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Council approves bond financing for Fusion Legacy Court, zoning updates and a rezoning to allow housing on 55th Street
Summary
The council approved a California Municipal Finance Authority bond financing for the Fusion Legacy Court apartments, adopted technical zoning updates to align Title 23 with state law, and approved a rezoning and general plan amendments for two parcels at 1646 and 1655 55th Street to enable a proposed residential project.
On April 28 the Berkeley City Council approved several housing and land-use items: authority bond financing for the Fusion Legacy Court apartments, a package of zoning-code amendments to Title 23 for state-law consistency and technical fixes, and a rezoning and general-plan amendment for two parcels on 55th Street to allow a proposed residential project.
For the Fusion Legacy Court financing (item 13), staff said there was no formal presentation but that the project advanced through required review. Council members praised staff and noted the role of the housing trust fund and developer in predevelopment financing. "This is the sort of project that is made possible because developers pay in lieu fees into our housing trust fund," one councilmember said. The council closed the public hearing and adopted the bond financing resolution by roll call vote.
The council also considered a package of Title 23 zoning ordinance amendments (item 14) presented by Planning Director Jordan Klein and staff planner Justin Horner. The changes include 26 sections of edits, 15 non-substantive corrections and 11 substantive updates (ministerial approvals for middle housing in certain districts, updates to JADU rules to reflect state law, and a clarification of state density-bonus requirements). A caller (Kelly Hammergren) asked whether a specific environmental safety residential designation applied in very-high fire hazard zones; staff said there were no changes to that section. Council closed the public hearing and adopted the amendments.
On item 15, the council considered a rezoning and general-plan amendment for 1646 and 1655 55th Street requested by the property owner. Planning staff recommended rezoning small parcel portions from Mixed Use Light Industrial (MULI) to Mixed Use Residential (MUR) to allow a proposed residential development; the Planning Commission had recommended unanimous approval. Applicant Matthew Wadland spoke in support, noting geographic surveying artifacts that left a house zoned MULI. Council discussed an existing transitional housing unit on a nearby city-owned parcel and the implications for future finances; staff noted the parcel remained in housing use and any city-owned changes would require a separate process. The council closed the hearing and voted to adopt the general-plan amendment and zoning ordinance amendment to rezone the parcels.
All three items passed on roll-call votes with "yes" votes from attending councilmembers. Council members expressed appreciation for staff work and for projects that advance affordable or permanently affordable housing.
