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Developer outlines 108‑unit downtown mixed‑use plan; council presses on water, financing and property control
Summary
Developer John Sarge presented a proposed 108‑unit mixed‑use redevelopment for a burned downtown lot in Lindsay City, saying financing would rely on grants, loans and private capital and the parcel appraisal is $390,000. Council and the public pressed for water‑supply analysis and contractual safeguards before any sale or transfer of the city parcel.
Developer John Sarge told the Lindsay City Council he and partner Jim Doty seek to redevelop a fire‑lot in downtown Lindsay with a mixed‑use complex of retail on the ground floor and 108 residential units above, including subterranean parking.
"We are proposing a 108‑unit apartment complex on top and a mall subterranean, at the base for mixed use project," John Sarge said during his presentation. He told council the parcel appraisal is $390,000 and that the estimated development cost would be in the tens of millions, which they described in discussion as roughly in the $40 million range.
Sarge said his team has built housing across the Central Valley and intends to pursue a financing package that mixes conventional loans, federal or state multifamily financing and grant funding. He said the developer cannot proceed with major planning and design work until they have control of the parcel and recommended either a contract for sale, an option to purchase, or another agreement that secures property control before committing significant design dollars.
Council members and staff pressed for clearer financing contingencies and legal protections. One council member asked for phased milestones and contractual language to return the property to the city if the project fails to meet agreed completion deadlines. Sarge responded that typical contracts and escrow conditions would include financing contingencies and that most heavy preconstruction work occurs before vertical construction begins.
Several speakers during public comment and council questioning raised water availability and water‑quality concerns. A public commenter asked the council to require a detailed, analytical review of water supply and water quality impacts before approving any transfer or entitlement for large housing projects.
Council staff noted the project would still need an offer to purchase the property, review by council, and the city’s site plan review and entitlement process. Staff estimated entitlement work would take one to two years and said the council could craft agreements that set timelines for completion.
What happens next: Developers were urged to submit a formal offer on the parcel if they wish to proceed; any offer would come back to council for consideration and the project would then enter the city’s site plan review and entitlement processes.
