Posted 3/14/12 – City Council directed staff at Tuesday’s Council meeting to submit a Revision request to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), appealing the Regional Housing Needs Assessment of 55 housing units to Sierra Madre for the 2013 – 2021 Housing Element Cycle. The allocation requires the City to increase the number of low income units that can be built in the city by 14, low income and moderate housing by 9 each, and above moderate income housing by 23, for a total of 55 new housing units that must be allowed for. That doesn’t mean that the 55 units must be built, only that the availability is there should someone want to build them.
The City submitted AB 2158 Factors last year, allowing them to request a revision of the draft allocation of 55 units. AB1258 is an assembly bill passed in 2004 revising the procedures for determining shares of the existing and projected housing needs for cities, counties and sub-regions at all income levels.
The appeal bases the request ofr a reduction of the RHNA allocation of 55 units on water supply constraints for additional development, referencing in particular a long-term decline in the water levels of the Raymond Groundwater Basin, the primary water supply for the City. More specifically, Sierra Madre Wells 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Council member MaryAnn MacGillivray, who has been particularly watchful regarding SCAG, thanked Planning and Development Services staff for excellent work in making a compelling argument to present to SCAG.