Regarding Parcel B, how about affordable housing, workforce housing or senior housing above retail?
Remembering back to the Charette of 1991 when we were shown a slide of a development in Santa Monica built with businesses on the bottom floor and housing on the rest of the floors, it was an option for Parcel B.
The Redevelopment Agency has millions of dollars that has to be used for housing. Why not housing for Culver City employees? Housing for the people who work in the Downtown restaurants or studios? Housing for seniors?
All could walk across the street for groceries at Trader Joe's.
The Redevelopment Agency is spending $6 million to subsidize a developer for 12 of his 28 apartment units (on Irving Place). That is a half million dollars per unit. City employees will get first choice. With Redevelopment Agency money, why not subsidize all of the units for sale or for rent above (on top of) retail? Units with occupants who can walk to work instead of drive.
In 2008, the Agency Board approved implementation of Years 1 and 2 of the Comprehensive Housing Strategy (CHS). The CHS identifies housing sites and development costs, and it allocates monies from the Housing Set Aside Fund in an effort to improve the city's affordable housing stock and meet housing production requirements under the Regional Housing Need Assessment (RHNA) planning period.
Under RHNA, over the next seven years, the city must create 504 units of housing with 224 of those units being designated for very-low, low and moderate households. One developer who attended the Nov. 9 meeting in the Dan Pattachia Room at City Hall had actually submitted a plan for mixed use with residents on top of retail, in 2004.
Why not use the 9300 Culver Blvd. property for retail and housing units to help satisfy the 504 units that must be created in the next seven years? You don’t need to study market demands. The city has demands for 504 units in seven years.
That is a known demand. Just do it!
Mr. Anderson may be contacted at cary@culvercity.TV
