Placer County supervisors narrowly approve Hope Way Apartments in Penryn
After hours of emotional testimony, the Placer County Board of Supervisors voted 3–2 to move forward with the proposed Hope Way Apartments development in Penryn.
The project is set to bring a 240-unit affordable housing complex to the area and has drawn strong reactions from nearby residents concerned about public safety, density, and fire risk.
Tuesday's decision comes after the Placer County Planning Commission denied USA Properties Fund's overall design review application in October. Since then, three separate appeals were filed, one by Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights, another by the developer, USA Properties Fund, and a third by YIMBY Law.
During the meeting, supervisors heard from all parties involved and from the public. According to county officials, 52 people signed up to speak during public comment, with residents voicing a mix of opposition and support.
Those against the project cited fire safety concerns and questioned whether the development complies with state and local laws. Supporters argued the project is necessary to address Placer County's growing need for affordable housing.
"The board of supervisors indicated how much the state is influencing all this and putting the onus on them to approve projects like this, despite all the fire safety impacts in Penryn," said Brian Myers, chairman of Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights. "We're sad and disappointed. We don't believe the law was followed, and we're deciding where to go from here."
USA Properties Fund defended the project and emphasized the difficulty of building affordable housing in California.
"Affordable housing is a really important issue, it's hard to do, as you can see here," said Milo Terzich, vice president of development for USA Properties Fund. "At USA Properties, we're going to go as far as we need to go to make it happen.
USA Properties Fund says the next year will be spent preparing and submitting construction drawings for county approval. If those approvals are secured, construction could begin as soon as mid-2027.