City Of American Canyon Online Community Forums

I think I finnally found a new home, a nice place to live for my family, and I havn't even been here 3 months and it's bad news after bad news. First Wal-Mart, now city councle has approved the building of 35 low incomes homes (pre-fab) in our back yard! What is going on here? What happened to getting city people like Cindy Coffe elected? Why would Americn Canyon want low income anything in there city when everyone who's moved here have have made it the highest imcome per capita in all of Napa county! I'm just about to put a for sale sign out in my front yard and move to San Ramone!

Hi there! I thought I would add my 2 cents on this. EVERY county is required to build a certain % of homes as "low income" OR pay what is called an "in leue" of fee back to the county if they don't include. Our developer over here at Chesapeake chose to add 12 "low income" homes in our small development..which is under 10% of the development. These are not tenements are rundown houses..they are just one story versions of our bigger houses..they fit right into the neighborhood..and really "low income" meant you made less than $50k a year or some other requirement. They bought the houses for below what fair market would have been, but they are only allowed to sell them for a certain % above current market in order to keep them as "low income" (ie. They can't buy it for $200K and sell it for $400K it is probably now worth)

I think you are expecting to have run down tenements to be built up against your property because that is all you are thinking "low income" is.

Remember..teachers are considered "low income" so are many civil service oriented position. Single parent households may be considered "low income" because there is only a single income to draw on..that one income cannot afford a $600K mortgage.. Not everyone can afford this, but they are upstanding citizens who live and service this community and would like "affordable housing"

I am suprised that you seemed surprised by this..it sounds like you are in Vintage Ranch and this has ALWAYS been the proposal for part of this development..I looked at the development back when there was just the sales office and a map and that was clearly told to me. So when you bought your property..this should have been disclosed..but I don't find it a deal breaker at all

Again..I live in a very nice development with some "low income" houses..I think you need to rethink what this really means. I had a single friend who was considering buying one these houses before they all sold out..he would have qualified because he is a young single man with a single income..but he was just a few thousand above the maximum..still not enough to buy a house but too much to be considered "low income"

Now..when it comes to Walmart..I would have to agree with you on that!! We moved here 2 1/2 years ago..before there was any public talk about that napa development at all..I don't think we need the behemoth store in our back yard either...but many towns around here have their ups and downs..we are pretty lucky to be where we area..AmCan is still a great town..growing and will have growing pains..

Patty

Patty,
Thank you for the response. I understand what low income housing is, and how every county is required to accommodate it or pay a fee. Maybe my choice of wording, or tone in my message wasn't really clear, I do apologize. The concerns I have are the fact that this new development is not tracked housing nor are they homes built from the ground up, they are prefab homes which are nothing more than trailer homes for the 21st century....at least that is my understanding from reading the statements on the official American Canyon web site. I guess what I'm saying is I'm a little frustrated, I was under the impression that this was becoming an upscale community, with higher end retailers coming to town NOT Wal-Mart! So when I hear the term "Low Income" I panic, and yes I do realize that teachers and so forth are considered low income.....again my apologies. I just spent the last year of my life looking and breaking my back to get out of Hayward to what I thought was going to be a great community. Oh and no I do not live in Vitage Ranch, I live on the hill in Waterton. Anyway sorry to ramble and thanks again...always hoping for the best for AC!

You may want to take a ride through Marine World Estates on Flosden to see how nice a prefab community can be. They can enforce restrictions and regulations we in other areas of American Canyon cannot. Marine World Estates is a security housing area where you do not see the unkept yards or old vehicles. Take a ride next time the gate is open...It just may change your mind.

Good points from both users!!!

A little historical perspective... in 1996, our ratio of affordable housing to "regular" housing was OVER what was State mandated. AmCan's affordable component was in the coach parks and we were very comfortable in the housing balance. The City Council at that time new we would have to build more affordable housing AT SOME POINT and this was built into the General Plan. Then the new group took over... Colcleaser, Shaver and Luporini and the MASSIVE housing buildout began without consideration to affordability. I think they wanted to get more people in here in order to boost commercial development... and PROVE redevelopment wasn't necessary. I think they were WRONG. We've DOUBLED the population, more traffic, more neighbors fighting each other (read the egging posts elsewhere in this forum) and the highway 29 corridor still looks dumpy. Add to that now- they throw affordable "units" into the mix and SURPRISE the new folks who didn't think they were getting this in their development.

