Riverbank approves 28 senior apartments, 8 ‘tiny homes’ for single moms. Both drew fire
Over protests from a few neighbors, Riverbank officials approved a 28-unit apartment complex for seniors and eight “tiny homes” for single mothers.
The senior project was reduced from 40 units after opponents complained it would worsen traffic and clash with the surrounding Sterling Ridge subdivision.
Both projects passed the Riverbank Planning Commission on Thursday, Sept. 7. The votes are final unless appealed within 10 days to the City Council.
The senior site is along Pocket Avenue, east of Roselle Avenue. The apartments will be market rate, but the rents and construction timeline are not yet known, Modesto-based Realtor Randy Brekke said. He is working with developer Mahesh Khatwani of Burlingame on the project.
The initial plan was for the 40 apartments in six one-story buildings. The revision means seven structures with four units each, also single-story.
The change will provide more outdoor space for residents and look more like the nearby houses, project architect Stacey Wellnitz of Modesto said.
The residents will be 55 or older. Brekke said a traffic study found that they will drive much less than all-age developments. The complex will have a single entrance off Pocket and parking spaces in the interior.
Opponents circulated petition last year
Sterling Ridge resident John Keller helped circulate a petition against the initial plans last year, when the partners sought to rezone the two-acre site for higher density. He opposed the revised project Thursday.
“There are plenty of properties out there that would be appropriate for the complex,” Keller said. “3318 Pocket Avenue is not one of them.”
The commission had voted 4-1 last year against the rezoning, with only member Natasha Basso in support. The City Council reversed that decision in a unanimous vote.
Tuesday’s commission vote was on the specific plans, including facades, parking and common outdoor space for residents. Only member Joan Stewart dissented this time.
The apartment site has an old house and barn that will be demolished.
Single-mom housing could be ready this year
The single-mother housing is planned for bare ground behind the Bridge Covenant Church at Oakdale Road and Morrill Avenue. It is designed for temporary use by young families at risk of homelessness.
The homes could be ready by the end of this year because they are modular, said Joe Duran, executive director of Stanislaus Equity Partners. It joined other nonprofits in the project.
The residents will spend up to 30% of their income on rent. Federal housing vouchers will cover the rest of the cost.
The national tiny-home movement seeks quick-build projects that offer a transition to conventional housing. Riverbank has a new ordinance allowing units as small as 150 square feet.
The church project will be roomier. Six of the units will be 400 square feet each. One will have 600 and the other 800.
Neighbors said they understood the need for such housing, but this project could bring problems to the area. This could include domestic violence by the fathers, and violation of the complex’s rule against alcohol and illicit drug use.
Tiny homes were already a permitted use for this site, said Donna Kenney, planning and building manager for Riverbank. That meant the commission could only vote on the specific design, which it approved 5-0.
