The Ripon City Council helped pave the way last week for The Terraces at Bethany.

That’s much-anticipated three-story, 106,894-square-foot Bethany Home project that will feature 82 residential senior housing units – specifically, three studio apartments, 46 one-bedroom and 33 two-bedroom apartments – ranging from 475- to 1,235 square feet in size.

It will be the city’s first three-story non-industrial building.

Elected leaders approved the conditional use permit, planned unit overlay district, and lot merger along adopting the California Environmental Quality Act compliance documents.

This comes on the heels of the Ripon Planning Commission approving the proposed project and adopting the mitigated negative declaration for the project on July 18.

The Terraces at Bethany would be located on the 2.73-acre site at 816 W. Main St. and 200 Vera Avenue. Four existing structures – a dental office, doctor’s office, and the old Christian school with an associated storage building, all vacant – would have to be demolished to clear the way.

Once completed, the new addition to Bethany Home would feature a lobby, formal dining room, a café bistro, library, fitness / wellness center, media room, a craft room, multipurpose meeting & event hall rooms, a salon and support centers.

Outdoor amenities include landscaped gardens and courtyards along with outdoor dining areas and a pet area.

The exterior would be a mixt of white stucco and red brick, matching the architectural style of downtown Ripon.

As for parking, The Terraces of Bethany would have a total of 82 stalls – 46 standard and 36 compact – with every unit accounting for one space.

Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart mentioned that not every resident of the facility for those age 62 or better will have a vehicle, in turn, allowing for more off-street parking.

The current timetable for The Terraces at Bethany’s opening is summer 2024.