Policy Watch

County of Santa Clara

Funding for the Housing Authority’s Potential Acquisition of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park

County administration is recommending that the Board approve a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara and the City of Palo Alto relating to funding the Housing Authority’s potential acquisition of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in order to maintain it as a source of moderate income housing for existing residents, in an amount not to exceed $14,500,000 for period June 28, 2016 through June 28, 2018. The MOU has been reviewed and approved by County Counsel as to form and legality. Administration is also recommending the authorization of County Executive, or designee, to negotiate, amend, or terminate Memorandum of Understanding and to take all related subsequent actions with the Housing Authority and City of Palo Alto relating to this MOU. Delegation of authority will expire on June 28, 2018.

Background

The Buena Vista Mobile Home Park is located on El Camino Real at Los Robles in Palo Alto. It is the last mobile home park in Palo Alto and a source moderate cost housing for about 117 mostly low-income Latino families, about 400 people in total. The property is privately owned, and the owner is in the process of trying to close the Park and sell the property for market-rate development. Closure and sale would result in the displacement of the 400 residents, and the loss of this scarce source of moderate cost housing in an extremely high-cost part of the County. The Board previously approved referrals by Supervisor Simitian and President Cortese on January 27, 2015 and April 21, 2015 related to making available up to $14,500,000 in Stanford GUP Affordable Housing Funds to support the acquisition of BVMHP by a nonCounty entity in order to preserve it as a mobile home park and create a long-term affordable housing resource in Palo Alto.

The Housing Authority has indicated interest in potentially acquiring the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in order to preserve the site as an affordable housing resource in Palo Alto. At the direction of the Board, the County has previously set aside up to $14,500,000 in Stanford GUP Affordable Housing Funds to support a non-County acquisition of the site in order to preserve BVMHP as an affordable mobile home park. The City of Palo Alto has similarly set aside $14,500,000 towards the same goal. The proposed MOU provides a mechanism for the County and City of Palo Alto to provide funding to the Housing Authority in support of the Housing Authority’s acquisition of BVMHP. The MOU is an initial document because many details can only be addressed after the Housing Authority completes a feasibility analysis and decides to move forward with acquisition. The MOU is being presented at this time so that the Housing Authority can move forward with the feasibility study. Because the feasibility analysis will not be completed for a few months, it is necessary to delegate authority to the County Executive, or designee, to review and approve the analysis and take any necessary subsequent actions to proceed with making funding available to the Housing Authority for the proposed acquisition. However, in order to ensure that the funding is only provided in accordance with the overall policy objectives of the Board, it is recommended that the delegation provide direction through specific conditions.

Approval of this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would provide up to $14,500,000 in funding from the County to the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara (“Housing Authority”) to support the Housing Authority’s potential acquisition of the Buena Vista Mobile Home Park (BVMHP). All funds would be appropriated from the Stanford GUP Affordable Housing Fund. Under the MOU, the City of Palo Alto would similarly commit up to $14,500,000 in funds towards the Housing Authority’s acquisition.

 

Where: Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors

When: June 21, 2016, 9:00am

Link to item: http://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=7194&MediaPosition=&ID=82157&CssClass=

Link to agenda: http://sccgov.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=7194

 

City of San Jose

 Purchase and Sale Agreement for San Jose Hilton property to the County for $96,000

Item deferred to June 28 from June 14. Recommendation that the Successor Agency Board approve the purchase and sale agreement between the City of San Jose (seller) and the County of Santa Clara (buyer) to sell the property under the Hilton on South Almaden Blvd.

The property is encumbered by a long-term ground lease which was originally executed in 1991 and has subsequently been amended. The current tenant under the ground lease is West Hotel Partners. The lease provides for a first class hotel with ground rent of $1/year. The initial lease term is 55 years, to expire in 2046. The appraiser retained by the County appraised the land at $96,000. In January 2016, Dinapoli Capital, on behalf of the owners of the San Jose Hilton, offered to purchase the land for $150,000. The following day, in January 2016, the County Board of Supervisors approved a delegation of authority to the County Executive for the purchase of the property.

Successor Agency and City staff had some concerns that the appraisal prepared by the County’s appraiser was not reflective of the fair market value of the property. Given such concerns regarding value, Successor Agency staff recommended that the Oversight Board either put the property out for bid through an open solicitation process, or obtain a second appraisal. The Oversight Board Agenda also provided the Oversight Board the option of approving the sale of the property to the County at the appraised value of $96,000. At their meeting in May 2016, the Oversight Board approved, on a 5-2 vote, the sale of the property to the County for the appraised value of $96,000.

