A 49-unit affordable housing project at the site of the former drive-in theater in Santa Maria received City Council approval on Tuesday night, although lot size, parking and pedestrian access to an adjacent neighborhood raised some concerns. 

Council members voted 3-2 to approve the tentative tract map with Mayor Alice Patino and Councilman Mike Cordero opposed. The planned development permit was approved by a 4-1 vote with Cordero against it.

“Personally, I don’t want to support a smaller lot,” the mayor said. 

“The smaller lots leave something to be desired,” Cordero said. 

In response to a question from Councilwoman Maribel Aguilera-Hernandez, staff said tweaking the plan to eliminate the smaller lots would force a redesign and likely lead to a loss of four homes.

“I can’t remember how many things we’ve built in the past few years and parking is always an issue,” Patino said, adding that she frequently gets complaints about parking in neighborhoods.

People’s Self-Help Housing acquired the nearly 9-acre site at 3170 Santa Maria Way and plans for 49 three- and four-bedroom units in the Skylight Homes development. A 50th lot will be a stormwater retention basin, and access to the neighborhood will be off Santa Maria Way.

The applicant sought a smaller than minimum lot size, ranging from 5,000 to 9,000 square feet. That’s smaller than the minimum for the zone, which calls for lots of 6,000 square feet.

But the project’s density of 5.5 dwelling units per acre fell below the maximum of 8 dwelling units per acre for the zone.

Rolling Hills Estates residents spoke out against the project on the east side of their neighborhood. A different development is under construction on the west side. 

Neighbors expressed concerns about parking, safety and property values. 

The proposal to include pedestrian access was removed after Rolling Hills neighbors expressed concern that residents would park on the Diane Drive cul-de-sac and walk to the Skylight Homes. 

The new development will include two-car garages plus driveways to hold two vehicles. On-street parking spaces have been estimated at 70, leading staff to estimate the average number of spaces at more than 5 per unit.

Patino asked why PSSH sought the smaller lots.

“To keep the homes more affordable,” said Sheryl Flores, PSSH vice president of home ownership, adding that land amounts to one-third of the cost. “That’s a few more homes that we can develop and keep the price a little more affordable.”

Patino asked how PSSH would ensure that the owners maintain their property to avoid blight.

“Affordable housing doesn’t bring down the property values,” Flores said. 

The development will have a homeowners association, with owners serving on the board.

“We find our families have a lot of pride in their homes, and they do keep them up at least for the first 10 years. Our families stay in their homes much longer,” she said. 

In other business, the council:

• Reappointed Esau Blanco and appointed Yasameen Mohajer to the Santa Maria Planning Commission. 

• Reappointed Paul Lee and appointed Sally Lopez to the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Commission.
• Named a plaza in Santa Maria for a longtime city employee who retired in 2018. The City Council approved renaming the Chapel Street Plaza to Teresa Machado Plaza. The facility sits on the 200 block of Chapel Street. Machado (also known as Teresa Reyburn) worked for the city for nearly 40 years in the Recreation and Parks, Human Resources and the Utilities departments.