Ahwahnee Conference_Building Livable Communities

Looking to the Future:
Sustaining Communities
with INFILL
Local Government Commission
Ahwahnee Conference 2012
March 17, 2012
Meea Kang
Domus Development, LLC
•  Mixed-use
•  Affordable
•  Integrated services
•  Fit into communities & neighborhoods
•  Infill
California Infill Builders Association
•  Non-profit trade group
•  Great projects and neighborhoods in existing
towns/cities
•  Make it easier, faster to design, fund & build
•  State and local levels
Lincoln Court BEFORE
“Neighbors claim Hillcrest
Motel is frequented by drug
dealers and prostitutes.”
Lincoln Court
Oakland, California
•  82 units of housing for
extremely-low & very-low
income seniors.
•  30% set aside for seniors
with disabilities.
•  Provision of onsite services
makes it a model for
supportive senior housing.
•  Infill development along
transit rich corridor, near
established neighborhood
offering grocery, shopping,
library, park etc).
Lincoln Court
Oakland, California
• 
CEQA Class 32: Infill Exemption.
• 
Received all entitlements and completed design review in 6 months.
• 
City was not demanding and costly/time consuming mitigation measures were
not required.
• 
Infrastructure was already in place.
• 
Bold & assertive leadership offered clearer path for entitlements.
Lincoln Court
Oakland, California
Central courtyard for
resident activities
Lincoln Court
•  82 senior apartments
•  30% with disabilities
•  On-site senior center
•  Computer center
•  Life enrichment classes
•  Healthy lunch program
Lincoln Court AFTER
Neighborhood crime down
40%
Spurred revitalization of entire
Dimond district
Siena Court
Pittsburg, California
• 
Located in downtown Pittsburg, in the heart of historic Old Town
• 
The City of Pittsburg wants to see the revitalization of Old Town and provision of affordable housing
options. City worked closely with developer and was supportive of developer & community needs
• 
Opportunity for mixed-use senor housing and higher density
• 
City redevelopment funds were leveraged with Infill Infrastructure Grant, 9% low income housing tax
credits & Wells Fargo mortgage
• 
Local Support by several groups: FOCUS, ABAG, etc.
A FORECLOSED DEVELOPMENT:
A Neighborhood Eyesore
Siena Court
• 
110 units of high-quality affordable
senior housing (30%-60% AMI)
• 
1 & 2 Bedroom Units
• 
Green roof, landscaped courtyard, and
plaza
• 
Centrally located on-site parking in
garage
• 
10,000 SF of neighborhood serving
retail
• 
3,800 SF of common space on ground
floor with senior services
• 
Catalyst for Development  Market rate development occurring
next door
Siena Court
Completion Scheduled for Spring 2012
Garvey Court
El Monte, California
•  63 Senior Units
•  On-site health and wellness
•  First mixed-use building in city
•  Incredibly high demand
•  Catalyst for development
Garvey Court: BEFORE
Garvey Court
Completion Scheduled for Summer 2012
La Valentina Station & North
Sacramento, CA
•  Amenities ground floor retail and
social services space
•  Bike storage and a public plaza
•  LEED Gold Designed
•  Clean-up and redevelopment of
polluted site
•  The North site features solar
panels and net-zero energy
consumption
•  Affordable apartments ranging
from studios to 3-bdrms
La Valentina STATION
Designed by David Baker + Partners
Northwest Perspective
South Elevation
East (rear) Elevation
La Valentina NORTH
Designed by YHLA Architects
La Valentina North- A NET-ZERO
Building Under Construction, Completion Spring 2012
La Valentina Station- An Urban
TRANSIT VILLAGE
Under Construction, Completion Schedule for Summer 2012
Kings Beach, California
• 
Tahoe is renowned for water clarity & losing
clarity at a rate of 1 foot per year
• 
Sensitive environment, governed by two
agencies; Placer County and Tahoe Regional
Planning Agency
• 
Oldest urbanized area, established 1926
• 
Rural community of about 4,000 residents
• 
Highly regulated land use
• 
Poor infrastructure and lack of Best Management
Practices (BMPs)
Kings Beach, CA: BEFORE
• 
Most residents can’t afford
market rate homes
• 
75% of households with 5
people, live in a 1-BR or
studio
• 
Housing old & dilapidated
• 
80 miles to Reno and back
2009 Conditions
Kings Beach HOUSING NOW
•  First new development in decades.
•  Redevelops 5 infill sites in existing town grid.
•  Demolished 32 units of substandard unsustainable dwellings
•  Creates 77 eco- friendly apartments; near jobs, transit, schools,
parks, grocery stores and restaurants
Kings Beach HOUSING NOW
Chipmunk Site, Opening Summer 2012
Kings Beach HOUSING NOW
Project Outcomes
• 
Contributes to the long-term economic and environmental vitality of the region;
workforce can afford to live close to jobs; 325 on waitlist
• 
Promotes a healthier
environment through:
  LEED buildings
  Storm water
management
  “Smart growth”
practices
• 
Builds on transit nodes
• 
Redevelops existing
disturbed, blighted and
underutilized properties within exiting “grid” protecting surrounding land
Kings Beach, CA: AFTER
• 
Housing. 77 affordable
units
• 
Jobs. About 400 during
construction +
additional permanent
• 
Energy. Units are 66%
more energy efficient
“Best Housing
Project in the
Basin”
- Tahoe Regional
Planning Agency
If You Build It, They Will Come.
Key TAKEAWAYS
•  Infill is a powerful tool for greener,
healthier neighborhoods
•  Huge benefits to communities
•  Major obstacles to overcome
YOU can do it!
•  Incentives for developers
•  Streamlined entitlement process
•  Strong political leadership
Thank You!