Leo Zuber would rather be safe than sorry when it came to the City of Ripon finalizing the Development Agreement with JKB Living Inc. last week on Ripon Gardens II Apartment project.
The Ripon City Councilman was concerned of privacy issues with the project on some of the existing homes in this area in the northwest area of town.
“I want to make sure there are no balconies – I don’t want that (part of the project) to go away,” said Zuber prior to the second reading and adoption of the ordinance at the April 12 session.
Staff reassured him that the matter had been handled.
“It was part of the conditions of approving the project,” Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart said.
 The Ripon Gardens II Apartment Project has been described as quality two- and three- bedroom apartments with high-end features such as granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and vaulted ceilings.
This 10.51-acre multi-family residential / commercial project is on the west side of North Ripon Road, just south of River Road.
At the March meeting, the Ripon City Council approved the project that also called for a General Plan amendment, a rezone, and the introduction to the Ripon Gardens Development Agreement.
This Ripon Gardens II Apartment project called for developing 112 unit multi-family development on 6.13 acres and the remaining 4.06 acres re-designated and re-zoned to Neighborhood Commercial for future commercial opportunities.
Privacy to the existing homes facing the western-most end of the apartments was a sticking point for Zuber and others.
The solution was to do away with the balconies, in which John Anderson of JB Anderson Land Use Planning had pointed out was an option to the plans.