The San Ramon City Council is set to vote Tuesday on a resolution that would re-designate 185 units previously reserved for seniors of moderate incomes to 100% affordable housing units with no age restriction.

"As part of the overall development of the Dougherty Valley area, affordable housing obligations were woven into the development plan at various stages starting from the 1990s," Debbie Chamberlain, the city's community development director, wrote in a staff report to the council.

It includes an obligation for developers to construct a total of 449 rental units that are "affordable to moderate, low or very low-income households," according to a regulatory agreement and declaration of restrictive covenants between Contra Costa County and developer Shapell Industries Inc, which was put into place in 2014.

Shapell Deer Creek LLC, the successor agency to Shapell Industries Inc., has currently completed 264 senior apartments as part of the 449 unit requirement. The regulatory agreement was later amended to extend the deadline for the completion of the remaining affordable units, as well as "the opportunity to reevaluate the community's needs," according to Chamberlain's report.

Under the amendment, developers are now required to break ground on construction for the remaining required units by the end of June 2023, and complete construction by the end of June 2025.

While the 264 units constructed for Deer Creek North were designated for affordable housing, and have been leased out quickly, the 185 units for Deer Creek South are currently reserved for moderate-income seniors. Chamberlain's staff report notes that "many moderate income seniors make too much money to qualify for the moderate income units," with 15 units currently vacant.

"Understanding that based on the income restrictions, it is difficult for seniors age 55 and older to qualify for moderate income units, Shapell has approached the City and County with a proposal to allow the units to be designated as non-age targeted," Chamberlain's staff report said. "Non-age targeted does not prohibit seniors from occupying the units, but would broaden the availability of units to moderate income individuals and families."

With the resolution, developers and city officials are also seeking to address affordable housing needs that they forecast arising from the 2026 expiration of 102 affordable housing units at Cornerstone Apartments.

"Shapell's proposal to convert Deer Creek South to non-age targeted would provide an opportunity for individuals and families that may be displaced at Cornerstone Apartments to relocate within the Dougherty Valley," Chamberlain's staff report said.

If the city were to extend the affordable housing restrictions for Cornerstone past 2026, staff have determined that the 102 units would not go toward the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the area, unless it were to be a decades-long commitment aimed at lower income residents in particular.

As a fresh project rather than a conversion of a past project, the 185 units planned for Deer Creek South would be credited toward the city's RHNA requirements.

The San Ramon City Council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (June 28). The agenda is available here.

In other business

* The council will hear an annual update from the Dublin San Ramon Services District.