An additional 68 affordable housing units will be coming to Truckee this summer with the Truckee Planning Commission’s approval of Phase II of Frishman Hollow, a project which originally began in 2006.

“As we saw things change in the past 13 to 14 years, this need for housing has gotten more severe … In all communities, but the mountain resort communities especially,” said Caleb Roope, chief executive officer of Pacific Companies, which is overseeing development of the project.

The Frishman Hollow project is located in the Prosser area south of Alder Drive and West of State Route 89. Of the 68 units, 33 will be deed restricted to households earning less than 50% of the area median income, or AMI, for Nevada County.

“You’re not going for the ones that are easier to build. You’re helping the folks that need it most,” said Truckee Planning Commissioner Suzie Tarnay to the developers during Thursday’s planning commission meeting.

Of the remaining units, 14 will be restricted to households earning 60% AMI, seven units for households earning less than 70% AMI, 13 units for households earning less than 80% AMI and one managers unit. Nevada County has a median household income of $56,521, according to a 2019 to 2020 Nevada County Executive Report.

“One of the differences in this phase that we’re proposing is we have a good dose of units at the 80% AMI level,” said Roope. “That traditionally hasn’t been provided in Truckee. That will capture a broader spectrum of the workforce than you’re used to seeing.”

IN THE PLANS

The project will consist of four buildings. Buildings A1 and A2 will house 30 units each while buildings B1 and B2 will each house four units. The units include 12 studio apartments, 12 one-bedroom units, 28 two-bedroom units and 16 three-bedroom units.

Roope said one major concern that came up from community members was parking. The project will include 136 additional parking spaces, around the same ratio of parking spaces to units as the first phase of the project, he said.

“When you look at the overall unit types on a bedroom basis, we’re actually doing better on the parking,” Roope said, compared to phase I.

Roope said they have all the financing together for the project. “We’re advancing aggressively now on everything,” he said.

Currently the developers are already having modules built for the project by a company in Idaho, which will provide a frame for the units. The architectural details will be added when construction begins on the site.

PLANNED to START IN MAY

If everything goes smoothly the project will be under construction by May this year, Roope said, with completion sometime next spring.

“This has been the fastest, smoothest, most amazing effort I’ve seen ever,” said Town Manager Jeff Loux of the planning process by the developers and town staff.

Phase I of the project constructed 32 affordable units in 2006, 16 two bedroom units, and 16 one bedroom, in eight fourplex buildings. Out of the 32 that were built, 31 are deed restricted to households earning less than 45% of the area median income for Nevada County and one manager’s unit is deed restricted for households earning less than 80% AMI.

Phase I also included a common building with a gathering room and full kitchen, laundry room, computer study room and a central playground.

Hannah Jones is a reporter for the Sierra Sun. She can be reached at 530-550-2652 or hjones@sierrasun.com.