LA MESA CITY COUNCIL APPROVES APARTMENTS ON OLD POLICE HEADQUARTERS' SITE AND CREATES COMMISSION TO SUPPORT ARTS, CULTURE

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By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Image, left: Artist's rendering of the apartment project slated to be built on the former police station site on Allison Avenue

Oct. 14, 2021 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa City Council voted 3-0  on Tuesday to approve  development of the old police headquarters' site, where an apartment project is slated for construction.

Mayor Mark Arapostathis, Vice Mayor Jack Shu, and Councilman Colin Parent voted in favor. Councilman Bill Baber abstained due to a conflict of interest. One seat remains vacant, with a November 2 special election set to fill the vacancy.

The council also approved creation of an arts and culture commission during the October 12th Council meeting.

In addition, Juneteenth, a new federal holiday, will now be officially observed in La Mesa, commemorating the emancipation of African Americans from slavery. The order reached Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

The meeting, held virtually via Zoom, ran for approximately two hours.

Apartment housing on former police station site

The city had 56 comments submitted regarding agenda item 11, conversion of the old police headquarters’ site  to apartments. Council voted to approve changing zoning from civic to commercial to allow construction and authorized the developer, USA Properties Fund, Inc., to begin securing funding.

The 147-unit apartment building will  have 20% of the units allotted to lower-income housing on the 1.23-acre site.

City manager Carlo Tomaino provided the background on the project:  Entitlement – Project No. 2020-15, which had its design approved on July 21. The planning commission approved it in September. USA Properties Fund, Inc. outreach included attendance at local events and emails to notify the public.

The project, to be located at the former police headquarters at 8181 Allison Avenue, will be four stories high (53 feet) with 117 parking spaces that are partly underground. The site is close to public transportation. Common open space will include two outdoor courtyards, two ground level entry plazas, and a sky deck.

According to city officials the project has a walk score of 90. Walk score measures the walkability of any address and can be 0 to 100.

Milo Terzich, with USA Properties Fund, Inc. went over aspects of the project that will include social services such as LifeSTEPS, an organization that would be used to supply social services to residents of the apartment complex. The JB Brown Fund is projected to offer academic scholarships, youth sports scholarships, and client services for seniors such as help to defer the costs of hearing aids and mobility devises. Additionally onsite case management will be offered.

Details on the disposition and development agreement provided by the city:

--A DDA is a partnership agreement between a local agency and a private developer that allows the agency to sell or lease property to the developer for its development in accordance with the agreement.

-Development costs projected at $55,2333,000. funding sources include private equity loan, tax credits. The developer would be responsible for all development costs including site preparation, grading, construction costs, and off-site improvements.

--The developer would secure financing from a conventional permanent loan, a tax-exempt bond, low-income housing tax credits, and the CalHFA mixed-income program.

“We’re very excited to be bringing this project forward,” said Terzi “We do have a long road ahead of us.”

USA Properties Fund, Inc. will be pitching the project for monies available via CalHFA MIP for mixed income projects.

“It’s very competitive, it’s very tough but with our forty years of history and partnership with the city we’re looking forward to competing for those funds to bring this community to fruition,” Terzi said.

Comments submitted on email primarily noted that low-income housing is very needed and supported the project. The Zoom feature also allowed several to use the “raised hand” method to talk.

Comments came from La Mesa residents and from homeless outreach organizations such as the La Mesa First United Methodist homeless outreach program among others.

Arts and Culture Commission

The mission of the newly approved Arts and Culture Commission is to promote the arts, along with the historical, aesthetic, and cultural aspects of the community by using the arts as a mechanism to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The new Commission shall consist of seven appointed members as follows: two members to be art educators (one kindergarten through 8th grade, one 9th grade through college); one member to represent the visual arts; one member to represent the performing arts; one member to represent the musical arts; and two members to be at large.

To apply for a position on the arts and culture commission visit this link: https://www.cityoflamesa.us/DocumentCenter/View/17899/Arts-and-Culture-Commission-flyer?bidId=. The application deadline is November 2.

Additionally, Oct. 25 was declared as Larry Itliong Day. Itliong was a Filipino-American labor organizer who was instrumental in organizing farm laborers in the 1930s and 40s.

The Zoom meeting was interrupted by a technical issue before resuming.

The full agenda can be viewed on the link below.

https://www.cityoflamesa.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10122021-1368?html=true

To listen to the meeting in its entirety visit:  https://lamesaca.swagit.com/play/10132021-1003

 

 

 

 

 

 


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