Branagh Development recently received an approval from the city council to purchase a one year option to develop the housing portion of the city-owned 949 Moraga Road property.
A doctor's office on the property was recently bulldozed to make way, temporarily, for more parking as the proposal for a combination of work-force housing and public parking on the site is fine-tuned.
The City of Lafayette purchased the property back in 2010 with money from the Parking Fund. An independent task force analyzed a number of proposals for that site, coming up with suggested uses such as parking, affordable housing, a combination of the two or a hotel/private development. Branagh had previously been granted a 90-day non-exclusive window to explore potential concepts of the site. Study sessions with preliminary drawings were well received, but the problem area is clearly getting into and out of the parcel from always busy Moraga Road.
Branagh has been looking for a way to fulfill the required affordable housing component of a newly proposed residential condominium project known as Woodbury II on a parcel behind the Woodbury, across town at the 949 Moraga Road location. The housing would be mostly studios and one-bedroom units. The developer will pay for the option of purchasing the housing portion of the parcel for one year or until Woodbury II is acted upon, whichever is sooner. Woodbury II is still in its early stages and has not been officially acted upon, according to Niroop Srivatsa, planning and building director. The price of the option is being negotiated at this time, but the Lafayette City Council approved of the idea.
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