30 new apartments planned for Sonoma delayed until mid-2021

DeNova Homes had hoped to offer 30 rental units on West Spain next month|

DeNova Homes had expected to begin offering 30 new rental apartments beginning next month on West Spain Street in Sonoma.

According to the Concord-based developer, the new goal is to open the Oliva Apartments in spring or summer 2021.

The project has now been in the works for more than two years; the Oliva Apartments, at 655 W. Spain St., was approved by the Planning Commission on Nov. 9, 2017. Of the 30 units, 24 will be market rate and six will meet affordable housing criteria.

The development – on a 1.5-acre lot that is zoned mixed use – was originally owned by the Norrbom family. The property is adjacent to both Valley Mart shopping center that houses Sonoma Market and a new small development at the corner of West Spain Street and Fifth Street West.

The development will be composed of two 5-unit buildings toward West Spain Street, one 10-unit building in the middle of the site and one 10-unit building at the rear.

The apartments consist of six 1-bedroom/1-bath units (from 704 to 712 square feet), 16 2-bedroom/2-bath units (from 956 to 1,153 square feet), and eight 2-bedroom/2.5-bath units (from 1,349 to 1,477 square feet), with an average unit size of 1,057 square feet.

DeNova planning documents describe the buildings as having a Spanish architectural style with stucco finish and tile roofing.

Cars will enter the development via a 30-foot-wide driveway off West Spain Street at the center of the project and a T-shaped intersection will serve as the required fire truck turn around. The project includes 56 parking spaces: eight garage spaces, 37 covered carport spaces and 11 uncovered spaces.

Trent Sanson said that DeNova now has all permits in place and all plans approved.

“We expect to start going vertical next week and then framing in June,” said Sanson, DeNova’s vice president of land acquisition and entitlements. About the delay, he said that labor constraints and weather has created “a perfect storm of delays” as well as a issues with undocumented and unmarked underground utilities.

DeNova paid $2 million for the 1.5 acre parcel in August 2017. The land was previously owned by the family of Paul Norrbom and it was formerly a 2.04 acre lot that ran from West Napa Street all the way through to West Spain Street, with a small, white homestead on the street at 590 W. Napa St. The 655 W. Spain St. parcel sold to DeNova was created through a two-lot subdivision recorded in July 2017.

The Norrbom family retained half an acre on the south side of the property which has an existing home, leaving 1.52 acres to be used for the apartment community to be accessed from West Spain Street.

Sanson said he expects DeNova to begin leasing and move-ins late spring/early summer 2021. Leases will be available online at denovarents.com. DeNova has its own in-house leasing and property management company that will oversee the process.

DeNova has already begun construction on another development seven blocks away on land previously owned by Sonoma Valley Hospital - its so-called “Mockingbird Lane” project on Fourth Street West and Andrieux Street. More information about that project is available on the DeNova website.

“It has worked out as we can work on both this project and our Mockingbird Lane development at the same time,” Sanson told the Index-Tribune in July 2019.

Email lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.

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