The problem with this City Council is that they are reactionary, not strategic. If you are to have "affordable" units mixed in with your new development, you should DISCLOSE this in the sales office BEFORE people buy their homes and NOT AFTER>

Let's bring honesty and openess back into our Government. Everyone understands we need to build housing that people can afford. Why does this have to be "hidden" by sales offices and addressed "under the covers" by City Officials after the fact?

Wired911-

The 35 units you speak of are on Theresa Lane, an area that seems a bit distressed. While the Oat Hill project will bring a variety of uses it will ultimately develop the stretch of Eucalyptus that is wide open.

You probably live in the the new Waterton area. I can think of no other new areas that would be close to this. This project offers many benefits. For example low income is regarded as working with approx. 50 to 85K a month for income.

People have to be employed and first time home buyers for these opportunities. Additionally because they are modular, that means they have some construction off site but are permanently placed on foundations with a portion of the home built on site and they are rather attractive.

In fact with the cobblestone roads, rear garages, and cottage look they almost resemble the Thomas Kinkade homes in Hiddenbrooke. As for being modular, so is the addtion at the middle school and the new elementary school. In fact the city may be placing a modular building on the dirt by the administration building to make a new home for the council chambers. Everything is still built to code and still has to pass rigid home inspections.

Only a portion of these homes are low income (9) the rest are moderate income. Actually that is about the income level of the first group of new home owners who bought at 450K or less in 2000 and 2001. In fact some of these homes will sell for more than homes in other areas of the city.

The community has many, many restrictions. As well as a home owners association, homeowner dues, CC & R's as well as a third party management association. (This was insisted upon by Councilmember Coffey). Unfortunately because of the land trade with the county, the city must act in good faith if an affordable project comes along. This project is unique because the developer has full control as there is no government funding used in any capacity, which has caused problems like you are familiar with in the past with perhaps some other areas.

And while I feel that the past council has been reactionary, I think you will find that this council along with the new public works director and planning director will be more proactive in all levels of the government and the management of the city. Just by appoving the first ever CIP (capital improvement plan) is a clear step ahead.

Email your local representative before you get upset, and remember to read the agendas posted on the city website before the meeting so you can get the information you require or make arrangements to attend if you are able.

As for disclosure of affordable housing in a community, that is state mandated. If a developer fails to include affordable housing then the developer has to pay a fee to a special fund that the city will use towards affordable housing. Currently this city's fee is too small and presently under review and will be changing soon to a more realistic amount.

Always remember that a developer may begin a community, however it is very unlikely that they will finish it. Land is sometimes sold many times over to other builders and while the original intent may be large homes, it may end up to be something entirely different if the zoning allows it or they ask for an exception. Sometimes it is good and sometimes it isn't usually you just hope for the best.

>>I guess what I'm saying is I'm a little frustrated, I was under the impression that this was becoming an upscale community, with higher end retailers coming to town NOT Wal-Mart!>>

This is interesting...where did you get the impression that Amcan was becoming an "upscale community"? Your developer's sales office trying to seal the deal on your 500k+ house? Of course what one person considers upscale, another considers "wrong side of the tracks".

I don't think anyone was ever pushing the idea that we would be upscale..i think Amcan just needed services period..having a Safeway built in town was probably considered an "upscale" move by the long term locals because they didn't have a grocery story in town before it was built! The Canyon Plaza is definitely "upscale" as well for this community..these services and businesses were not here before..

I think Amcan is just coming into its own..and yes..seems like the city council has been a bit more reactionary in the past and just allowing deveopment for developments sake without much forethought to a cohesive community plan..at least that is how it is looking. We have this great new plaza, safeway center, new homes coming in..but the main intersection in town (29 and Amcan rd) has weeds and trash along some ofthe corners..no sidewalks..the street isn't even that safe to cross!
We need major esthetic improvements to the main drag through our part of town..now..it just looks trashy.

I never really considered that AmCan would become upscale..just grow into a typical suburban town..mostly middle class with older and newer homes and most services nearby. I like that it does have a small town feel and hate that the city is allowing a walmart to come to town that will suck the small town feel right out from under us because all the small town locals who had dreams of starting a business for the town would now have to compete against the behemoth..sad..

If you want "upscale"...I think you need to look a little further upvalley for that..

