Fillmore council approves off‑site improvements for 50‑unit Fillmore Terrace supportive housing project

The Fillmore City Council on March 10 authorized the city manager to execute an off‑site improvement agreement and a license agreement and to accept performance and payment bonds tied to the People’s Self Help ‘‘Fillmore Terrace’’ project, clearing a major administrative step for the proposed 50‑unit affordable housing development.

Staff and planners told the council the project is being processed under California’s supportive‑housing statutes and was treated as a ministerial approval because it conforms with zoning and the general plan. Kevin, a planning staff reviewer, told the council the development would include “about 50 units. 31 of them will be for very low income, 18 for low income,” plus a manager’s unit and a small number of permanent supportive units; he also described concessions and waivers the developer requested to achieve the proposed density.

City Engineer Roxanne summarized the public‑improvement work that People’s Self Help will construct and bond, including curb, gutter and sidewalk replacements, a 13‑foot right‑of‑way dedication on Santa Clara Street, diagonal parking along Palm Street, new ADA ramps and relocated or undergrounded overhead utilities along the project frontage. Roxanne said the package is secured with roughly $810,000 in bonds to ensure completion of the public improvements if construction stalls.

Tanner Shelton, the project’s planning consultant, and a People’s Self Help representative explained how the site will be managed. Shelton said the project will have “an on‑site staff person … a property manager as well as caseworkers” and that staff will submit a security plan that must be reviewed and approved by the police department prior to certificate of occupancy. A People’s Self Help speaker said most units are targeted to families and that 13 units would be set aside as permanent supportive housing.

Council members asked about parking and security. Staff said the project provides a total of 45 parking spaces (including on‑street parking), that many spaces along Palm Street will remain public parking, and that rights‑of‑way dedications and alley widenings are part of the off‑site improvements. City staff said they will continue to coordinate with utility providers on undergrounding and with police on the security plan.

A council member moved and another seconded a motion authorizing the city manager to execute the agreements and accept the bonds; the council approved the motion. The authorization allows the city to accept the bonded public improvements and for the developer to proceed toward construction pending funding and permits.

What’s next: staff said the agreements and conditions of approval are in the council packet and that the city manager or designee will accept dedications and execute the documents when the contract exhibits and bonds are finalized.