(Andrew Vonderschmitt, Mountain Democrat)

PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA, June 5, 2022 — Plans are in motion to develop the old Armory site next to the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville. Backed by an executive order aimed at abating the housing crisis, the state of California has granted a 55-year lease to Jamboree Housing Corporation out of Irvine to demolish the Armory and construct and manage affordable housing on the mostly state-owned parcel.

The plans and mitigated negative declaration for the proposed 83-unit apartment building are available to the public for review and comment through June 10.

Placerville Development Services Director Pierre Rivas delivered a report on the proposed Placerville Armory Affordable Housing Project at the May 24 City Council meeting.

The property at 212 Armory Drive has long been considered for various uses, including a temporary homeless shelter. Formerly an Army facility and Army National Guard recruiting offices, as well as the home of the Boys and Girls Club, the site has been abandoned for a number of years.

There are two separate parcels at 212 Armory Drive. The state owns the parcel with the existing facility while the county owns a smaller portion of the land.

“There’s a little sliver of property located between the Armory and Ray Lawyer Drive,” Rivas said, clarifying that the county was in the process of transferring that property to the state in order to facilitate the development.

The existing facility will be demolished to make way for construction of apartments with one- , two- and three-bedroom units, a multipurpose room, youth room, laundry room and property management office. The project site plan shows 96 parking spaces plus 12 covered parking spaces, patio areas, walkways and landscaping.

“The state is the lead agency for the project,” Rivas said.

Although the city has been an active proponent of the project, Rivas explained it “has no authority over the project.”

Rivas pointed out that concerned citizens are afforded an opportunity to voice concerns during the review period.

Completion of this project could assist the city in meeting its regional housing needs allocation, Rivas said.

The state Department of General Services, along with Jamboree Housing, will provide more in-depth presentations to the Planning Commission July 15 and the City Council Aug. 9.

In January 2019 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-06-19, which effectively ordered the Department of General Services to create a digital inventory of excess state-owned properties, such as 212 Armory Drive.

California ranks 49th in housing production per capita, according to the document. Restrictive local zoning and land use policies are cited as one cause for the shortage. By developing state-owned property, local ordinances and zoning can be circumvented and expedited for public use, states the document.

As a result of this order there are 14 affordable housing projects in in the works across California, including two in Sacramento and one in South Lake Tahoe.

Mayor Kara Taylor emphasized that comments on the project should be directed to the Department of General Services. However, if comments are sent to city staff inadvertently, they will be forwarded to the Department of General Services.

Councilman Michael Saragosa asked for clarity on the city’s authority, if any, over the project.

“If I own a piece of property in West Sacramento, it doesn’t mean I can do whatever I want with it just because I own it,” he said. “In terms of what they can do and not do, it’s not ‘sovereign’ land to them.”

“It is sovereign land,” said Rivas, recalling the construction of the county government center within Placerville city limits.

“The city’s avenue for review and comment was the environmental document, so it’s the same here.”

Saragosa wanted further clarity regarding the state’s authority in developing land in local municipalities.

“In terms of state-owned property, the state owns a bunch of property in Natomas, so they can do basically anything they want to in Natomas without having to get the city or the county to say that’s OK?”

Rivas confirmed, reiterating that California Environmental Quality Act documents are distributed to concerned local agencies to comment.

“They are looking at some level of consistency with the local General Plan,” Rivas said, noting that the city has been an active and supportive partner in the process.

“From the city’s perspective there is no conflict.”

Councilman Dennis Thomas shared concerns regarding parking.

“I see that we have 83 units with 98 parking spaces,” he said.

With two- and three-bedroom units, Thomas maintained the parking allotment would not be enough to address the need.

“I can see well over 150 vehicles if you do the math,” he said, asking if there was any control the city had over that aspect of the project.

Rivas said developers added as many parking spaces as were possible. Additional parking was a driver […]

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