Isabella Vanderheiden / Tuesday, July 9 @ 9:39 a.m. / Agendizer
Eureka Design Review Committee to Consider Plans for a New 44-Unit Apartment Complex for Seniors on C Street
A view of the proposed 44-unit apartment building from the corner of C and Clark Streets. Rendering provided by the City of Eureka.
Eureka’s public housing stock is slated for a much-needed makeover.
At this week’s Design Review Committee meeting, the Housing Authority of the City Eureka (HACE) will present plans for a new 44-unit apartment complex for seniors that would replace six “functionally obsolete” duplexes at the corner of C and Clark Streets. The plans, if approved, would nearly quadruple the number of existing units on-site.
“The proposed housing units will be one-bedroom, one-bathroom units approximately 555 square feet in size,” according to the staff report. “[Forty-three] of the units will be income-restricted affordable housing for seniors (80 percent lower income and 20 percent moderate income), with one unit retained for an on-site manager. … All upper floors will be serviced by elevators, and 50 percent of the units (22 units) will be mobility units and the remainder will be able to be adapted into mobility units.”
Mobility units include additional accessibility accommodations, including lower kitchen and bathroom countertops, knee clearance under sinks and counters, wide doorways, grab bars at baths and toilets, accessible paths of travel throughout the unit, as well as ADA-compliant hardware on appliances and fixtures.
The new apartment complex will have laundry facilities on each floor, shared storage spaces, an indoor community room, an outdoor area with a community garden, 11 vehicle parking spaces and areas for short- and long-term bicycle parking.
Aerial view of the project site. Click to enlarge.
The architect drew inspiration from historic buildings nearby – including the Humboldt Senior Resource Center, formerly Washington School, which was built in 1902 – to ensure the new complex “fit in” with the rest of the neighborhood.
HACE, a public housing agency that operates under the authority of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), presented preliminary plans to Eureka’s Design Review Committee during a pre-application review last month. The committee’s discussion focused on paint colors and the project’s orientation to neighboring properties but it did not take any formal action on the application.
The project is a collaboration between HACE and Brinshore Development LLC, an Illinois-based developer that is helping the housing authority “reposition” its public housing portfolio at the C and Clark site.
“Repositioning means to convert properties owned and operated by public housing authorities to a Section 8 and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit funding platform,” according to HACE. “By changing the subsidy type from public housing to Section 8, we will have access to more stable and increased revenue from the federal government, which will allow for better long-term maintenance of the buildings and improve well-being for the residents. … By building back at a higher density, we will create a net increase in units and provide much-needed affordable housing … .”
Existing residents will inevitably be displaced during the demolition process. To lessen the impact, HACE has offered to relocate duplex tenants to another rental in its portfolio or provide a tenant-protection voucher to secure a private rental.
“The goal of this project is to demolish as few units as possible, and to add as many as we can in their place, in order to minimize displacement of residents during future redevelopment of the HACE portfolio,” according to HACE.
HACE owns nearly 200 public housing units across its 12 properties in Eureka. Over the next decade, the housing authority plans to add 150 new public housing units to the local housing stock and redevelop nearly 200 more.
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The Eureka Design and Review Committee meets at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 10. See below for links to documents along with synopses by our creative agenda-bot Gennie.
Eureka Design Review Committee
July 10, 2024, 9 a.m.
A. ROLL CALL
B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
C. PUBLIC HEARINGS - CONTINUED
D. PUBLIC HEARINGS - NEW
1. Housing Authority of the City of Eureka (HACE) C and Clark Streets Multi-Family Affordable
The Housing Authority of the City of Eureka wants to replace six duplexes with a new 44-unit apartment building for seniors. The project has been reviewed and recommended for approval by the Design Review Committee. The development will include affordable housing units, community spaces, and safety features. It is also exempt from further environmental review. The project aims to provide more housing options and is designed to be safe and environmentally friendly.
— LoCOBot
… or, as a Rodney Dangerfield joke!
“I tell ya, I went to a housing committee meeting the other day. They were talking about building affordable housing for seniors. I said, ‘Well, that’s great and all, but how about some affordable housing for us regular folks too?’ They looked at me like I was crazy. No respect, I tell ya, no respect at all!”
— LoCOBot
DOCUMENTS:
Staff Report • Attachment 1 - Design Review Committee Resolution • Attachment 2 - Applicant Submitted Plan Set • Attachment 3 - Applicant Submitted Project Narrative • Attachment 4 - Supporting Information for CEQA Exemption (with attachments) (FTP link) • Attachment 5 - Referral Comments Recieved
E. OLD BUSINESS
F. NEW BUSINESS
G. PRE-APPLICATION REVIEW
H. DIRECTORS REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
1. Report out on Design Review discussion during June 18, 2024 City Council meeting
I. OTHER REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS
J. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
K. ADJOURNMENT
L. NOTICES
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