City officials heard from a number of persons last week that Ceres needs more housing.

Comments came from about 15 persons during a special public workshop held Monday evening, July 17. The city seeks input as it updates the Housing Element of the Ceres General Plan. The purpose of the document is to identify where and how the city will accommodate existing and projected future housing needs.

“The consensus from the public was that we have a huge shortage of affordable housing and we need housing of all kinds,” said Community Development Director Christopher Hoem.

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) requires the Housing Element to undergo a draft process subject to a 30-day public comment period, and if comments are received, an additional 10-day consideration and revision period prior to HCD submittal for preliminary review.

The 30-day public review period started July 17 and will end on Thursday, August 17.

The city is also accepting comments through an online survey at https://engage.emcplanning.com/cereshousingplan

Hoem said the Housing Element should be completed by the end of the year.

The evening consisted of a presentation by Andy Flower, the consultant with EMC Planning and the showing of a video which is also available for viewing on the EMC website listed previously.

Steve Alvarnez, one of the developers of the Whitmore Ranch subdivision project in east Ceres, spoke and said the city has been too slow in engineering sewer infrastructure necessary before building can start.

City staff met with Alvarnez on Thursday and ironed out the issues that caused delays to the project, said Hoem.

Whitmore Ranch is planned for two phases south of Whitmore Avenue east of Moore Road.

“The other comments were mainly people wanting more housing,” said Hoem. “People said we need more affordable housing, we need more market rate housing, we need to build more.”

Scott Young, manager of Whitmore Oaks Apartments for senior citizens, attended the meeting and voiced the great need for additional housing for seniors. The waiting list at his complex has over 200 names on it, he told city officials.

Nav Athwal inquired about density bonuses, saying Ceres needs more market rate housing along with affordable housing, saying the city could lower development costs by waving impact fees on new construction. Those fees are passed on to those who buy homes and rent apartments.

Ceres builder Harinder Toor also weighed in, saying the city should wave impact fees.

Hoem said that impact fees charged to development pay for costs of infrastructure, such as new residents’ impacts on roads, parks and water and sewer systems as well as paying for police and fire services. While he said while it was a “creative idea” that warrants “more research and consideration” Hoem noted that “in order for development to be sustainable we need to collect some fees to cover the costs of maintenance and development.”

“It’s a Catch 22 because you need the infrastructure money but the infrastructure costs a lot so the development is stymied.”

City leaders have approved a number of apartment complexes in recent years but they have yet to be constructed. They include Toor’s 28-unit apartment complex on a 1.2-acre site at 2125 Moffet Road just north of the Richland Shopping Center which was approved in 2021. Hoem said Toor’s project is in the building plan review.Earlier this year the Ceres City Council approved Dhillon Villas, the145-unit, high-density apartment complex on Mitchell Road opposite the Ceres Post Office.

“It isn’t very often that someone receives approval from the Planning Commission or City Council and that they hit the ground running immediately afterward. It does usually take several months at least before something is submitted and that’s because the engineers and architects that are working for the developer need time to produce their product.”

In 2022 the city ordered a master plan for the development of the 534-acre Copper Trails project west of Highway 99 south of Service Road.

The proposed project is bordered by Service Road to the north, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Highway 99 and Mitchell Road to the east, the TID Lower Lateral No. 2 canal to the south, and Blaker Road to the west. The project area encompasses Central Valley High School, Hanline Elementary School, and Hidahl Elementary School, along with rural homes and farmland. Before Copper Trails could become a reality, the city will need to annex the acreage.

Also yet to develop is housing planned for the West Landing Specific Plan area of 960 acres was annexed into the city in June, 2012. It’s estimated that West Landing could result in the addition of 12,000 new residents in Ceres as well as beef up commercial, office and industrial space as far west as Ustick Road.

Local real estate Renee Ledbetter asked how CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) and HOME funds will be managed now that Stanislaus County is in charge of funds for all nine the cities. Prior to July 1 HUD had designated that the city of Turlock would be the lead agency of the consortium – Ceres is a member – for HOME funds in Stanislaus County. Because Ceres is part of the consortium, staff doesn’t have to actively seek grant monies.

CDBG funds have been used for sidewalk improvements in Morrow Village while HOME funds have been used for first-time homebuyers programs.