Patterson OKs housing project county previously opposed. But other concerns remain
The Patterson City Council has approved a housing and commercial project more than a year after Stanislaus County officials warned that allowing the development would trigger a $20 million fine.
Voting 4-1 Tuesday, the council approved the Baldwin Ranch North Project development agreement, which the city amended to reflect negotiations with the county.
But Patterson Joint Unified School District leaders say the developer has yet to resolve concerns that were raised around the time the council passed a first reading in November 2020. The developer plans to build 451 single-family homes and a commercial area for stores and offices between Sperry Avenue, Baldwin Road and the Delta Mendota Canal, per city staff reports.
County officials previously opposed the development near Interstate 5 because it violated an agreement designed to promote industrial growth. At issue was the West Patterson Business Park Development Cooperation Agreement the city and county have signed multiple versions of since 1997, according to a Board of Supervisors report.
Last month, the board unanimously approved amendments to the cooperation agreement, which now includes Baldwin Ranch provisions. Instead of owing the county about $22.75 million for breaking the agreement, the new contract says Patterson must collect about $2.73 million from the developer and pay it to the county. The county agreed to use the payment to cover its share of the Interstate 5 and Sperry Avenue interchange improvements.
Stanislaus County Chief Executive Officer Jody Hayes said the county is pleased to have amended the cooperation agreement.
“Patterson has experienced significant growth over the life of our original agreement, and this amendment respects the city’s desire to align the original project area with other planned uses while also acknowledging the basic financial components of our original agreement,” Hayes said in an email Thursday.
In the past 20 years, companies including Amazon, Restoration Hardware and Grainger have built distribution centers in west Patterson. The Baldwin project includes 98.5 acres of medium-density housing near Interstate 5, which violated the previous agreement designating 814 acres for industrial and commercial development.
Patterson school district issues remain
Councilwoman Shivaugn Alves cast the sole vote against approving the Baldwin project after asking if the Patterson Joint Unified School District supported the housing plans. Alves and Mayor Dennis McCord work for the district.
Unlike Stanislaus County, the school district has not reached agreement on the Baldwin development, Assistant Superintendent Jeff Menge said during the meeting Tuesday.
“We don’t want to get in the way of the city’s agreement,” Menge said. “But just to be clear, the district will continue negotiations with the developer to address the issue: the fact that there is no school site in the plan, nor is there other means to address the nearly 500 homes that will be pushed into an already overcrowded school.”
The developer does not plan to build a school for the new housing development, Superintendent Philip Alfano said in a phone interview Friday. Apricot Valley Elementary School already has traffic issues, so adding students from 451 new houses would worsen the situation, Alfano said.
“(We’re not) in a position to say you can’t build homes,” Alfano said. “But we are in the position to say you can’t build homes that overcrowd our schools and you need to pay your fair share of developer fees.”
The agreement approved Tuesday says the Baldwin Ranch Development LLC must pay a school impact fee, but lists the amount as to be determined.
