Will a proposed north Merced development mean more affordable housing? Council to consider
Merced decision-makers are poised to consider a proposed development at the corner of Loughborough Drive and Meadows Avenue that would create over 160 new housing units, as well as a medical and dental clinic.
The site was previously billed as including affordable housing units alongside the clinic— something many Merced residents have advocated for more of in a bid to address the city’s housing scarcity and lack of affordable options.
A change in project developers has left that plan uncertain.
The site’s future will be shaped by the Merced City Council during a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday’s Council meeting.
The nearly 7-acre parcel is envisioned as a mixed-use project consisting of high density multi-family units neighboring the dental and medical clinic, according to preliminary planning documents.
The housing portion spans across roughly 5.6 acres. A combination of two and three-story buildings would consist of 68 one bedroom apartments, 48 two bedroom apartments and 45 three bedroom apartments, adding up to 161 units total.
Elected officials are expected to decide whether to dedicate a percentage of units to affordable housing — even if the project is developed at market rate, per city staff’s recommendation.
Affordable units have costs fixed so that lower-income occupants spend no more than 30% of their income on housing.
The recommendation aligns with a new resolution approved by the City Council in April that requires at least 12.5% of market rate units be designated for affordable housing. Some projects can be exempted at the City Council’s discretion.
Although it passed with a majority of City Council support, not every member of the council backed the new resolution. Councilmember Kevin Blake said he objected to the policy’s similarity to inclusionary zoning — something he and other City Council members have consistently opposed.
Members of the public can weigh in on the project’s future by speaking during the public comment portion of the public hearing.
City Council meetings start at 6 p.m. at the Merced Civic Center, 678 W. 18th St. Comments can also be emailed to cityclerk@cityofmerced.org and communicated by voicemail by calling (209) 388-8688 no later than 1 p.m. on the day of the meeting
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Housing, dental and medical clinic is latest of many site plans
The north Merced project’s potential plan reversal is the latest in the property’s storied history.
It was first annexed into the city in 1970 for commercial use, according to city documents. However, the parcel was never developed.
In 1986, plans for the site changed to a proposed elderly care facility. But that facility was never built, either.
The city’s vision for the site shifted again in 2006. High-to-medium density residential townhouses were imagined. Those too were never constructed and the site has remained vacant since.
New plans took shape last year, when an application for the current project was submitted by UP Holdings, LLC, on behalf of Ashley Investments, LLC.
The company intended to construct both the housing units and clinic. That deal has since fallen through though, and UP Holdings is no longer attached to the project, according to the city.
The project was put on hiatus until April, when city staff was informed that the property owner purchased the plans and wished to proceed. The property owner is working with another affordable housing developer, but a final agreement has not been reached, city documents say.
If an agreement is not reached with the new developer, the property owner will seek out another. As new deals are reached though, it’s possible that plans could change again. The clinic could be developed at a separate time than the housing unit, and those units might not be affordable housing.
Project details include dog park, conference room and more
Tentative plans for the project include open space between buildings, an activity area, dog park, community lawn area and space for kids to play near a community center building.
The community center would host a gym, laundry facilities, kitchen, bathrooms, conference room and mail room. All features would be accessible by tenants only.
The medical and dental clinic would take up about 1.3 acres on a separate parcel from the apartments.
The clinic is imagined as a 12,667-square-foot space with 15 exam rooms, eight dental chairs, two chiropractic rooms, two behavioral health offices, an X-ray room, lab, administrative office space and reception area.
The project was initially intended to include both the apartments and clinic. Since the original developer is no longer involved, the project might not be built as one individual development but as two separate projects. That means some design elements could change.
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 12:29 PM.
