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Neighbors and council spar over density and traffic for proposed housing near Spad Center
Summary
Residents told the council a proposed housing development adjacent to the Spad Center near Ohio Street will generate unsafe traffic and is incompatible with surrounding lower-density properties; council staff confirmed the site is zoned RM-20 and that the proposed 62 units would receive RHNA credit.
A resident urged the City Council to reconsider the design and density of a proposed housing project near the Spad Center by Ohio Street, saying the proposal’s traffic plan and unit mix would harm adjacent neighborhoods.
The resident, speaking during public comment, said she could not attend the project’s upcoming hearing but wanted to register concerns about vehicle access (noting a right-turn-only exit she said would produce unsafe U-turns on Imperial Highway), compatibility with existing lower-density properties, and the limited number of units that would qualify as low-income (she said only 2 or 3 units would receive low-income credit of about 60-plus units total). “This project doesn’t seem to fit the neighborhood,” the resident said, urging a design that is more compatible with nearby homes.
Council Member Tara Campbell responded to the concern by clarifying the site’s zoning and how it relates to state housing requirements. Campbell said the site had been zoned RM-20 (20 units per acre) and that the proposed plan for 62 units would receive full RHNA credit. Planning staff member Nate confirmed Campbell’s zoning figure and the credit calculation. “That was a site that was zoned RM-20, which is 20 units an acre,” Campbell said, and staff agreed the 62 units match the site’s designated capacity.
Campbell acknowledged the difficulty the city faced in selecting housing-element sites and said she expected further discussion between neighbors and the developer at the March 3 meeting. She asked residents to continue engaging in the process and said staff would work to resolve neighbor concerns.
What’s next: the project will be discussed at an upcoming meeting (noted by the resident as March 3); council members signaled additional community meetings and a follow-up review with staff and developers.
