The self-described ‘compassionate’ Elk Grove City Council rejects supportive housing project for unhoused
After hearing lengthy public testimony, the Elk Grove City Council unanimously voted to uphold a denial by the Elk Grove Planning Commission for a proposed permanent supportive housing project. The proposed Oak Rose supportive 67-unit apartment project was on a vacant 1.3-acre parcel in the city’s Old Town Special Planning Area (OTSPA) on Elk Grove Boulevard.
On June 2, the Elk Grove Planning Commission unanimously denied the application by Oak Rose LP, saying it did not conform with the OTSPA. The project proponents attempt to gain approval based on California Senate Bill 35, which provides a streamlined approval process for cities like Elk Grove that fail to comply with affordable housing goals.
The Planning Commission denied the application from Oak Rose LP based on the special planning area zoning. Specifically, the application was rejected because it did conform to one condition for the planning area.
After a thorough explanation of the supportive services by Sarah Bontrager, the city housing manager, the city council heard a presentation by the proponents, Ms. Dana Trujillo of Long Beach, Calif.-based Excelerate Housing Group and Ms. Erin Johansen of Hope Cooperative. Both emphasized that the project would provide permanent services to assist people out of homelessness, many of whom would be disabled.
“It’s really an apartment building for those people that have the most need,” Trujillo said. “They are in need of really great amenities and awesome walking space and things to do, just like people of higher means.”
Attorney Karen L. Hallock of the DLA Piper law firm’s Los Angeles office defended the project. Hallock noted the apartment project fulfilled all but one qualification – land use.
Specifically, the Old Town SPA requires that no residential units be on the structure’s first floor. However, Hallock noted in May that the Planning Commission approved a market rate project in the OTSPA with residential use on the first floor.
“The city cannot wave the standard for a market rate project and then not wave it for an affordable housing project when the waver is allowed, even mandated under state density bonus law,” Hallock said.
During their deliberations, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and her four city council members stressed Elk Grove is a compassionate city that wants to help the unhoused. However, without identifying an appropriate alternative, each said the Old Town site was not the proper location for the supportive services apartment complex.
Vice Mayor Darren Suen said the city council “strongly believes in being compassionate and caring” and that they were not attacking unhoused individuals the project could have served. However, he noted Elk Grove has tried to build affordable housing, and no regional city is in compliance.
During her comments, Singh-Allen stressed that even though the city council rejected the supportive housing units, she claimed the city cares about assisting unhoused individuals.
“There is no shortage of compassion in the City of Elk Grove,” Singh-Allen claimed.
However, in her rejection, Singh-Allen noted there was “only one question” they had to consider, and that is the OTSPA standards were not met.
“I believe in [the] support of our staff report,” Singh-Allen said. “I think they provided sound reasoning as to why we should deny the appeal.”
