Montebello gives go-ahead for 156 apartments

The City of Montebello has approved plans to replace a number of older homes and apartments with two multifamily complexes totaling 156 units as part of its efforts to meet state housing goals.

The San Gabriel Valley municipality cleared developer Magna and Magna to build two multi-story apartment complexes along Poplar Avenue on the east side of town, the Whittier Daily News reported.

The Montebello-based developer would demolish single-family homes and apartment complexes built in the 1950s and 1960s to build a four-story 140-unit complex at 116, 128 and 136 Poplar Ave. The 70,161 square-foot building on 1.7-acre will include 30 units set aside as affordable to low-income families.

A rendering of 129 and 133 Poplar Avenue (City of Montebello)

The Mediterranean-style building, rendered in white with brown trim, would include such amenities as barbeque areas, a water feature and swimming pool, and a 1,100-square-foot children’s play area.

It would also construct a three-story 16-unit complex across the street at 129 and 133 Poplar Ave. The 23,859-square-foot building on about a third of an acre will include two units as affordable.

The building, in the same Mediterranean style, will include a 2,000 square-foot rooftop deck.

The 156 units will help Montebello meet its state-mandated goal of adding nearly 5,200 housing units through 2029, officials said. Construction is expected to take 21 months.

“This is a very important project,” Councilman Salvador Melendez said. “The state is telling us we have to meet these numbers. It’s important to find quality projects like this one.”

Because it added affordable units, the parking requirements were reduced to 182 spaces, from 327 in the larger complex. However, the developer agreed to provide 298 spaces, Joseph Palombi, director of planning and community development, said.

The 298 parking spaces will include 132 tandem and 72 compact parking spaces, Palombi said in the written staff report. The smaller complex will provide 30 parking spaces, including 20 tandem parking spaces.
Palombi praised the project. “It will provide much needed housing, and include affordable housing,” he said.

[Whittier Daily News] – Dana Bartholomew

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