Committee discusses Sunbelt Apartments redevelopment, zoning and grant timing

Clallam County housing committee members reviewed redevelopment plans for Sunbelt Apartments at 505 South Fifth and set a subcommittee meeting to vet the project’s application for county housing funds.

Sharon Maynard, the committee member who presented the project update, said the existing building dates to 1948 with a 1960 addition and is currently subject to a Housing Trust Fund deed restriction that requires the property remain rental housing until 2054. “The building was built in 1948 and added on to in 1960,” Maynard said. She told the committee the restriction means the site “has to be used for rentals even while we're doing construction.”

Maynard said the housing authority is working with an architect, completed a land survey and plans to submit preliminary drawings with the county’s grant application on Oct. 16. “I should have something to present by October 16 because that's when our grama is due,” she said. Maynard added the project team is considering requesting a grant waiver to seek more than the program’s usual award and estimated that roughly half the total project cost could be spent in an initial phase.

Committee members discussed zoning and density questions. Maynard reported the parcel is currently in an R-48 zone and that the project team expects to seek a council action under state affordable-housing statutes to increase allowable density and reduce parking requirements. She told the group that survey data were unclear: the county record indicated 0.33 acres while a recent survey returned 0.8 acres, a discrepancy she said will affect design and unit count.

Maynard described preliminary unit estimates ranging from 34 to 38 units depending on final design. She said the team plans an L-shaped, single-phase building to allow demolition of the old structure and construction of new parking and circulation areas. The site is within walking distance of transit, she said.

The committee scheduled a subcommittee meeting for Oct. 11 to review Sharon’s application for the county’s $1.59 million fund and consider whether to recommend partial or full funding. One committee member said the panel typically requires applicants to secure other funding as a condition of full committee support.

The committee discussed next steps including coordinating with city planners on zoning changes and confirming the surveyed parcel size before finalizing unit counts and parking plans. No final funding decision was made at the meeting; committee members said they will review the subcommittee’s recommendations before taking further action.