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Lemoore council approves disposition and development agreement for 240-unit affordable housing project
Summary
The City Council approved a disposition and development agreement allowing a developer to buy and build 240 affordable apartments on a 9-acre city parcel at the northeast corner of 19-1/2 Avenue and Cedar Lane, exempting the sale from parts of the Surplus Land Act and securing a developer contribution of $2,000 per unit.
The Lemoore City Council on April 15 approved a disposition and development agreement that clears the way for a 240-unit affordable housing development on a 9-acre city-owned parcel at the northeast corner of 19-1/2 Avenue and Cedar Lane.
Staff told the council the project will be 100% affordable and that the city is using a state surplus-land exemption for affordable housing so the parcel may be sold and deeded directly to the developer after required notifications to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
The developer team and city staff said the project will be built in four phases, totaling 240 apartments. Developer representative Tyler Crocker said the developer is “willing to put up $2,000 per unit. It’s 240 units project[s] over 4 phases, for each of the apartments. So that’d be a $480,000 contribution towards the city, and a good faith effort.” City staff said that payment will be phased as each phase completes; the city manager explained the phased payments would likely be about $120,000 per phase until the total reaches $480,000.
The property was described in staff presentation by parcel numbers APN 023-400-001, -002 and -003. Staff said the development plan meets municipal code standards; because it is an affordable project that meets HCD standards, the council can deem the site exempt from the remainder of the Surplus Land Act process provided HCD is notified.
During public comment, Honey Willis asked how the developer contribution would be recorded and spent; staff said the funds would be deposited as unanticipated revenue into the city’s general fund. Another commenter asked what would happen if the development did not proceed after sale; staff answered the city would be “back to square one” with the property if the development fails to proceed.
Councilmember Brewster moved to approve the agreement with the public-record amendment of $2,000 per unit (totaling $480,000) and Councilmember Cruz seconded. The motion passed 4 in favor, 0 opposed.
The council’s action authorizes the city manager to sign the development agreement, escrow and associated sale documents, subject to finalization of the payment schedule and other closing details in the executed contract. Staff said the timing of payments (for example, whether tied to phase completion or construction closing) will be clarified in the final agreement.
The decision advances a large affordable housing project on city-owned land but leaves open details on exact payment timing and specific uses of the developer contribution until those contract terms are finalized.