How can any development overlooking a dump, sewer treatment plant, a grove of eucalyptus trees, a rock quarry, and a run down neighborhood be callded upscale?

The City Council and Planning Commission called it "upscale" when it was proposed. It was called "upscale" in the sales brochures and the newspapers. It was called "upscale" by the developers. I guess the local officials are just a bunch of liars and crooks?

Umm.... I thought it was going to become an upscale community because most of the people moving into the new homes have an income to accomodate it! Are you kidding me! Where do you live? In the old dummpy area of AC? Because if you do I can certainly understand why you would make that comment. And up the road? American Canyon has the highest income in all of Napa county! Do you honestly beleive that all the folks that just moved here had any idea of what was going on? Walmart, low to vey low income apartments? Please most of the people that moved here had a vision of an upscale community in the making, other wise we would have gone to Danville or San Ramone.

and here we go again......


Affordable housing flap
Council approves project map despite incomplete information
Tuesday, March 22, 2005

By SCOTT HANKINS
Eagle Staff Writer

Tempers flared Thursday night as the American Canyon City Council approved a tentative map that provides 190 units of low and very low-income housing.

All of the council members supported the plan by Mid Peninsula Group to build 145 apartment units and 45 single-family homes. The problems came because materials provided to the council were incomplete and unreadable.

"I'm very upset that we're being asked to approve a tentative map and we don't have a complete map," Mayor Cecil Shaver said in obvious disgust. "I was in the planning commission for more than an hour today and I find out (now) that I didn't have the (correct) map. The maps we do have are too small to read."

The project is located on the east side of Highway 29, a few hundred yards north of American Canyon Road.

Another issue for Shaver was the size of the driveways on several homes. At one point Shaver called for a recess to compose himself.

The project itself was on target, according to council members.

For a while approval didn't look good for the project as both Shaver and Council Member Cindy Coffey were calling for a postponement so they could get more complete information.

"We need to get the project going," Planning Director Ed Haworth said. "If we postpone it and we start to build around the project, it gets harder and harder to build. April 1 is a very important deadline for us."

Coffey was, and remains, in favor of the project.

"I've been discussing this with Mid Peninsula Group," she said. "I'm very supportive of this. What I'm not supportive of is not getting complete information. This is a lot of information to go through."

A vote was taken that resulted in a 2-2 tie, with Council Member Ben Anderson absent. A tie is not enough to approve a project.

Mid Peninsula Group members took drawings to the dais and unrolled them in an attempt to satisfy the council members.

"It behooves us to remember what's at stake here," pointed out Vice Mayor Leon Garcia. "And there's a deadline, (after which) things start to become unraveled."

In addition to his displeasure with the documentation, Shaver voiced concern with the short length of driveways and garages for the new structures.

"When we go to Canyon Creek (subdivision) we find cars parked out over sidewalks," he said, referring to the short driveways of those houses. "The best sold vehicle in America right now is the full-sized pick-up. We need driveways and garages to be able to accommodate them."

Mid Peninsula Group members were reluctant to lengthen the driveways because it would mean pushing the houses back and trimming more from an already Spartan eight-foot deep back yard. Faced with losing the entire project, Mid Peninsula decided to trim the back yards to accommodate the longer driveways.

If an April 1 deadline had not been met, interdependent structures of financing and affordable housing allocations would have come tumbling down.

The 11-acre project will supply a variety of homes, cottages and apartments for a variety of income ranges, including a handful of market rate homes.

"It was the city's goal to provide the land and have the developer provide the rest," Haworth said.

I believe they rent U-hauls at Broadway Market next to Caffino's.

I watched the meeting that this article is referring to. First let us review the fact that the city must provide affordable housing. Originally they had enough. However, when home prices sky-rocketed the once affordable housing areas have now become 400 to 500k homes. The council had no idea that these homes would ever sell for this much.

Now the housing certification is in jeopardy. The city is awaiting for it's new certification and also needs to show that it can accomodate the affordable housing credits not only for itself but also for the traded share with the county.

At the meeting it was disclosed that this project has been in the works for about 4 years. Coffey wanted to wait to get better detailed maps and have more time to review the information. The council gets packets oftentimes several inches thick with information on the Friday before the meeting and sometimes as late as Tuesday.

