Vacaville neighborhood questions 36-unit North Orchard Oaks apartments over traffic, trees and height

Vacaville planning staff and the project applicant on Thursday presented plans for the North Orchard Oaks Apartments, a proposed four-story, 36-unit building at the northwest corner of West Monte Vista Avenue and North Orchard Avenue, and answered questions from more than a dozen neighbors who raised concerns about traffic, parking, tree loss, utilities and the project's height.

The project team said the building would include 36 units — 34 market-rate and two set aside as very-low-income units — delivered on a site just under 1 acre. Applicant architect Ingrid Anderson said the proposal relies on a 20% state density bonus to increase allowable units from 30 units per acre to about 36.7 units per acre, yielding the 36 units proposed. "It includes 36 units, 2 of which are affordable housing for very low income families," Anderson said during the presentation. The team said the two affordable units would remain so for 55 years.

The applicant described a single, four‑story courtyard-style building with Mediterranean-style stucco, an internal courtyard, two mature oaks retained at the corner and a parking lot with 47 stalls. Architect Ingrid Anderson…