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A San Diego developer has submitted plans for a project called Baler Place, which would provide affordable housing for very low income households. It includes two three-story buildings with 53 apartments at 340 Bridgevale Road in west Hollister, and is still in the initial planning phase.
If the San Benito County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors approve the development, it will move the county closer to its housing goals. To mitigate its acute housing shortage, the county expects to facilitate the construction of 444 affordable housing units, according to the Housing Element Update released on Jan. 24.
A housing element is a plan cities and counties throughout California must present to the state every five or eight years to address the housing needs of their communities. As part of a municipality’s general plan, the housing element states how many houses it will build, how many will be for low income households, and what strategies will be used to attract developers. Housing elements have been required in every California jurisdiction since 1969.
Baler Place would be located on a 3-acre piece of land owned by the Groves Family Trust, which was zoned for residential use in 2012. The 53 units planned would be deed-restricted for 55 years exclusively for affordable housing. The two buildings would have six one-bedroom units, 24 two-bedroom units, and 23 three-bedroom units. There would be a community space for recreational facilities and parking for 78 cars.
The developer, CRP Affordable Housing & Community Development, has built affordable housing in Chico, San Diego, Pasadena and Santa Clara. The company is also planning a similar eight-story building with 100 affordable housing units in Mountain View.
San Benito County Public Information Officer Rosemerry Dere told BenitoLink the proposal is invoking California’s “density bonus law,” which grants developers incentives and allows them to exceed unit limits in exchange for including affordable housing.
“The applicant is being granted concessions and waivers for local development standards to ensure the feasibility of the project,” Dere said.
In fact, the density bonus law is one of the county’s main strategies to achieve its 2031 housing objectives. And the Housing Element says it will prioritize developments that offer at least 15% of their units to very low, low, and moderate income households.
Dere said CRP has applied for additional funding through Cal-Home, which offers grants to public agencies and nonprofit developers to assist individual first-time homebuyers, and the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.
The project is still under review, and the developer is securing water and sewer services with the city of Hollister. According to Dere, the building permit could be issued within one to two years. After that, provided the city grants water and sewer access, construction of Baler Place would take more than two years.
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