Pacific Grove affordable housing appeal to be heard at council Wednesday

With affordable housing scarce in Pacific Grove, many neighbors here say it is time to do more.

“I think it’s fabulous, it’s so needed. And this community negates that, which has made me ill,” said Chris Thomas, a Pacific Grove resident.

A new mixed-use housing development on 301 Grand Avenue in PG, already under construction, will provide 11 new housing units total. Eight of those units will be for moderate income levels, the remaining three qualify under affordable housing for low incomes.

The city’s architectural review board approved the project, but in a six to one vote, the planning commission decided to deny a permit needed to complete the work.

City staff say the commission found that the project did not align with some city codes.

“It needs to be found that the proposed use promotes the orderly and harmonious development of the city, that it is not detrimental to the neighborhood,” said Anastazia Aziz, the director of the PG Community Development Department.

The commission also found that the size and scale of the project did not match the character of the neighborhood. Now, the developer has filed an appeal to the city council to try and turn things around.

“You know, the neighbors complaining about that when housing for locals, housing for the worker bees here is at a crisis,” said Thomas.

The City of Pacific Grove has not had a new affordable housing development in over 15 years. In this development on Grand Avenue, households of two people making a combined annual income of about $53,000 or less would qualify for affordable units.

The city council will now decide whether to overrule the planning commission’s vote on Wednesday night.

“Should council elect to approve it, it will continue construction along with this current building that’s under construction,” said Aziz.

KION 2019