After a thorough analysis driven by our project endorsement criteria, Generation Housing strongly endorses the SMART Village (Phase 1) infill development proposed at 34 6th Street.
The SMART Village (Phase 1) infill development proposed by Cornerstone would provide local residents a crucial new housing option in the downtown city core that has the potential to spur community-centered growth where people can live, work, shop and play in a thriving urban space.
The project’s alignment with the City of Santa Rosa’s vision for an invigorated downtown area leverages local and regional assets like the SMART station, convenient access to a bevy of transit options like an accessible bike network, and that has the potential of increasing foot traffic for downtown businesses. In terms of affordability, the project meets and exceeds its inclusionary housing requirement by reserving 10% of units for low-income qualified families. The project receives a superb walk score for the number of nearby amenities that would allow a resident to run daily errands without requiring a car. This project demonstrates excellent land use and environmental features by locating 110 new homes in the downtown core of the city near public transit and several amenities. Simply putting homes near transit is the most environmentally friendly action we can take through land use to achieve our climate action goals.
The SMART Village’s site location abides by local planning priorities and community vision given its location in the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan, which importantly, was developed with significant community input.