The Ripon Planning Commission paved the way for the development of some 181 homes to take place in the coming years.
It’s all part of the North Pointe Specific Plan, a 310-acre area of northern Ripon bounded by the Mistlin Sports Park to the north, Fulton Avenue to the east, Highway 99 and the frontage road to the south, and Jack Tone Road to the west.
Several property owners were in attendance at the Oct. 16 meeting, in particular, for the Meadowbrook Development Agreement with the City of Ripon.
The first agreement was for the project at 1040 Goodwin Drive. Commissioners approved the pact consisting of subdividing 16.53-acres into 93 medium density residential lots for the development of a single-family subdivision.
“The main part of the Development Agreement – which are the conditions of approval – specifies the developer’s performance, such as the dedication of a real property for public rights-of-way, construction of improvements, (and) payment of mitigation fees,” said Planning Director Ken Zuidervaart.
With that, the City has agreed to issue 93 building permits in three cycles beginning in January – the first cycle for the project will take place by then, starting with 12 permits with the caveat that the list for improvements have already been completed, according to Zuidervaart.
He noted that cycle two will include 25 permits, which won’t commence until Jan. 1, 2019 – at least 50 percent of the permits issued in cycle one must be “finalized” with five of those being affordable units during the final inspection.
Cycle three will consist of 56 permits and will not commence until somewhere around Jan. 1, 2020. By then, at least 50 percent of the permits issued in cycle two will have received final inspection along with the final four affordable units.
This project will have a Home Owner’s Association requirement, which will include the maintenance of alleys, red curbing, landscaping for the project, and language to self-regulate and provide the parameters regarding on-site parking within the project, Zuidervaart said.
In addition, the project will contain a mixture of front loaded garages and rear loaded garage alley lots, with the average lot sizes being between 3,200 and 4,200 square feet with a few being even larger. There will be four different floor plans and four different elevations for each floor plan.
“The closest project in Ripon to this would be the development on the corner of Milgeo and Manley, which has been very successful,” said Mark Wilbur, speaking on behalf of the applicant Jim Crecelius.
Commissioners also gave their OK on the pact to subdivide three parcels – the project is located at 1001, 1050 and 980 Warren Road on the North Pointe Specific Plan – totaling 12.98 acres into an 88-lot medium density residential subdivision.
This second Development Agreement – Sean Tobin with the City of Ripon – has proposed lot sizes ranging from 3,200 to 4,620 square feet.
“The project contains a mix of standard lots (park homes) and common driveway lots (courtyard homes),” said Zuidervaart, who added that many of the conditions to this project were similar to that of the first one.
In this case, the City agreed to issue 88 building permits in three cycles for the project beginning on Jan. 1.
The first one, or cycle one, will have 30 permits.
Cycle two will also have 30 permits while cycle three will consist of the final 28.
“As in the Meadowbrook project, there will be some performance requirements such as cycle one may not start until certain improvements have been completed for the project,” Zuidervaart said.
Cycle two may not start until Jan. 1, 2019 – at least 50 percent of the permits in cycle one will have to receive the final inspection, including four of those being affordable housing units.
Cycle three can begin Jan. 1, 2020 if at least 50 percent of the permits issued in cycle two have received final inspection not to mention the final four of the affordable units.
Zuidervaart said that this project will also include HOA requirements which will address the maintenance of the walls and privacy fencing, common driveways, red-curbing and no parking signs, and landscaping within and adjacent to the project.
There was opposition to this project from representatives from Goodwin Business Park.
Rick Barzan and Al Zurigen, who own the building adjacent to the project, anticipate that residents might complain about the lighting and noise from their building – they wanted to make it clear during the public hearing that they were here first to buyers in this area.
They’re also concerned that the temporary access road on Dexter Way will be used as a turnaround.
Zuidervaart mentioned a few plans for Dexter Way.
“Because it is residential, it will have an eight-foot masonry wall from money collected through the NPSP,” he said.
As for plans for Dexter Way, it could be torn down and converted into additional parking, with an emergency access gate being locked and only accessible for fire and police and not residents outside of an emergency situation, said Zuidervaart.

To contact reporter Vince Rembulat, e-mail vrembulat@mantecabulletin.com.