Planning commission reviews MidPen plan for 172-unit affordable housing at 1171 Sonora Court

Sunnyvale planning staff and the developer MidPen Housing presented plans July 28 for a 100% affordable, seven-story residential project at 1171 Sonora Court, a 1.3-acre site in the Lawrence Station area.

Senior Planner Margaret Meadow told commissioners the proposal would demolish a 19,512-square-foot industrial building and construct 172 apartments — 170 affordable units and two managers’ units — in a single seven-story building over two levels of podium parking. “This is a study session to review a 100% affordable housing project at 1171 Sonora Court,” Meadow said, and corrected the agenda to note the site is 1.3 acres, not 3.54.

The project would be built on land owned by the city and ground-leased to MidPen Housing. MidPen associate project manager Claire Kosterz said the units would be affordable to households at roughly 30% to 70% of area median income and that MidPen has worked with city housing staff on the site since about 2020. “We really appreciate the time you’ve put into this,” Kosterz said.

Why it matters: the site sits adjacent to the Lawrence Caltrain Station and is designated in the general plan as transit mixed use and zoned flexible mixed use under the Lawrence Station Area Plan (LSAP). Staff said the proposed residential density would be about 132 dwelling units per acre, achieved through LSAP incentives and the California state density bonus law. Commissioners praised the project’s location near transit but raised repeated concerns about parking, school access and how visitors and people with disabilities will be served.

Project details and design concessions - Units and layout: staff presented a mix of 27 studios, 57 one-bedroom, 43 two-bedroom and 43…