The Los Banos Planning Commission approved the tract map for a new 543-unit housing development known as Northpointe at Regency Park at its meeting on Nov 12. Additionally, they recommended that the city council approve of the project.
Chair Gregory Hicks led a quorum of commissioners Steven Nunes and William McBride. Commissioner Rob Robinson was absent. According to commission secretary Haley Leonard, Robinson had work and couldn’t make it.
According to Elm’s report, the new subdivision was originally approved as Villa Burano in 2008 for developer Woodside Homes. Since then, Stonefield Home has taken over the project, redesigned the streets and houses and changed the name to Northpointe at Regency Park
It is North of Pacheco High School, bounded on the east by the San Luis Canal, on the west by Place Road and Westminster Way, and to the north by existing housing.
Northpointe is the “last puzzle piece to the east side of the city,” according to Elms. The 114- acre development will have 543 single family houses, 4.23 acres for roughly 84 multi-family units, a future fire station lot, a large park and a trail along the canal.
In order to make sure Northpointe is “not a monotonous streetscape,” Elms said that there will be 27 different home plans ranging from 1,248 square feet to 3,360 square feet. All will have “American traditional” styles.
Elms highlighted the canal trail, which will allow teenagers to walk to Pacheco High School safely. She also highlighted that Place Road will have a roundabout as it enters the development, making it the main entrance. Zoning does have to be changed as Villa Burano once had neighborhood commercial lots. According to Elms, those commercial “pockets” were not feasible for this project.
Northpointe will develop from the south and north first, since those areas have infrastructure already in place, Elms said. Eventually near the end, the middle of the development will be completed. Elms could not give a timeline for the development as each phase is started based on market forces.
Commissioner Nunes asked what the fence along the trail will be made of. Elms said that it is a six-foot decorative steel fence. He also asked about road widths. City Manager Nirorn Than clarified that city standards changed in 2022 to make travel lanes 12 feet wide minimally, previously it was seven. Northpointe will have 52-feet-wide roads.
Nunes also asked when multifamily units will be developed, Elms said that’s based on the market and it is considered phase 12 of the project.
Los Banos residents Larry Byers and Miguel Alejandre spoke at the public hearing. Byers, a member of the Los Banos Tree Commission, asked who will develop the trail and with how many trees. Elms explained that the city will develop the trail with trees that don’t intrude on the canal.
Alejandre asked if the multi-family could be affordable senior living. Elms said that it’s up to the developer. As long as the future plan includes multi-family units, Stonefield Home is allowed to develop it with a potential future multi-family developer as their partner.
The planning commission approved the tract map unanimously. They recommended that the city council approve the zoning change, the final development plan, a general plan amendment, and an update to the 2008 environmental report.
Commissioners thanked staff in their reports. Hicks and Elms recognized the upcoming retirement of city attorney Bill Vaughn.
