On Wednesday, December 7th, the Scotts Valley City Council will be considering the recommendation to approve the “Dunslee Way” housing and commercial project which consists of 25 townhouses and a commercial building with 3 of those townhouses being “affordable housing” type units.
There has been some talk and rumors circulating that the builder was attempting to have the city grant him an exclusion from having to build the 3 affordable housing units. When asked about these rumors, the builder, Corbett Wright replied: “These rumors are completely unfounded, and nothing could be further from the truth.”
“The truth is that as part of the project I have formally offered to the City to construct and sell three moderate rate affordable housing units and to pay an additional fee. This is in conformance with the City’s affordable housing ordinance,” said Wright. “The reason that the ordinance is in place is so that people who work in our community such as firefighters, police, and teachers should be able to live in our community.”
According to Wright, the project that he is proposing will sell 22 market rate units, will subsidize the construction of the commercial building, hereby creating jobs, and provide over $1 million dollars in fees to the City of Scotts Valley.
The project, which has been in the works for over three years would have about 70% of approximately 11 acres that the project entails to be preserved as it currently sits with trees and other natural landscaping. Wright is also planning on repaving all of Dunslee Way, which has not been maintained for over 20 years, and the long term maintenance will be paid for by the new town homes.
“I believe in giving back to our local community with each project that we work on,” said Wright. “From the project, I have already donated to the Scotts Valley Sports Complex, and I have signed a pledge form to gift a portion of my profit to the SVSC. I am committed to both reinvesting in my community, and giving back a portion of my profits to better our local schools.”
The price point has not yet been established, but is expected to be in the $750k range or more. The price point is expected to attract many potential home buyers who have been looking to buy in Scotts Valley and have been priced out of many single family homes that are now in the $900,000 to $1 million plus range.
Yet the building more homes is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you have residents who are wanting more affordable housing which can only be obtained through the building of more homes as the lower the supply of available homes, the higher the demand and the higher that home prices soar.
And on the other hand, there are many local residents who have expressed their frustration with new home developments as the small town feel of Scotts Valley seems to be slipping away for many who have moved here to get away from the city life of Silicon Valley, or who have been here for many years and have enjoyed the “Mayfield” feel.
All you have to do is read a post like this one (click here) about a new housing project to get a feel for what many locals are wanting as well as how they are feeling about new development and growth on the My Scotts Valley Facebook page.
Many locals have also called for the building of more single family homes that are more affordable such as the same price point that these town homes will probably be. Yet with the rising cost of land, building costs, permits, fees, and more, building single family homes in the $750-800,000 price point is a difficult if not impossible task for most builders.
The housing crunch is a nationwide, statewide, area wide and local issue, with numerous opinions on what it will take to create more affordable housing for people who want to live in the area that they work in, or have been raised in. Local leaders have met with communities to try and find answers for years, yet with the amount of demand that exists for homes with not enough supply, it is a problem that will continue until the demand is met, or more people move out of the area in search of more affordable areas.
The City Council meeting to consider approving the project is set to take place at the following date, time and location:
Wednesday, December 7th, at 6pm
City Council Chambers
1 Civic Center Drive
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
- To read the agenda for the city council meeting that covers this topic among others, click here.
Robert Aldana