Some say one plan for affordable housing in Sacramento is too tall an order
SACRAMENTO — It's a new idea for one of the oldest blocks in Sacramento.
"We need affordable housing for everyday Sacramentans," John Vignocchi said.
Vignocchi is the developer behind a proposed three-story apartment complex that would be built at the corner of 15 and G streets.
"It's really just a highly underutilized piece of land that's been sitting vacant for way too long," he said.
The infill project is supported by neighborhood groups and would feature 40 units of affordable and middle-income housing.
"That's really where the acute need is right now, is really the areas where people are making $60-80,000 a year," Vignocchi said.
But the site sits in a designated historic district and some fear the modern design could end up looking like a monolith towering more than eight feet over the century-old homes.
"It will in fact impinge in a very negative way on the livability of this neighborhood," said Mark Ryser, a property owner.
Ryser's owned the tri-plex next door for more than 40 years.
"This building is a designated city landmark," he said.
Ryser says the 52-foot-tall new building will be so high, it will block out the sun.
"Which will turn this upper apartment here into a dark cave," he said.
The city's preservation and planning commissions are now holding a series of public hearings on the project.
"There is a concern when you place newer, taller, buildings next to and dwarfing existing historic structures," said Brian Burns, a Sacramento Preservation Commission member.
"We fully comply with the historic district guidelines," Vignocchi said.
Developers say the larger size is needed to make it economical to build affordable units in the project.
"Without that scale, it's something that you can't provide," Vignocchi said.
The new building will also have a restaurant on the ground floor, but it's not required to have any parking spaces because it's close to a light rail station
If approved by the city council this summer, they're hoping to be open by the end of 2024.
