Fort Bragg Planning Commission approves 49-unit Hazelwood senior housing project; AMG & Associates' development heads to City Council for final approval on May 12

May 8, 2025 (Fort Bragg Advocate-News) –

FORT BRAGG, CA >> On April 30, 2025 , the Fort Bragg City Planning Commission gave unanimous approval (4-0) to the proposed senior housing development for 860 Hazelwood Street . Only a few people attended and spoke during public comment. The proposal and request for necessary permits go before the City Council on May 12 for approval.

The project site is an unused parcel of land just beyond the paved end of Hazelwood Street , which includes a meadow that will remain in its current open state with minor maintenance. The developers of the project, Cameron and Jacob Douglas of AMG & Associates, LLC , have built similar projects in Ukiah and Arcata .

At the Planning Commission hearing, both Cameron Douglas and architect Douglas Gibson gave multiple assurances to the commission that they are open to additional suggestions and changes as may be needed. The proposal was adopted with noted amendments to some of the site plan details.

The project is designed as one, three story building with 49 living units, 41 of which are one-bedroom, and 8 of which are two-bedroom. The building will include an elevator with a backup battery in case of power outages. Each unit will also have a private patio or balcony.

The amenities include a community center with a kitchen, exercise room, laundry, and business center. The carport roofs will have solar panels installed for the building’s electricity use. Parking slots are set for a total of 75, but may be reduced to 58. There will be 18 bicycle spaces, and 38 of the car slots will be EV adaptable.

Outdoors will be a community garden with raised planter beds, covered picnic tables with BBQs, and a fenced dog park. The exterior of the property will be fully landscaped with bee-friendly native plants and trees. The adjoining meadow will remain undeveloped and will not be mowed during the spring months.

The project also includes extending Hazelwood Street , adding outdoor lighting, fencing,

sidewalks, curbs, and a bus stop. A large stormwater bioswale is part of the design to address runoff concerns. The city has completed a number of water infrastructure improvements and is developing reservoirs for water storage. The new development is now not expected to affect water availability.

Traffic patterns on South and Cypress Streets are not expected to affect the current daily flow of vehicles, especially considering that lower numbers of seniors own or drive a vehicle. This assessment is based upon the traffic control report presented for the Grocery Outlet store project just to the west of the apartment project.

To draw in interested developers, new state incentives are intended to streamline the permit process for inclusionary housing projects in cities that amend their construction regulations to meet those in the state’s program established by the Housing Accountability Act (HAA).

This project reflects the state’s new incentives for developers to build inclusionary, low-income housing, which provides tax credits to the developer and allows for exemption from CEQA regulations. It is defined as an infill project, meaning that it is within an existing neighborhood.

This designation would allow for a density bonus of 89 units. However, at 49 units, the project relies on three stories to comfortably accommodate units of about 600 sq. ft. and of about 800 sq. ft. Consideration is under review to expand the outdoor space to include a walking trail.

The units are restricted to low-income seniors (62+) earning 30-60% of the area’s median income. The project is expected to take 14-18 months for construction once it has been approved by the City Council and any appeals to the California Coastal Commission have been addressed.

The project does meet all the requirements of the city’s Coastal Development Plan as well as the city’s adopted policies encouraging senior housing. Assuming that the City Council approves the project, anyone wishing to follow the development’s construction progress can obtain information on the web page for Pacific Companies.

The city has yet to establish a rental application process and will most likely do so within the last three months of the project’s completion. Because the project uses the state’s tax credit incentive, the units must be available to any qualified applicants regardless of the applicants’ current geographic location in the state.

Renter applicants will have to agree to certain limitations on the use of the rented units. For example, for the next 55 years, the units cannot be for sale as condos or used as vacation rentals.

Developer Cameron Douglas , as well as members of the Planning Commission , advised local efforts to advertise for unit availability “by word of mouth.”