Montessa Subdivision project topic of virtual meeting
A neighborhood meeting was held Thursday over Zoom to discuss the Montessa Subdivision project with the public.
City of Vacaville staff and the Montessa applicants provided a presentation on the subdivision, took questions and heard thoughts from neighbors.
The Montessa project was originally approved back in 2007. It consists of 59 single-family lots on a 40-acre site south of California Drive at Araquipa Court. The Community Development Department has received an application for a proposal to construct three house plans with three elevations each on the 59 lots.
The plan has changed from owned homes to rented homes. Single-family dwelling house plans consist of two single-story models and one two-story model ranging from 1,084 square feet to 1,793 square feet. According to the developers, about 80% of the units would be single-story.
Each lot would also be developed with an attached Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit (JADU) with a floor area of 500 square feet or less and a detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) with a floor area of about 800 square feet.
According to the Montessa Project Description, “All of the main homes have 3 bedrooms, while the Junior ADUs have 1 bedroom, and the ADUs have two bedrooms. Each distinct living unit has its own directly accessible outdoor space.”
Architecture styles would include Mid-Century Modern, Modern Prairie and Modern Farmhouse themes. Exterior building materials include stucco siding with stone or brick veneer and composite shingle roofing.
Parking has been increased to 482 spaces. Each lot would include four parking spaces, with additional guest parking provided on the public street.
Public concerns that came up during the neighborhood meeting included fire safety, the enforcement of HOA rules, oak tree stability, too many units due to the possibility of fire evacuation, the need for more access points, congestion, parking, traffic and developers making changes at the last minute.
The applicants ensured that there will be property management and that vehicles will need to be registered with management. They also said that garage parking will be enforced. Background checks and credit checks will be done in addition to the resident making 2.5-3x the monthly rent.
For the concern of fire safety, City of Vacaville Planning Manager Peyman Behvand ensured neighbors that there will be a meeting with fire officials and fire staff to evaluate fire and evacuation safety in the area.
Behvand also made it clear that this subdivision is not a done deal.
“The point of tonight is To learn more about the Montessa Subdivision Project, visit https://www. ci.vacaville.ca.us/government/community-development/major-developmentprojects/montessa.