Newport welcomes affordable housing

June Casagrande

A 150-unit senior affordable housing complex planned at the

intersection of Jamboree Road and Coast Highway took its biggest step

forward Tuesday night when council members voted unanimously to

approve plans and a permit for the project.

Residents of the Villa Point neighborhood that overlooks the site

said they had some problems with the project, though few flat-out

opposed the development.

“I don’t expect you to do everything we say. I just want you to

meet our requests a little less than half way,” said Kahn Lee, a

Villa Point resident.

Lee asked council members to consider lowering the building height

about 2 feet and to revise the plans so that the buildings don’t

dominate as much of their views as the plans propose to do.

Others said parking was a problem. The 150-unit complex is slated

to have 180 parking spaces. A representative of developer Related

Companies said the parking is adequate for the project, in part

because of the income requirements that will apply to tenants.

Seniors will qualify for the apartments only if their household

income is beneath a level still to be determined. That will mean that

a large percentage of the units will be occupied by single people

with just one car.

A few residents disagreed.

“Parking is totally inadequate,” resident Barry Allen said.

The project will include a public view park -- an amenity welcomed

by environmentalists such as Jan Vandersloot.

The apartment complex is planned to help the city meet state

requirements for affordable housing. The project will be paid for

with fees the city charges developers to create affordable housing.

“We are woefully deficient in this city of affordable housing, and

there is a huge demand,” Councilman Tod Ridgeway said. “This is a

good project.”