Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordable Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council backs resolution supporting $7 million housing grant application for 72 affordable rental units
Summary
After a public hearing, the council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Rockdale Housing Authority's application to the General Land Office for a roughly $7 million grant to build 72 affordable rental apartments; council required parking and curbing issues be addressed in design.
The Rockdale City Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting a General Land Office (GLO) grant application that would fund 72 affordable rental units on the San Gabriel site.
Mario Casares, speaking for the applicant, said the opportunity surfaced after an earlier contract and that the application seeks about $7 million to build 72 apartments. Kira Beard, the grant administrator for the housing authority application, said the funding would also cover required infrastructure — roads, water and sewer, drainage — and that a hydrology study will be required because the site lies between two branches of Ham Branch Creek. Beard told council the grant deadline was imminent and staff were re-submitting a full application.
Public commenters including Pam King (housing authority board chair) and Amy Gronos (manager at Cordova) described long waiting lists and local demand; speakers said 70–80% of applicants are local residents. Council members stressed that prior concerns about parking ratios and curbing be fully resolved in planned designs and that the items be addressed up front to avoid redesign costs later. A motion to approve the resolution of support passed unanimously.
What’s next: the housing authority will submit the full GLO application; staff and the applicant agreed to incorporate parking, curbing and drainage requirements in the project design and to pursue phasing if infrastructure funding only covers parts of the planned 72 units.
