San Gabriel Council approves entitlements to advance 73-unit affordable senior apartments at 405 S. Del Mar

The San Gabriel City Council unanimously approved steps to move forward with a 73‑unit affordable senior housing development at 405 South Del Mar Avenue, voting 5–0 to introduce Ordinance No. 714 by title and grant the entitlements needed to pursue financing and construction.

City and developer presentations framed the project as the city’s first 100% affordable senior rental development. Planning staff told the council the proposal includes a general plan amendment and rezoning (M1 to R3), a density bonus to permit 73 units on about 1.62 acres, and a street vacation of roughly 12 feet along Main Street. Planning Manager Samizar Tewarzard said the proposal requests incentives including a building height increase to 41 feet and reduced side setbacks to 5 feet, and that staff found the project consistent with the general plan housing goals. Staff cited a CEQA exemption for qualifying affordable‑housing projects under recent state law (AB 1449) as part of the environmental analysis.

Related California, the project applicant, described the development as rental housing for low‑income seniors with 72 income‑restricted units and one on‑site manager unit. Jennifer Ingeram, the Related representative, said the unit mix would include studios, one‑bedrooms and two‑bedrooms; 62 on‑site parking spaces; a variety of resident amenities; ADA/Chapter 11B accessibility features; and partnerships with social‑service providers to deliver wellness and activities. Architect Henry Tong discussed design choices made to fit the neighborhood and said facades, façade assemblies and rated windows were selected to mitigate train noise adjacent to the site.

The council hearing drew both support and opposition. Supporters — including representatives of the Asian Youth Center and local social‑service advocates — urged approval, saying affordable senior housing and onsite services are urgently needed. Neighbors raised concerns about parking spillover, traffic impacts if Main Street is narrowed, safety adjacent to the railroad, the adequacy of notification beyond the statutory 500‑foot radius, and long‑term property tax and service impacts. Several residents asked for clearer rent tables and questioned how many local residents would have priority in the leasing process.

Councilmembers pressed staff and the applicant for details about timing and financing. Related said entitlements are a prerequisite for competing effectively for county and state funding and Low‑Income Housing Tax Credits; the developer estimated tax‑credit and grant cycles make project timing uncertain but said it would typically take 12–18 months to be shovel‑ready after entitlements. Related explained that tenant rents are calculated using published area median income (AMI) limits for Los Angeles County and that tenant rent contributions are generally set at about 30% of household income within targeted AMI bands (30%–60% of AMI for the units discussed).

Before voting, Councilmember Tony Harrington moved approval with two contract changes: (1) require city council approval rather than a director’s sign‑off for any future changes to unit designations in the covenant (Section 9B), and (2) raise the indemnity standard in the developer agreement from active negligence to gross negligence. The council approved the entitlements and introduced Ordinance No. 714 by title only, adopting Councilmember Harrington’s modifications and directing staff to return for the required second reading and adoption at a future meeting. The motion passed 5–0.

Votes at a glance: Council approved the general plan amendment, zone change, density bonus and street vacation for 405 S. Del Mar and introduced Ordinance No. 714 by title only with the council‑requested covenant modifications. Motion: approve entitlements and introduce Ordinance No. 714; Mover: Councilmember Tony Harrington; Second: Vice Mayor Menchaca; Outcome: approved 5–0.

Next steps: Staff and the developer will finalize required covenant edits and return for the ordinance second reading and adoption at a future regular meeting; the developer said it will pursue funding rounds and tax‑credit applications once entitlements are secured.