Penryn affordable housing project receives more pushback at board meeting
PENRYN — Voicing concern and offering a solution, residents in Penryn are pushing to move a proposed affordable housing project that would more than double the small town's population.
The board of supervisors met to discuss Bickford Ranch, a large development about 5 miles away from Penryn.
"There's a piece of property within Bickford Ranch that was designated for high-density housing," said Brian Myers of Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights.
Myers said that while the high-density housing was abandoned more than 10 years ago, it should be reinstated.
"Move the Hope Way project, which is in Penryn on 10 acres, 240 units in 12 three-story buildings and put in on that property," he said.
Supervisors instead signed off on a $4,000 in-lieu fee for Bickford Ranch, something the developer will pay to help fund affordable housing elsewhere.
But Myers said it's just a drop in the bucket to a much larger problem.
"It'll take 100 market rate units to make one affordable housing unit. That's 1%," he said. "That doesn't do any good at affordable housing."
The county is required to build nearly 8,000 new housing units by 2029. Of that, 3,400 must be affordable housing for people with low or very low incomes.
To make that happen, the county must rezone for high-density housing, allowing for 20 to 30 units per acre.
Myers is urging the county to see Bickford Ranch as that opportunity.
"We're hoping they at least explore it and see if it works," he said. "We think it's a win-win for everyone."
While no decision was made about the Penryn project on Tuesday, some county leaders suggested they would look into alternatives.
