Fir Ridge School Site (Santa Rosa School District)

November 14th, 2007 — Website News

By Skip Epperly

On September 12, 2007, the Santa Rosa City School Board approved an 86-page proposal (memorandum) from Hugh Futrell Corporation and Stephen Burke commencing the development of the “Fir Ridge Workforce Housing Project”. This memorandum outlines the developer selection, process, marketing, pricing, initial sales and re-sales, occupancy, income restrictions and recapture of District costs, financing and project oversight. In brief, the project is comprised of 36 homes on a 6.2 acre site in Fountaingrove. The purpose of the project is to provide affordable housing to District employees who meet program guidelines and who do not currently own a home. A marketing consultant will be hired for the project.

The project will be built in two phases. Phase I consists of building 26 homes to login by July 2008. Marketing will be on-going until all units are developed and sold and will commence in March 2008 when a “Notice of Opportunity to purchase below market rate units” will be issued to all District employees.

Phase II will consist of the completion of the remaining nine units, landscaping and common area improvements. Although District employees are targeted for this program, units may be sold to the public if no eligible employees can be found. The District anticipates buyer occupancy to be complete for all 36 units by June 2009. The Master Association and individual members have been successful in having the project’s units reduced from 40 to 36 and have only five units face onto Fir Ridge Drive. Many members from the Association worked with the school district for several years in an attempt to mitigate the impact on the Fir Ridge area. However, the City approved the project allowing up to 16’ foot high ancillary structure to be built in the back yards without further approval. The District remains silent on what these structures are. Also, the City Traffic Engineer, Jason Nutt, is prepared to allow on street parking from Lyon Court to the Park fronting the development. The District will also allow each owner to have one room in each unit rented to non-owner.