By Lisa Awbrey, HANC Vice-President
On Wednesday November 16, approximately 45 local community members attended an in person meeting held at the Park branch library, hosted by the Coalition for a Complete Community at 730 Stanyan (CCC). All attendees wore masks.
The CCC’s update to the public on the development at 730 Stanyan included a timeline of events at the site over the past 5 years. In December 2017, the City negotiated the purchase of the land at 730 Stanyan for $15.5 million so that it could re-develop the parcel with the stated goal of building “100% affordable housing.” Since the purchase of the site, plans have moved in fits and starts with local residents left to wonder when construction would begin at the now vacant and blighted site; the City spends $27,000 each month to guard an empty parking lot.
Last year when the Mayor abruptly changed the existing building plan from six stories to eight, things came to a grinding halt because the two nonprofit developers of the site needed to seek new and different funding for a building with increased height and density; we are currently waiting to hear back about that funding.
The current design for the building features 160 rental units with a mix of bedroom sizes. The apartments will be affordable to low- and moderate-income households. There will be 50 units set aside as permanent supportive housing, including 30 units for transitional age youths (TAY) who are typically exiting the foster care system; and 20 units for adults and families previously experiencing homelessness. All along, the CCC has pressed for a strong commitment from the City to housing three of our local community’s most vulnerable populations: low income families and seniors, and TAY youth.
For over five years, the CCC has continued to urge neighbors who live and work near the site to actively engage in the planning and the interim use there. Community engagement is essential to the success of this once in a century opportunity to develop and build a project of this size. Hundreds of local residents have participated in future plans for design, hopes for past and future interim use, and plans for public art at the site. The CCC calls for continued engagement for local neighbors to help get the word out to future residents of the building.
At the meeting, members of the public were asked to sign up to participate in the affirmative marketing process for potential residents. Attendees were encouraged to assist with senior outreach which includes gathering existing lists with senior contacts, a primary concern being lack of Internet connectivity by low income seniors without computers and cell phones. Supervisor Dean Preston commended the CCC for its persistent involvement and community engagement on the project over these many years.