“Missing Middle” Housing Project Proposed

Birchway Natomas Apartments promises to provide “missing middle” housing.

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THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

Plans were recently submitted for a new, middle-housing residential apartment complex in Natomas.

The Birchway Natomas Apartments project proposed by Greystar Development West, LLC aims to provide housing for households earning between 80% to 120% off the area median income. Unlike affordable housing projects that require public subsidies or tax-credit funding, the project promises units at attainable rents meant to address the needs of moderate-income residents who earn too much to qualify for subsidized housing but not enough for higher, market-rate rentals.

The Birchway Natomas complex is proposed for a 12.9-acre site southeast of the Gateway Park Boulevard and North Freeway Boulevard intersection, north of the Truxel Road exit off Interstate 80. The now-vacant project site is adjacent to the four-story 117-unit Vista Nueva Supportive housing project and in close proximity to the Sacramento Gateway and Natomas Marketplace retail centers and an existing bus line.

As planned, the Birchway Natomas development will consist of 378 rental apartment units across nine three-story buildings. The project will offer a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, with unit sizes ranging from 621 to 1,215 square feet.

At the complex’s center is planned a single-story clubhouse with amenities such as a furnished lounge with a television and fireplace, game room, meeting spaces, gym, and leasing office. Outdoor features will include a swimming pool, spa, and recreational areas such as a dog park, pickleball court, and fire pits.

As proposed, the development will include 483 parking spaces for residents through a mix of uncovered spaces, carports, and garages. A 1.64-acre parcel on the site will feature 165 park-and-ride spaces to support transit riders and each unit includes indoor bicycle storage.

Greystar has applied for amendments to the Promenade Planned Unit Development Schematic Plan, proposing changes to include multi-unit residential uses across the site.