Developers present 150-unit affordable senior housing proposal at 3900 South; council raises parking, retail and amenity questions

Developers and city staff presented a proposal for Platform 3900, a 150-unit affordable senior rental development at 3900 South, at the Aug. 13 work session. The project team said the development would include two buildings with podium parking, roughly 4,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, extensive indoor and outdoor community spaces and a permanent programming budget to operate services for residents.

Jed Shum, a city planner in Community Development, told council that staff recommends treating senior housing as a distinct land use separate from general multifamily so the city can set tailored standards. He said the project team has worked with staff for about a year and requested council support to continue pursuing the proposal and proposed code amendments related to parking, lot size/width and amenity requirements.

Thomas Lee, a developer on the project team, said the proposal calls for 150 rental units (one- and two-bedroom) and about 71 on-site garage stalls—roughly 0.5 stalls per unit. He said current city code would…