Council approves Pearlman Apartments downtown permit after weeks of review; residents and carriers raise health, parking and coverage concerns

The Santa Maria City Council voted Aug. 5 to approve downtown entitlements for the Pearlman Apartments, a six‑story, 100% deed‑restricted affordable housing project, with a condition that the developer re-contact 14 tenants at the adjacent Union Plaza building and offer relocation assistance so those tenants’ written decisions are on the record.

The Pearlman project, presented by Shannon Dow, the city’s director of community development, and Brad Vernon of the Vernon Group, is described in project materials as 150 deed‑restricted units at an average affordability level of 60% of area median income, with 78 vehicle parking stalls within a podium and 15 long‑term bicycle parking spaces. The planning commission had earlier recommended approval with additional conditions including façade treatments facing Union Plaza, a mural, relocation of an elevator to the northeast corner to improve alley access, and early notification/application assistance for Union Plaza residents.

During the hearing a large number of Union Plaza residents and representatives objected to the project’s location and design on grounds that…