Coffey and Shaver were heckled by the audience over their attention to details. Shaver was obviously annoyed as he got vocal. Both members were supportive of the project because the builder had a great reputation and it assists the city with its housing goals in a positive way. But while Shaver was concerned over driveways, Coffey was more annoyed by the incomplete information provided to council, the pushing of the staff because they waited until the last minute and basically backed the council up against the wall to say use it or lose it.

Finally, after showing larger maps, agreeing to 20' driveways and moving sliding doors to the rear of the homes from the sides the council voted 3-1 to approve. Coffey still voted to continue pending more time and information. The apartments were not that much of an issue. All of the managment mechanisms were in place and the compounds were insulated by the cottage homes. Coffey wanted more mature vegitation all over the project especially on the North side facing Town Center. That passed 4-0.

The eagle has a habit of writing exploitive articles with outlandish headlines. From where I saw the camera on the audience it wasn't uncommon to see Mr. Hankins napping..... I am ok with this and I actually live in the Vintage Ranch area.

This has nothing to do with home prices. It is the MIX of housing that is at issue here. Home prices have risen throught the bay area. But AmCan is STILL under everywhere else. The proof? Try trading your home straight across for a home of similar sq ft and amenities in Fairfield, Concord, Napa or El Sobrante... anywhere nearby in fact. You can't. Each of these cities have been managing their affordable housing very well the past 8 years. But Amcan went on with rack-em-pack-em market-rate housing and ignored affordability and upgrading the HW29 business infrastructure.

Our officials (and I'm not including Coffey here) blew it and they knew full well what was at stake... they were going to make it someone elses problem. This is the damage of stupidity and incompetence. Who pays? We all do, but especially folks like Patty who now want to leave.

I think AmCan is giving out mixed signals about the type of community we are, granted we are ALL types of communities, which makes it such a great place to live, but also we dont have a definate "type" of community you know. One day we are a dump yard, another we are a middle class neighborhood, another Napa's child, heck, we were even an Indian village!

But back to my point, depending on what you read you get a different view of AmCan. Different papers, the chamber, developers, city council, and my site included, give different insights on the city and they all seem to be different.

They all target different people, the chamber would target businesses, the developers would target new homebuyers, and they focus on soley that group.

I have received an email one time about one couple that turned down a home to move into AmCan thanking me because of what they read on these forums and how it didnt match the neat little brochure they received about our city. Is the developer probably mad, yea I'm sure they are, was that my intention, no. Is it my job to sell AmCan, no, that wasnt my goal, and wont be, the site was intended as a resource for the community where we can share our insights (positive and negative). There is a lot of critism about our city on these forums, some would say far too much, but I dont have a problem letting people express themselves about it because where else would you be able to? Call the forums a place for all of AmCan to whine and b*tch about our city, or call it the only place where we are allowed to communicate freely and openly, your choice.

I dont really know what to say except that do your research, post stuff on the forums, get out the local paper, and just make your own decision on what AmCan is and not what somebody says it is. We're all biased, and I will be honest and say even my site is based on my own bias (at least I will admit it), and the posts are biased based on the poster.

The final word: AmCan's not for everybody yet we seem to want everybody here.

Model Homes at Waterton are Now Selling! Leave the city behind, and experience upscale living in this premier Bay Area location in American Canyon, the gateway to Napa Valley. These exquisite homes are sure to inspire with a backdrop of the Napa Sonoma Marsh Wildlife Area as your private retreat. Discover all the comforts of home with three floorplans boasting 2,445 to 3,800 square feet of living space featuring designer selected upgrades and amenities to fit your lifestyle. Choose from homes offering four to five bedrooms, two and one half to three baths and three car garages. Parents will take comfort in sending their children to the reputable Napa Valley Unified School District. Commuters will appreciate being only minutes away from Vallejo ferry services and approximately 40 miles from San Francisco, Oakland and Davis. And, wine enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the close proximity to Napa Valley and Sonoma.

OMG is that what the brochure really says about American Canyon or did you make that up? This cant be serious is it?

The backdrop of the Napa Sonoma Marsh area?????

That is a copy right out of there current add.....hahahhaa

i think you better go quite a bit further up the valley, napa is by no means upscale either.

Oooh! "Upscale", "premier", and "exquisite".

This is enough in itself to make me want to read the fine print.

--Question ALL ADVERTISING. ALWAYS!

holy smokes that just makes me lmfao thats crazy