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The Livermore City Council is set to host a public hearing Monday evening on whether two approved housing projects should be allowed to reduce the number of affordable units on-site in exchange for in-lieu fees.
Located at opposite sides of Portola Avenue, Shea Aura is sited the southeast corner of the intersection with Isabel Avenue and Shea Serenity is at the northeast corner of the intersection with Collier Canyon Road.
The Serenity project received council approval in 2022 for 299 units, including 89 for-sale condominiums and 210 for-rent apartments. At the time, the development was set to have 60 affordable units and 51 accessible units.
Two years later, the council approved the Aura project to have 164 for-sale condominium units including 33 affordable units and 17 accessible units.
Applicant Shea Homes is requesting alternative means of complying with affordable housing requirements for a total of 25 moderate-income units, according to a staff report by Livermore assistant planner Emily LaDue. If council approves the proposal later this year, the units could be sold at market-rate.
“Although satisfying the affordability requirement for the Serenity and Aura projects through an alternative means of compliance would result in an immediate decrease in approved affordable units, it would provide the opportunity for flexible funding that may be directed toward deeply affordable projects serving lower-income and special needs populations,” according to the staff report.
The Livermore Development Code allows applicants to meet affordability requirements in ways other than offering on-site units, such as in-lieu fees. However, alternative means of compliance must be approved at the same time the council greenlights the project entitlements.
Neither project included alternative compliance options at entitlement, meaning Shea Homes must now request an amendment to each of the projects.
“Due to market conditions, the applicant, Shea Homes, has experienced increased difficulty selling moderate-income for-sale units at Serenity and anticipates similar challenges with the Aura Project,” the staff report states.
The amendments would not make any physical changes about the projects. An exact dollar amount for the in-lieu fee payment to the city for affordable housing would be determined at a later date.
The Livermore Planning Commission recommended approval of the proposals by 4-1 tallies during its May 5 meeting, with Commissioner Nadine Horner casting the sole dissenting vote.
The open-session meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Monday (June 8) in the council chamber at 1016 S. Livermore Ave. Read the full agenda here.
In other business
* The council is also set to host two other public hearings including one on the annexation of Shea Aura into a city of Livermore Landscape Maintenance District to fund the upkeep of public amenities installed by Shea Homes.
The other public hearing is set to cover the renewal of the Livermore Valley Wine Heritage District for a five-year term, beginning July 1. The council voted unanimously during its March 9 meeting to declare its intent to approve renewal of the district.
* In accordance with Senate Bill 707, the council is set to consider adopting a resolution on how to respond to technical disruptions to the remote access of council meetings as well as the rules of procedure for meetings, according to the agenda. The proposed rules of procedure also include “minor miscellaneous revisions”, the agenda states.
* As part of the consent calendar, composed of items typically considered noncontroversial and passed with a single motion, the council is poised to confirm the appointment of Faith Alpher as the Livermore poet laureate for a two-year term beginning July 1. Alpher is a radio personality, comedian, poet, author and actress.
Also on consent, the council is poised to declare June as Pride Month in honor of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities.
