Affordable housing project on Sonoma Highway moves forward

An affordable housing project coming to Sonoma Highway will use a panel of experts to help develop the property: local residents. A “stakeholder working group” will have direct input to the design of the 35-45 unit project at 19344 Sonoma Highway, according to Eve Stewart of Affordable Housing Associates.
“We want to be completely accessible,” said Stewart. A phase of community outreach will begin next month with an open house where the public can learn more about AHA and the as-yet unnamed project. From there, a working group of people representing community concerns will be formed.
“We know the overall goal,” Stewart said. “But what about the building placement? Parking? Landscaping? We need that input.” The working group will help shape specifics for the project, a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The idea, she said, is to bring together neighbors of the property, along with informed people to speak for the service, design and open-space communities, among others. The suggestions of that group will be incorporated whenever possible.
The city-owned land had been targeted for low income housing. According to county guidelines, the apartments are affordable to families earning less than $48,000 a year. The choice of Berkeley-based AHA was ratified by the Sonoma City Council on June 3. Construction should begin in 2010.
“Our local industry is based in large part by providing jobs to our service industries,” Mayor Ken Brown said. “It is far better to provide housing that they can afford so they can live where they work.” The new units will benefit teachers, nurses, and fire and police personnel, as well, he said.
AHA is a nonprofit developer specializing in affordable housing. Over a thousand Bay Area residents now live in properties built or rehabilitated by AHA. Stewart said the firm has finished projects in the last six months in Northern California, including the May completion of Petaluma Avenue Homes in Sebastopol. That 45-unit development features innovative green building practices, and paid attention to the existing landscape features, how irrigation water is used, and how storm water is recycled onto the site.
“The developer has excellent credentials and track record,” said Brown, adding, “The selection process we have in place has worked extremely well in the past, and is fair and equitable.”
Once having gathered input from the working group, and an additional open forum meeting, AHA hopes to present specific plans and design in October. Right now, the property sits behind two homes. There is an easement to allow access to the property from the Sonoma Highway. Less likely would be ingress from Lyon Street. Stewart said that there will not be any entry proposed from Robinson Street, which is east of the fenced site.
While the city owns the land, it’s up to AHA to find investors, who typically exchange equity for IRS tax credit. AHA is the general partner and will also act as property manager, including screening all applicants with a “tightly regulated application process,” and ongoing lease enforcement and property maintenance.