The northwest corner of 53rd and Willetta, where a complex of 16 townhouses is being planned.
Albany’s city planning division has just approved a site plan for a set of 16 “townhome-style multifamily units” on the south side of town. The plans are a departure from the single-family development pattern that dominates land use farther west along Southwest 53rd Avenue.
The planned development covers slightly more than one acre of vacant land on the northwest corner of 53rd and Willetta Street, across Willetta from the South Pacific tire shop. The land is zoned for medium-density residential use.
The dwellings have been designed as three-bedroom units with garages, arranged in four two-story buildings of four units each.
According to the paperwork issued by the city, the property is owned by Jason Tracy and Orchard Development LLC of Albany. Varitone Architecture of Albany did the design, and K&D Engineering, also of Albany, worked on the plans as well.
With conditions, the project meets the relevant requirements of the city’s development code, so it could be approved by the planning staff without a hearing before the planning commission.
Assuming that the applicants follow through on the approved plans, that corner of 53rd should see some activity one of these days. (hh)
This rendering of four of the units was included with the site plan application to the planning division.
This won’t stop until we’re a “concrete city” with buildings door to door.
Forget green areas. Welcome congestion, trash, and crime.
Nothing is safe with these people in office. They don’t care about you or I, only the money THEY can make out of all of this.
We voted them in and we can just as easily vote them out.
“THEY” don’t get one-thin dime from these projects.. Yes, you can vote. Here’s a thought. Try running for office vs trolling behind your anonymity. Nahhh. That’s too easy…
You should spend some time in South or Northern California. See how you like it. Give it time and we’ll be just like it. Then you’ll be wondering why you agreed to let it get that far.
You are unbelievably CLUELESS. Listen, the reason we are already so much better than California is specifically because our land use system is designed to PREVENT what happened in California.
Read and learn how it works because I keep having the feeling that you’re a teenager.
Wooo there old timer! The holidays are upon us. Let’s not get ourselves so worked up.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
You can’t be serious.
What is NOT needed are more coercively imposed rules imposed by a local government that limits the freedom of private property owners.
Let contractually agreed upon restrictive covenants and zoning restrictions determine what is allowable and unallowable uses of privately owned property.
Tell local government – just get out of the way.
Will these be offered for sale or just more developer-owned rentals?
A realistic question for those on the planning commission is what about traffic and services on the south end of town? While this development is small, it coincides with a massive development just a mile east off Ellingsen road. What about traffic? What the lack of any semblance of services in the area like grocery or gas? Or are we going to continue to cram everyone in the one-square mile grocery store district of Safeway, Freddy’s, and Winco? Are there plans for a new high school, or just the same two as it’s been since the 70s?
Much of that is in the South Albany Area Plan (SAAP) done in 2013:
https://www.cityofalbany.net/cd/saap It’s very well laid out. However we cannot force any developer to use it as planned.
At least LOCALS are involved.