Longtime Villas at Monarch Beach owner R.W. Selby & Co. has filed paperwork with the city that proposes to redevelop the property, adding 183 units, 33 of which will be earmarked as low-income.
First developed in the 1970s, the Villas features 208 one- and two-bedroom apartments. The redevelopment looks to construct a variety of residences, including duplex-style units, stacked flats and traditional apartments.
Now roughly 30 years old, the Villas at Monarch Beach is “nearing the end of their useful economic life,” R.W. Selby said in a media release.
The proposed project is in the beginning stages of the planning process, with a pre-application already filed with the City of Dana Point.
Dana Point Community Development director Brenda Wisneski explained in an email that the city is reviewing the preliminary application; however, a formal application is required within 180 days of the preliminary application submittal.
Once the formal application is submitted, Wisneski said the city will begin its review process.
Part of that review process includes action by the Dana Point Planning Commission at a future meeting, when residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on the project.
In its media release, R.W. Selby noted that it is focusing its efforts on talking with neighbors of the development and gaining their input.
The proposed project looks to take neighbors’ views in the Niguel Shores Community into account, the press release noted, with the tallest structures planned as far away from the community as possible.
The duplex-style units and stacked flats are proposed at a maximum height of 40 feet, with a setback of about 20 feet from Niguel Road. The traditional apartments are proposed at five stories with rooftop amenities.
The “Villas Re-Imagined” looks to build the traditional apartments around an above-ground-level parking structure, “hiding the parking within the building.”
With 33 of the proposed 391 units designated as low-income housing, the project qualifies for a streamlined appreciation process under the Housing Crisis Act of 2019, or Senate Bill 330.
The bill requires municipalities to compile a checklist for developers to use when submitting a preliminary application. After said application is submitted for an affordable housing development project in the early stages of the entitlement process, the municipality is required to deem the application complete.
“We recognize that providing affordable housing, and complying with the State Density Bonus Law, is a key component to creating vibrant communities, and we are pleased to support this effort,” the company said in its media release.
“While the law allows for substantially more units than we are proposing, and may allow more than 500, it is changing very rapidly, and we continue to review the site plan with an eye toward balancing several factors in creating a community we will all be proud of,” R.W. Selby continued.
Though R.W. Selby is required to provide a minimum of 537 parking spaces through the Density Bonus Law, the owner proposes to provide 625 parking spaces for the 391-unit project.
The proposed project looks to include amenities such as surfboard lockers, smart-home technology and upgraded appliances.
“The Villas have long been a wonderful place to live,” the company said in its media release. “As times have changed and neighborhood amenities have improved, the Villas now have the opportunity to improve as well. We are excited at the opportunity to reinvest in the Villas and share the many possibilities of modernizing these facilities for a more sustainable and abundant future.”
In its media release, R.W. Selby explained that there would be ample opportunities for residents to provide their feedback on the project throughout the city’s entitlement process. To stay informed on the project, R.W. Selby encourages residents to sign up for updates at imaginembvillas.com.
Discussion about this post