14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY june 8-14, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com With a housing crisis to solve, the state is expecting cities and counties to plan for more housing units. Monterey County’s 12 cities and the county government must plan for 20,295 housing units between 2023 and 2031. They don’t have to build them, but they must amend their housing plans—known as housing elements—to give developers an improved chance of building at least some. The deadline to approve their draft plans is Dec. 15. With six months left, how are they doing? The 20,295 units are part of what’s known as the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA. Besides requiring more units, the state layered on other requirements, including a policy known as Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, a way of fostering inclusive communities. Despite the urgent need for more housing, the RHNA numbers have not been met with enthusiasm by some residents and elected officials—there is a grassroots effort at the state level to combat the requirements. At least one local city council majority has voted to support those efforts (see Carmel, below). There’s a lot on the line if cities and counties do not meet the state’s deadline, as those in other areas with earlier deadlines have already discovered. Just one example: In April, the state filed suit against the city of Huntington Beach for refusing to adopt its housing element, asking a court to allow the state to suspend the city’s permitting authority and mandate approval of specific housing projects. A note about water: Whether a city currently has access to water or not, it must still amend its housing element to state standards by the Dec. 15 deadline. It’s a conundrum that will be dealt with at a later date. With six months to go, here’s where six of the 12 local cities are in the process; the remaining six (plus the county of Monterey) will be outlined in the June 15 issue. For more information about how to get involved, and links to available draft housing elements, visit mcweekly.com/news. Carmel Much of the feedback from residents has been negative in past public meetings, reacting to the thought of adding 349 units into the city’s housing element—some fear it will ruin village character. On May 2, the Carmel City Council voted 3-2 in favor of a resolution from California Cities for Local Control to “further strengthen local democracy, authority and control...” (Councilmembers Karen Ferlito and Jeff Baron voted no, citing the imperative for more housing.) The city released its draft element on June 5, suggesting they could meet 115 percent of the required number by focusing on under-utilized sites, converted hotel rooms and accessory dwelling units. One idea is to rezone the Sunset Center property to allow senior housing. Del Rey Oaks The city of Del Rey Oaks, with a population just under 1,400 people, released a draft housing element on May 26. According to the element, the city’s sole pathway to adding the required 184 units is by rezoning vacant land on the former Fort Ord to allow housing. The city identified four sites, all on South Boundary Road, northeast of Canyon Del Rey Boulevard. “Our primary challenges are a current lack of infrastructure (water, gas, electricity, etc.) to those parcels and finding a developer who will work with us through these constraints,” City Manager John Guertin says by email. Gonzales Surrounded by farmland, the city is in the process of annexing land for future housing developments, which has left some concerned they will become a bedroom community of the Bay Area made up of single family homes, unaffordable to most locals. While that might help the city toward meeting a RHNA requirement for 871 moderate-income to above-moderate-income units, there has been, and will be, a need to meet the needs of residents for nearly 500 units at the lower end. At a Gonzales Planning Commission meeting on May 8, commissioners heard from staff about a need to diversify its housing stock, including the possibility of rezoning downtown for smaller apartment units. A draft element is still being written. King City In King City, a number of housing projects are already planned. Looking ahead, planners know they will have few issues meeting HCD requirements for 297 above-moderate-income units, according to Doreen LibertoBlanck, director of the Community Development Department. The focus for the draft element is on homes in the moderate- to lower-income end of the scale—405 units—and that too, is something city leaders were already contemplating, says Scott Bruce, a city consultant. Liberto-Blanck and Bruce are also looking at higher-density housing in the downtown area, mixed with retail, for seniors. A draft element is still being created. Marina Unlike its Peninsula neighbors to the south, Marina has land and water, and should be able to meet its RHNA number of 685 units. Community Development Director Guido Persicone says the city’s several master plan communities can accommodate housing units at various income levels. He also expects the City Council to adapt a downtown specific plan this fall, which should provide additional future housing. He expects a draft element to be ready in late June. Sand City Last year, Sand City unsuccessfully appealed its RHNA number of 260 units, arguing the tiny town was built out and faced environmental constraints because of its location in the California Coastal Zone. A year later, the city’s own draft housing element paints a rosier picture, identifying multiple vacant and under-utilized lots, as well as other opportunities that in theory could produce 657 units, a whopping 353 percent of its required number. Some units could come from the South of Tioga project, which is currently underway, as well as a large empty piece of land immediately to the west. Housing Countdown The clock is ticking for cities and the county to meet a housing plan deadline for 20,295 units. By Pam Marino news Carmel councilmembers Bobby Richards and Karen Ferlito are leading RHNA housing efforts. Rezoning the Sunset Center property to allow senior housing is one possibility. Daniel Dreifuss Required Housing Units by 2031 Region Very Low Low Mod. Above Mod. Total Carmel 83 54 65 148 349 Del Rey Oaks 44 28 34 78 184 Gonzales 299 196 235 536 1,266 Greenfield 173 113 135 309 730 King City 166 109 130 297 702 Marina 162 106 127 290 685 Monterey 864 565 677 1,548 3,654 Pacific Grove 266 174 209 476 1,125 Salinas 1,579 1,031 1,237 2,826 6,674 Sand City 61 40 48 110 260 Seaside 146 95 114 261 616 Soledad 171 112 134 307 724 Unincorporated 786 514 616 1,409 3,326 Monterey County Each jurisdiction must add opportunities for construction of more units to their housing elements. The chart shows how many units in each income category are required.
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