Project Overview

Developer: West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (WHCHC)

Since starting operations in 1987, WHCHC has partnered with the City of West Hollywood to secure Federal, State, County and private funding for the construction of very low- and low-income projects in West Hollywood. One third of WHCHC's apartments are occupied by seniors on fixed minimal incomes, another third house disabled persons, including many people living with HIV/AIDS, and the remaining units are occupied by families and individuals with limited incomes.

Sierra Bonita Apartments At A Glance

• 5-story mixed-use with non-profit commercial space on the ground floor and affordable residential units above
• 42 one bedroom affordable housing units for the disabled
• Every unit will be fully adaptable as needed
• Every unit includes wiring for high-speed internet access
• Energy-efficient appliances (including ovens, refrigerators, and disposals)
• Four units will be fully accessible with roll-in showers
• Subterranean parking for 29 cars for the use of the residents
• Outdoor common area (courtyard garden) at second level
• Outdoor common areas (roof deck gardens) at the fifth level
• Private outdoor space for the residents with designated storage
• Community Room Mail Room, Bike Storage Retail/Office suites along Santa Monica Boulevard (for non-profit businesses)
• On-grade covered parking for 13 cars for commercial and visitor parking needs

Environmentally Sound Green Building Features for Sustainability

• Sierra Bonita Apartments is a pilot project for West Hollywood’s Green Building Ordinance.
• Passive solar design strategies are used, including north/south orientation; window design for maximum daylight; maximizing natural ventilation.
• A solar electric panel system is integrated into the façade and roof of the building that will supply most of the peak load electricity demand for the common areas. The panels are integral to the building envelope and the unused solar electricity will be delivered to the grid.
• The HVAC design provides split system heat pumps for heating and cooling to each unit, retail spaces and community rooms. Individual fan coil unit provided for each of the spaces.
• High efficiency air conditioning units for each unit; insulation and selection of performance glazing will further reduce energy usage.
• Hot water for all units is provided by a solar-powered hot water heating system. · A “cool” roof utilizing a high reflectance single-ply roofing membrane

Landscaping

The landscape design for Sierra Bonita has been developed to beautify and enhance the outdoor experiences of residents and the West Hollywood community at large. Highly drought tolerant low maintenance plant materials have been selected, resistant to the urban conditions of exhausts, dust, foot traffic; submerged drip irrigation system; existing street trees are preserved and incorporated into the building's planting design. Second and Upper Level Plantings include bamboo clusters for shaded internal courtyard area with groundcovers that can grow efficiently with a submerged irrigation system. Upper deck area planters with deciduous vines to grow under the solar canopy, equipped with a "self-watering" tank irrigation system.

Construction details

• Construction Type: New, Podium
• Resident Population: Disabled · Developer: West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation
• Primary Service Providers: Jewish Family Services, Aids Project Los Angeles
• Architect: Tighe Architecture · General Contractor: Parker/Sarg Industries

Funding

Permanent Financing:

• City of West Hollywood
• County of Los Angeles
• CA Tax Credit Allocation Committee
• National Equity Fund
• CA Dept. of Housing and Community Development Multifamily Housing Program
• Affordable Housing Program of the FHL Bank
• Estimated Cost: $20.3 million

For more information please contact:
West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation
(323) 650-8771
Please visit our web site: www.WHCHC.org