 

Where:    San Jose City Council

When:  June 28, 2016, 1:30pm

Link to item: http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2140&meta_id=579457

http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2142&meta_id=581546

http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2142&meta_id=581532

http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2142&meta_id=581548

Link to agenda: http://sanjose.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?event_id=cda9083c-4c28-40dd-80de-ab008d6296e9

 

Removing the sunset date on incentive for downtown high-rise development

Original Item: In October 2014, Council increased the unit limit of the City’s Downtown High-Rise Development Incentive Parkland In-Lieu Fee Reduction Program. In anticipation of the three pipeline high-rise projects which were nearest construction, Council approved an extension of 64 units bringing the total number of eligible units to 2,564 under the program and instituted a program end or “Sunset Date” of June 30, 2016.

The three anticipated projects were: Silvery Towers, Parkview Towers, and Post and San Pedro. To date, Silvery Towers has begun construction and locked in the parkland in-lieu fee reduction, while the remaining two projects must now compete with an additional project at North San Pedro Tower 2. There are currently 400 remaining high-rise credits under the existing high-rise incentive program, and 735 units approved for construction in the remaining three projects.

Staff recommends Council amend the Resolution to remove the program sunset date. It should be noted there are insufficient remaining units to fully cover each project. Staff anticipates that the first project to begin construction will receive full credit and the remaining two may utilize the remaining balance at their discretion.

 

Where:    San Jose City Council

When:  June 21, 2016, 1:30p

Link to item: http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2141&meta_id=579296

http://sanjose.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=2141&meta_id=579216

Link to agenda: http://sanjose.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?event_id=6368eb1e-be97-4483-a400-d5126a8012e5

 

City of Milpitas

 Considering Councilmember Barbadillo’s request to study Rent Control in Milpitas

 At the City Council meeting on June 7, 2016, Councilmember Barbadillo asked staff about the possibility of rent control for commercial buildings. Staff responded that there was not rent control in Milpitas for such tenants, nor for residential tenants. He suggested that may be a topic to study for consideration by the City Council. Staff now seeks direction from the Council on the topic raised by Councilmember Barbadillo in order to authorize further staff time to study this issue.

No additional materials are included.

 

Where: Joint Meeting of the Milpitas City Council, Housing Authority Commission, and Successor Agency to the Former Redevelopment Agency

When: June 21, 2016, 7:00pm

Link to agenda: http://www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/_pdfs/council/2016/062116/agenda.pdf

 

Adopt a Resolution Opposing the VTA’s ½ cent sales tax measure on the November 8, 2016 ballot

Staff are recommending that Council adopt a resolution opposing the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (SCVTA)’s ½ cent sales tax measure scheduled for voters on Nov 8, 2016. According to the draft resolution, “a close review of the projects and programs [to be funded] reveals that a great number of the projects are along highways, roadways and corridors that are not in or close to the City of Milpitas and therefore appear to not directly benefit the City of Milpitas.” The resolution also states that because the list of projects to be funded by the sales tax does not include the widening of State 237 or the Calaveras Boulevard overpass, that it does not benefit Milpitas residents enough to justify their tax dollars.

On June 7, 2016 Mayor Esteves inquired of the City Council if they would consider the impacts of a planned tax ballot measure by VTA in November, including a review of the projects planned with those funds that would benefit Milpitas residents. The City Council voted (3 in favor, 2 opposed) to direct the City Attorney to return on June 21, 2016 with a Resolution opposing this measure.

 

Where: Joint Meeting of the Milpitas City Council, Housing Authority Commission, and Successor Agency to the Former Redevelopment Agency

When: June 21, 2016, 7:00pm

Link to item: http://www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/_pdfs/council/2016/062116/item_24.pdf

Link to agenda: http://www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/_pdfs/council/2016/062116/agenda.pdf

 

City of Cupertino

 Rescheduling Vallco Town Center Specific Plan Initiative and related items for July 5, 2016 meeting

 Staff are recommending cancellation of the Special Meeting of July 6 to discuss the Vallco Town Center Specific Plan Initiative and instead recommending that all related items, including the Elections Code Section 9212 report and whether to place the Initiative on the ballot, are discussed at the July 5, 2016 Meeting.

 

Where:  Cupertino City Council

When: June 21, 2016, 6:45pm

Link to item: https://cupertino.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2761581&GUID=ADF10B01-37E5-4B27-83BF-69F1BC478DB9

Link to agenda: https://cupertino.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=444216&GUID=45BDC229-B534-4912-8568-4B844BFCEF61

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