Council grants 12-month extension for 480-unit ‘Villages at Main’ project after heated water-capacity debate

The Livingston City Council narrowly approved a 12-month time extension for Conditional Use Permit 2019-03 and Site Plan Design Review 2019-04 for the Villages at Main, a proposed 480-unit apartment community, voting 4–1 on March 18 after more than an hour of public comment and council discussion focused on water capacity.

The project site covers about 17.3 acres east of Main Street and south of Peach Avenue. City planner Miguel Galvez summarized the application history: the project received council approvals in October 2021; a 12-month extension was granted in September 2023; the applicant had requested additional time but had not submitted evidence documenting substantial progress by October. The Planning Commission recommended a 16-month extension by a 4–0 vote; staff initially recommended a 12-month extension and later revised that recommendation amid concerns about summer water shortfalls.

At the council meeting, the attorney advised the council that Government Code Section 65914.4 applies to entitlement extensions for housing projects that were approved before January 1, 2024. The city attorney recommended granting the extension; he said the statute supports an extension for qualifying housing projects that predate the 2024 cutoff.

Members of the public and some council members urged caution. Resident Lane Yaghi told the council: “I can't I don't understand why we continue to give these applicants extensions. They're using up all our water capacity... We've extended it since 02/2021. Now, when is it going to ever end?” Other residents raised concerns about city water quality and infrastructure and urged the council to prioritize projects that can proceed immediately.

Representatives for the project said contractors were in place, that work to underground an irrigation lateral (the Arena Canal) had been contracted to a Ceres contractor, and that materials and scheduling were constraints tied to irrigation season timing. The applicant’s representative said a contractor for the canal work was engaged and that undergrounding was planned during the irrigation off-season; the applicant said they hoped to break ground on undergrounding in October when irrigation ends and estimated phase timing in 2026 for occupancy if construction proceeds.

Council members debated competing priorities: the city seeks housing to meet regional housing needs but has limited water supply and aging infrastructure. One council member moved to deny the extension; that motion failed for lack of a second. Council member O'Paul moved to grant a 12-month extension, and Mayor Pro Tem Samra seconded; the roll call vote was 4–1 in favor (Council member Wallace voted no). The council’s motion sets the extension to run from the council’s approval date; staff noted that a building or grading permit taken during the extension period would keep the entitlement active.

City staff and legal advisers told the council the project’s water demand has been accounted for on the city’s capacity table in phased allocations, and the city continues to pursue additional water infrastructure projects. The council also heard requests from developers and residents for clearer prioritization of water capacity and faster infrastructure improvements.

The council’s action preserves the project’s entitlement for one year; if the applicant takes substantial action (for example, files for and receives a building or grading permit) during the extension, the entitlement remains active. The vote closes the item for now but leaves water-capacity and infrastructure planning as continuing council priorities.