 acres in four planning areas, “a premier transit-oriented residential community … as a functional and visual extension of the new mixed-use Vista Canyon Specific Plan directly north,” according to its draft study.
The project had goals tied to the senior housing component intended to make sure the affordable homes get completed — by the time 180 homes were built, the paperwork would need to get started on it.
But as the developer, New Urban West, approached its first affordable-housing entitlement milestone, there was a problem, according to Jonathan Frankel, New Urban vice president: The project has yet to qualify for a housing subsidy, which city officials said are standard in order to make such plans pencil out.
Past discussion of the project at City Hall included the fact that such housing projects are graded on their surrounding infrastructure, and problems at Vista Canyon, including demand that has not met expectation, has slowed its development and hurt the project’s “grade,” according to Jason Crawford, community development director, during an April 1 discussion.
Crawford also told council members the developer has indicated a desire to build the homes if the funding is available, but now the developer needs a bit more flexibility in order to keep the project moving.
Residents speaking during public comment on the project previously told the city they didn’t want the developer “let off the hook,” so to speak, for the affordable-housing component, which the council recognized during its discussion of the amendment. The recent discussion of affordable housing in upcoming developments, something the state has been trying to encourage, led to a council discussion on its lack of an affordable-housing policy. The staff is planning a policy discussion for the council on the topic in the fall, according to City Manager Ken Striplin.
On June 10, the City Council agreed to several concessions for MetroWalk on a unanimous consent calendar vote.
“(New Urban West) is approved to construct a maximum of 498 residential units, including multifamily units as well as duplexes and detached condos, reduce the setback between units from 10 feet to 7 feet, eliminate planning areas, and adjust the timing for the construction of the affordable senior units as outlined,” according to the revised planning conditions.
New Urban West reiterated its need for flexibility in order to deliver the homes faster, in a statement sent by spokesman John Musella on behalf of the project.
“The goal of the amendments to the MetroWalk Specific Plan are to create additional flexibility so we can continue to meet the current market demand for price-attainable housing,” the statement sent via email read, “all while providing more time and greater opportunities to secure the needed state funding to build the senior affordable housing as part of the community.”
