Council approves altered affordability mix at 1000 Drakes Landing, adding deed‑restricted moderate‑income ownership units

Planning staff presented an 'alternative equivalent action' for a previously entitled 19‑unit townhouse project at 1000 Drakes Landing Road. The entitlement, processed under state density bonus law, originally allowed four affordable units as rental housing (three low‑income and one moderate). Because the applicant proposed to convert the development from rental to for‑sale ownership, the inclusionary categories that apply to ownership projects differ under local code.

Under the city’s for‑sale inclusionary requirement, the code generally allocates percentages to different affordability tiers (listed in staff materials). The applicant requested that the four required affordability units be deed‑restricted for moderate‑income ownership (20% moderate across the project’s units) rather than the prior mix that included lower income tiers. Planning staff recommended approval of the alternative equivalent action, noting the city has few (or no) deed‑restricted moderate‑income ownership units in the current housing cycle and that this action would create ownership opportunities in the moderate bracket.

No members of the public spoke on the item during the hearing. Council members asked clarifying questions about the code categories (staff explained that 'above moderate' is a local category and that state density bonus categories stop at moderate). Council adopted the resolution with language edits to ensure the final resolution used the city’s own 'moderate income' phrasing consistently.

The resolution approval was procedural and did not change the total number of affordable units (four); it changed the tenure and income tier for those units to be deed‑restricted ownership at moderate income levels. Staff indicated they track housing production in the annual progress report and will record the change in the city’s housing inventory reporting.