Plans to build new affordable housing are moving through the California Environmental Quality Act review process for 440-490 Arden Way in Old North Sacramento. The proposal has received the Notice of Exemption after an environmental review. The proposal, by BRIDGE Housing Corporation, will replace a vacated armory building with 124 new units of affordable units, including permanent supportive housing.
The five-story proposal will be designed by LPAS and built by the Tricorp group. Construction will replace the 1.27-acre property and the existing armory building with a podium building using heavy timber. Parking will be included for 67 cars and 62 bicycles. Amenities will include the community room, child care center, and more.
440 Arden Way, image via Google Street View
BRIDGE will partner with the Lutheran Social Services of Northern California to provide various services to support residents. Child Action Inc is also expected to find a new location in the building. Del Paso Business Partnership has been tapped to find a local business to fill a retail space.
The project received approval through its classification as an in-fill development project. For readers interested in the technical reasons for the exemption, the following is an excerpt from the Notice of Exemption, published by the California Department of General Services:
DGS has determined that the project qualifies for Class 32 exemption because the project meets all criteria for the exemption. The project is consistent with applicable objective general plan standards and criteria. It is an allowable land use in the City of Sacramento’s General Plan Urban Corridor Low designation. The project site is less than 5 acres, within City limits, surrounded by urban uses, has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species, and can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. Approval of the project would not result in any significant effects related to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality. DGS has determined that there are no unusual circumstances, and no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of an exception for this project.
The application has benefited from California Governor Newsom’s executive order for the DGS to find excess state-owned properties to be replaced with affordable housing.
Unrelated conceptual proposal for 440 Arden Way, image courtesy James R. Boyce Affordable Housing Studio plans
440 Arden Way, image via Google Street View
According to the previous reporting by Ben van der Meer of the Sacramento Business Journal, the project is expected to break ground in 2023, with development costs roughly estimated at around $60 million.
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Great project in an underserved neighborhood with a ton of potential along the light rail route and just over the river from downtown. Hopefully this is the first of many developments of this kind in this neighborhood. To promote development, urban infill, while mitigating the possibility of gentrification via affordable housing.
Been through this area a lot. Del paso Blvd and Arden way intersection, as well as the Old North Sacramento neighborhood, have been nicely but slowly been developing into a mix use urban infill. I like that there are 124 units proposed and only 67 parking spaces with 62 spaces for bikes.
Sacramento – where you can either live in an affordable, subsidized apartment or buy a 945,000.00 house.
This article and the project it describes are laughable. This development will increase traffic and air pollution levels while diminishing access to the adjacent park which is a much needed green space in the area. The intersection of Arden and Oxford is dangerous with accidents happening on a regular basis. Add to that the light rail crossing at the same intersection which already creates backed up traffic and is an obvious additional hazard. The only other vehicular access out of the apartments is through a neighborhood with narrow streets that can’t accommodate two cars passing each other. This creates yet more hazards as well as air and noise pollution. The lack of parking spots will result in the already limited parking for the park being used up by the tenants. This means that access to this much needed green space and playground will no longer be available to the surrounding community. Additionally the planned daycare fails to meet acceptable standards of square footage or air and noise quality. This is urban planning my morons with tunnel vision and developers who greedily take their subsidies. Also the name Yimby reeks of self righteousness. We need progressive solutions to our housing crisis not this visionless crap.
I guess not all will have cars. Where will the rest park?
The development is very close to an existing light rail station taking you directly downtown or to shopping areas. It is easily biking distance to downtown employment over the bicycle and foot dedicated bridge over the American RIver. The Arden/Del Paso bus passes by the project and there is the SMART Ride on-demand bus that services the area. No need for a car. Uber /Lift and scooters and E-bikes all available.
Have you ever walked through this area? You do realize that a 5 story project is utterly out of proportion to everything else around it. There is a large lot that has been vacant for years facing onto Del Paso Blvd. that would be far better suited to this proposal which is not only inconsistent with everything and is not formally certified to provide affordable housing in this area.