Where and what to build? Modesto turns to community in implementing housing plan
During a community workshop Thursday, the city outlined the broad strokes of its housing plan, which seeks to identify the needs in Modesto and provide policy suggestions for new developments.
The plan focuses on how and where the city will develop new housing and will inform the city’s long-term planning documents: The General Plan and its Housing Element. Using the plan, the city will analyze existing housing to determine where new housing can be constructed, and what types would benefit each area.
The housing plan is funded by a California SB2 planning grant, which seeks to assist cities in developing housing and alleviate the effects of a state and nationwide housing shortage.
It is being developed by Opticos Design Inc. in conjunction with city staff and will identify barriers to housing development across the city. The firm previously worked on Modesto’s downtown master plan.
Economic development director Jaylen French said he and his colleagues are “excited to undertake this important effort not only in the city of Modesto but really across the state and across the nation.”
“The overall goal of this effort ... is to identify barriers to housing production and opportunities for increased housing production,” French said.
Modesto has had a shortage of housing units for years, only exacerbated by the pandemic and increased construction costs, as well as complicated land entitlement and development processes.
Opticos Design Inc. developing plan
Through input from community members, the city will be able to make zoning and policy recommendations that reflect the community’s needs.
Officials at Thursday’s workshop shared the four key steps of the housing plan, which include:
- A citywide analysis of existing and potential housing sites
- Design testing on a range of so-called opportunity sites — to allow for an understanding of what kind of housing can be built where
- Financial feasibility analysis of these “test fits”
- And, finally, “detailed zoning and policy recommendations to remove regulatory barriers, streamline housing production, and enable housing at different scales and at all levels of affordability.”
Mitali Ganguly, a project manager at Opticos, said the 11-month process will ensure the group ends up with “a comprehensive report” that will inform the city’s general plan and housing element.
The city plans to hold three more workshops in the coming months, starting in November, where staff will present possible opportunity sites for new developments. Zoning and policy recommendations will be presented in January 2022, followed by a draft housing plan in March or April.
In addition to community workshops, the group is also meeting with focus groups and key stakeholders to identify community priorities.
“Old solutions are really not enough to get cities where they need to be and to position them to deliver the types of (housing) choices that are desired as well as needed by their households,” said Dan Parolek, Opticos’ principal and CEO.
The most important factor in the plan’s success is identifying the different context types for housing in Modesto, Parolek said. From suburban neighborhoods to transitional areas to the downtown core, Modesto’s varying neighborhoods and demographics require different solutions to address housing needs.
Parolek said the housing plan seeks to be comprehensive and provide opportunities for new housing at every level, whether that be single-family homes, multifamily complexes or more creative solutions, like accessory dwelling units or tiny homes.
In addition, Parolek stressed the importance of housing affordability. Even back in 2017, 31% of Americans were burdened by housing costs — a number that’s only been exacerbated by the pandemic and ensuing economic recession. In Stanislaus County, over 15,000 households struggle to find affordable housing.
Most of all, the Opticos and city staff stressed the importance of formulating a housing plan that works for Modesto’s specific needs.
“Modesto has a lot going for it,” Ganguly said. She stressed that the housing plan will take into account the city’s culture and existing housing stock and seek to expand that, rather than bring in solutions that might work in other cities but would fail here.
“We want to reinforce what is already existing and try and make that more viable and more affordable for more Modestans,” she said.
‘This story was produced with financial support from the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work.
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