The San Juan Capistrano City Council unanimously agreed to approve a purchase and sale agreement for a vacant property on Don Juan Street and turn it into affordable senior housing.
The property owner, Affordable Housing Land Consultants, LLC, is developing affordable family housing on the site, consisting of a six-story apartment complex with 107 units and 14 parking spaces. planned to build. But councilors argued the proposed plan would significantly increase population and create parking problems in the area.
“It’s going to destroy the community,” City Councilman Howard Hart said of the proposed affordable housing development.
Residents called attention to how narrow Don Juan Street is at Tuesday’s city council meeting and a community discussion last month. Residents say more drivers could reduce local residents’ sense of safety and lead to more accidents.
“In this case, I think the only thing that will be consistent with the neighborhood is the senior component, so I’m going to support that,” Councilman John Taylor said.
The property in San Juan Capistrano is priced at $2.35 million. Councilors said the city will have more flexibility to design what’s best for the area. They said affordable senior housing would have minimal impact on the community by reducing the number of drivers coming into the area and would overall better meet the needs of the neighborhood.
The city of San Juan Capistrano plans to purchase the 1.8-acre site using funds already set aside in the city’s budget for affordable housing, Deputy City Manager Matthijs Reischl said. .
The city is currently in a 60-day due diligence period during which it can conduct a site evaluation to determine whether it wants to purchase the land. After nearly two months and a grant deed was filed with the county, the city will become the new owner of the Don Juan Street property.
A spokesperson for Affordable Housing Land Consultants could not be reached for comment. But Reischl said the property owners were open to the city’s proposal, and the two sides ended up drafting a purchase and sale agreement for consideration by the City Council.
“With city ownership, the city can have more of a say in the process,” Reischl said. “The city could partner with affordable housing developers to deliver high-quality, well-designed senior housing projects that are more in keeping with the surrounding area and have ample parking. ”
Hart said she’s not against affordable housing, but she feels it’s important to find housing that’s appropriate for the area. He pointed out that the Don Juan Street community is one of the oldest in the city and needs to be considered before starting any large-scale project.
In addition to the purchase and sale agreement, Reischl said the council also authorized staff to prepare and distribute a request for proposals. He said the city will ask affordable housing developers to submit projects they are interested in building.
Hart said it’s unclear when the affordable senior housing will be built, but estimates it “could take several years.”
