Housing Element follow-up

January 13, 2008 Council held a special study session regarding the Yorba Linda Housing Element. This is a state-mandated report, we need to submit,  to identify how we will be able to accommodate the Regional Housing Element  (RHNA) numbers assigned to our City. ( See previous post) This is an assault on our ability to control local land-use.

To reiterate, we need to make sites available for this housing to be built but we are not required to build it. But we would not be able to legally stand in the way of a project that met the states housing development criteria.

Staff presented to Council an overview of the housing requirements along with an explanation of the consequences of not complying with this mandate.

Key points:

• ·      We need to increase our housing stock of low income housing by 768 units and moderate income by 327. We have an abundance of above moderate housing projects identified.
• ·      The state does not accept projects under the densities of 30 units per acre as viable low income housing and moderate income under 10 units per acre.
• ·      We can reduce the densities per site if we identify enough sites to cover the housing numbers we need to produce. Yorba Linda does not have enough acreage to build the number of homes required.
• ·      We can reduce the densities if we subsidize building costs to allow contractors to build the units at a fair cost. We do not have enough money to cover enough builder subsidies allowing for the number of homes required.

Consequences of Non- Compliance of the RHNA #’s:

• ·      Possible moratorium on buiding permits
• ·      Suspension of discretionary Land Use Authority
• ·      Legal fees
• ·      State Mandated Rezoning without ANY local control
• ·      RHNA is cumulative
• ·      Ineligibility for State Housing Funds and related infrastructure funds.

Sites identified with recommended densities:

Properties at 30 units per acre:

•  Lakeview Strawberry Field (4.7 acres-141 units)
• Lakeview/ Altrudy Lane Property (2.39 acres-71 units) 
• Prospect Avenue (Greenhouses) (4.11 acres-123 units)
• Wabash/ Rose Drive (1.68 acres- 60 units)
•  St Joseph Medical Offices Prospect/ YLB (4.08 acres- 122 units)
• Lakeview & Mariposa Property ( Council asked this be removed from consideration)
•  Bastanchury/ Lakeview Nursery site (8.5 acres- 255 units)

Properties at 20 units per acre:

• Bastanchury/Lakeview –Rocking T site (4.11 acres- 82 units)
• Richfield Road Property (3.23 acres- 59 units)

Properties at 10 units per acre:

•  Nixon archive site ( 7.01 acres- 70 units)
• South west corner of Lakeview and Bastanchury (4.34 acres- 43 units)

Additional site options:

• Archstone Riverbend Apartments- possible RDA assistance for rebuilding two-8 unit buildings adding affordability covenants
• Copper Canyon Condominiums- Possible RDA assistance in rebuilding 8 units lost in fire adding affordability convenants
•  Savi Ranch- 4 acre property for sale in industrial park

Council directed staff to : 

•   Reduce housing densities on the West end of town since this area is disproportionately high in developing high density projects.
• Evaluate the Savi Ranch Industrial Park area for the possibility of a mixed use design to allow housing without interfering with the limited tax base of our community
• Eliminate for now the Mariposa Property
• Evaluate the Arroyo property area
•  Once new draft of Housing Element completed, to submit to the Planning commission for review and further refinement before coming back to Council.

What happens next?

After the housing element is complete and sent to the State, we await approval.

With Measure B in place, any project with densities above the 10 units per acre allowed in our general plan will require a vote of the community to allow the project to be built.

With Measure B in place, any project that requires a zone change from commercial to residential will require a vote of the community to allow the project to be built.

With Measure B in place, any project that exceeds 35 feet in height (above two stories) will require a vote of the community to allow the project to be built.

If the community does not approve projects allowing for the required housing to be built, we will most likely be challenged in court as to the legality of Measure B.