The Pleasanton City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday February 7 to approve the new Irby Ranch subdivision and Sunflower Hill’s concept of a residential community for individuals with special needs.
Councilmembers Karla Brown and Kathy Narum initiated the two-step motion- which included an exclusive negotiating rights agreement between Sunflower Hill and the city of Pleasanton to finalize the project Sunflower Hill intends to develop approximately 30 units for individuals with special needs, as well as a large community center designed to accommodate additional residents from the neighboring subdivision.
Read the summary story in the Pleasanton Weekly here.
Because last night’s approval included a general plan amendment and zoning change, it will be affirmed by the city council at a second, consent calendar reading in March. Once that occurs, Sunflower Hill will immediately engage with partners SAHA Housing and Dahlin Architects to finalize a design package.
“We are extremely grateful to all the Sunflower Hill families, business and community supporters who have been on this journey with us,” said Susan Houghton, SFH Board President. “We appreciate the work the developer, Mike Serpa and the city of Pleasanton did to realize this project. Sunflower Hill at Irby Ranch also provides the opportunity for families to purchase homes in the planned subdivision, which means even more individuals with special needs have an opportunity to be a part of the Sunflower Hill community.”
Also planned are a series of family meetings to explain the differences between Sunflower’s project at Irby Ranch and Sunflower Hill Livermore – which will be reviewed by the Livermore City Council on February 27. If Livermore is approved, it will provide an additional 44 residential units for individuals with special needs. All will be affordable housing units – with below market rates of 30 to 50 percent of the area median income. Sunflower Hill is partnering with MidPen Housing on the Livermore project.
An interest list for both properties will be available on the SFH website in the next few weeks.