A pair of projects that would add more than 500 apartment units to Santa Maria won the Planning Commission’s approval on Wednesday night. 

The two apartment complexes will be part of the 1,500-unit housing project proposed by the applicant, Canfield Development, as a mix of single-family homes and apartments, all of them remaining rental units.

Blosser Ranch would fill a larger portion of the land bordered by Blosser Road, Stowell Road, Depot Street and Battles Road. For decades, strawberries have been grown at the site, with a small section periodically providing overflow parking for key events at the Santa Maria Fairpark. 

The projects reviewed Wednesday night are proposed for land along the north side of the site, near the intersection of West Stowell Road and the to-be-extended Western Avenue. 

Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve each project’s planned development permit during the meeting.

“I do like the amenities. I think that’s going to be a huge benefit to the community,” Commissioner Esau Blanco said. “I do think that the project looks really good.”

“You’ve gone over and above on the amenities for this project. I think it’s going to be a nice place to live for our community,” chairman Tim Seifert said. 

Before Wednesday night, planning commissioners had reviewed the projects during study sessions, making suggestions for changes to various aspects.

For Lot 2, on 10 acres, the developer plans 285 units, some of which would be designated for very low-income residents. It would have three buildings, primarily three story, and feature a craftsman-style design and an 8,000-square-foot community center.

For Lot 3, on 8.9 acres, the project would add 246 units with a farmhouse design. It would have four buildings plus a community center.

Both apartment complexes would offer a mixture of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. 

Each would be a separate gated community with assorted amenities such as a community center, a pool, a splash pad, barbecues and a community chalkboard. They also would have chargers for electric vehicles and solar panels. 

“You threw in just about anything you could think of. In this day and age that’s rare, so thank you very much for that,” Seifert said. 

The applicant has proposed more parking spaces than required for both projects with Lot 2 having 487 parking spaces and Lot 3 having 411. The requirement was 368 spaces for Lot 2 and 318 for Lot 3.

“The fact that you’re willing to get us those extra parking spaces I think is going to make for a much nicer community,” Seifert said, noting that parking has become an increasing concern in the city.

Since the projects will designate some apartments for very-low-income residents, the developer asked for a density bonus or permission to include more units than typically allowed under the city law.

They also asked for permission to exceed the 35-foot height limit, seeking to instead have rooftops up to 40 feet and chimneys at 43 feet. 

The 1,500 residential units won’t be the only projects on the Blosser Ranch site.

In addition to residential uses, the city plans to build a large sports field complex on 19 acres along the eastern edge of the site and a new fire station on 2 acres on the western edge. 

Another 23 acres have been designated for a future Santa Maria-Bonita School District junior high school. 

The northwest corner has been designated for retail use. 

Planning commissioners already have given approval to several other segments of the Blosser Ranch residential projects. 

Commissioners will consider the final residential segments, all single-family homes, in early November.