Building affordable townhouses on municipal property on the edge of downtown is no longer deemed an affordable proposition.
Instead, the Ripon City Council when they meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. may change gears and build three detached homes to sell instead to qualifying buyers to meet the city’s affordable housing goal for the parcel.
A $9,259 contract with Keesey Design is being proposed to prepare revised site development and architectural concepts for three detached single family affordable housing units.
The property is currently zoned R4 or multiple family residential.
The intent of the original townhouse project was to construct the units utilizing resources available through the City's Affordable Housing Fund and ultimately sell the completed homes as affordable units to qualified buyers.
Keesey Design completed the initial conceptual design work for the attached townhouse project, including a site layout, floor plans, and architectural elevations intended to complement the character of the surrounding neighborhood and Downtown District.
Following completion of the initial design concept, staff conducted additional due diligence regarding the design, construction, ownership, and long-term administration of an attached residential development. Through this process, several challenges associated with proceeding with an attached product were identified.
In particular, attached residential construction presents additional architectural, engineering, construction, liability, and ownership considerations that are not generally associated with detached single-family construction.
An attached development would also require the establishment of a homeowners association
(HOA) or similar entity to address common areas, shared building components, insurance, maintenance responsibilities, and other ongoing obligations. Because the City's objective is to sell the completed homes as affordable units to qualified buyers, the creation and long-term administration of an HOA would introduce additional costs and responsibilities for the future homeowners.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
