A request for a zoning change to all a joint city/South County
Housing project supplying affordable housing for Morgan Hill
teachers was not approved by the Planning Commission Tuesday
night.
A request for a zoning change to all a joint city/South County Housing project supplying affordable housing for Morgan Hill teachers was not approved by the Planning Commission Tuesday night.
“It just wasn’t realistic,” said Commissioner Charles Weston.
The 3-3 vote is interpreted as a denial, according to Jim Rowe, planning manager for the city. Weston said the commission declined to follow staff recommendation because, in fact, only four of the 12 condominium units were suitable for young teachers.
Weston, Ralph Lyle and Bob Benich voted no; Joe Mueller, Bob Escobar and Geno Acevedo voted yes. Commissioner Bob Engles was absent.
The commission considered 12 units too dense for the site with too many exceptions from minimum development standards, Rowe said.
Twelve units are planned for a one-acre site on the northeast corner of Watsonville Road and Calle Sueno. The units would be available for sale to teachers and, if not enough teachers applied, would be made available to police officers, fire fighters and city workers. After that the units would be offered to people on the “below market rate” waiting list, Rowe said.
The project, the staff report said, is 100 percent affordable, or below market value. Council members asked in January 2002 for such a project in response to a public outcry that the new generation of teachers was leaving town for more affordable areas.
Four units would be low income for entry level teachers, four in medium range and four in the moderate income range ($80-$102k depending on family size). The moderate income units will help subsidize costs of low income units, Rowe said.
The city has worked with the Morgan Hill School District and with South County Housing to put the project together with the understanding that the units were for low to median-income households .
With an ever-increasing median price of $482,000 for a single-family home, district and city officials are increasingly concerned about recruiting and retaining teachers and other district employees.
Beginning teachers’ salary range from $37,740 to $40,819 with no experience and up to $62,840 with 14 years of experience. Compared to the median income of $96,000 for a family of four in Santa Clara County, it’s difficult for teachers to take part in the American dream of home ownership. As a result, many leave for areas with lower housing prices.
South County Housing has worked with the city before on Terracina Apartments at East Dunne Avenue and Butterfield Boulevard and the Jasmine Square project, now under construction on Monterey Road, just south of the post office.
The city originally purchased the land 12 years ago, with some Redevelopment Agency investment, from the county for a fire station but fire protection needs changed. The city is now looking for land for a third fire station closer to the downtown area.
The project will be presented to the City Council on Nov. 19.
