Los Banos council defends choosing state-approved pallet homes over buying La Plaza Inn for bridge housing
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Summary
Mayor and staff said purchasing and rehabbing an older motel would add years, costs and legal hurdles; council favored state-approved pallet homes as a faster, flexible bridge-housing option while advancing a permanent ‘One Tree Village’ plan.
The Los Banos City Council on Dec. 17 defended its decision to pursue state-approved pallet homes rather than buying and redeveloping the La Plaza Inn as short-term bridge housing.
Mayor (name not stated) told the council that the choice weighed time, cost and long-term flexibility. "Our long term goal is that we will not need bridge housing in the future," the mayor said, and explained that purchasing and rehabilitating an older motel typically triggers lengthy negotiations, expensive code upgrades and prevailing-wage construction that can add years to a project and substantial cost overruns.
Council staff read a letter from resident Julie Creighton urging reconsideration of "Option 3," the La Plaza Inn purchase, and asserting the motel currently has very low occupancy and that management would be willing to participate in a conversion. The letter said occupancy has been "approximately 1 to 2%" outside harvest season and argued converting the property would address urgent homelessness needs.
Council members acknowledged Creighton’s points but said past experience with property acquisition and rehabilitation supports using the pallet-home approach. The mayor cited his 12 years as chair of the designated local authority and described how appraisals, seller pricing expectations and required upgrades often prolong and inflate projects; he said pallet homes are preapproved by the state, save time and reduce surprise costs.
Staff and council emphasized that pallet homes provide flexibility: units can be installed efficiently once infrastructure is in place, they are manufactured to state standards, and if bridge housing is no longer required the city will not be left with an aging structure to manage or sell. The mayor said the council’s long-term plan — the One Tree Village — remains the intended permanent solution.
No final purchase or binding contract for a motel was approved at the meeting. The mayor said further council work next year will include programs for able-bodied, unemployed individuals using city facilities and continued discussion of encampment responses. The council expressed openness to further community input and stated any future property purchases would follow public processes, required engineering and budget approvals.
The council adjourned after the discussion; no immediate action to acquire the La Plaza Inn was taken.