Travis Afb Housing - 1 in 5 Hunt community wants to renovate former Georgetown housing complex next to Travis Air Force Base. Yalonda M. James/Chronicles shows less.

In the year Built in 1990, the George Town Village housing development in Fairfield has 2 of the 300 homes that have been vacant for a decade. Yalonda M. James/Chronicles shows less.

Travis Afb Housing

Travis Afb Housing

4 of 5 Housing advocate Meghan Callahan with Callahan Public Affairs walks through a renovated home in the former Georgetown Village in Fairfield, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. Built in 1990 and containing 300 homes, the housing development has sat empty for a decade. The property is located adjacent to Travis Air Force Base (TAF). TAF, which controls the utilities for the property, refused to turn on the water. A developer wants to make affordable housing for veterans and families, Yalonda M. James / Chronicles Show more Show less

Hamilton Dr, Fairfield, Ca 94533

5 of 5 Real Estate Attorney Gerald G. In the year The housing development, built in 1990, has 300 homes that have been vacant for more than a decade. The property is located adjacent to Travis Air Force Base (TAF). TAF, which controls the utilities for the property, refused to turn on the water. A developer wants to make affordable housing for veterans and families, Yalonda M. James / Chronicles Show more Show less

The Fairfield Georgetown housing complex has family-sized apartments, playgrounds and basketball courts. There are grassy knolls where kids can roll, California pepper trees and oak trees for shade, and quiet cul-de-sacs next to open fields.

But for all its promise as a great family place, the 52-acre property near Travis Air Force Base in Solano County is empty. After housing hundreds of Air Force families for 20 years, 302 community units have remained vacant for the past decade as the military shut off water and sewer lines serving the property.

The property's owner, Hunt Communities, said it has committed to spending $36 million, outside of public subsidies, to renovate the units into affordable housing. About 15% of the apartments will be reserved for veterans, executive vice president Jim Dobie said.

I Present To You The Dumbest Track On Travis Afb

But for that to happen, the property needs water, and the only reasonably close source is the nearby Air Force base. As the underlying water and sewer systems are connected to the Georgetown property, it will be a matter of replacing the old pumping system to keep the water flowing. The next closest water source is a city hookup about 2 miles away, and a permit is required to install pipes on many private properties.

"We've been talking to the Air Force and the city for 10 years about bringing this facility back online," Dobie said. "We applied twice for building permits and the city denied those applications and other issues because there was no water service."

An original kitchen interior in a former Georgetown village house. Yalonda M. James / Chronicle

Travis Afb Housing

As the housing crisis that began in San Francisco spread throughout the Bay Area, the urgency of the project has become increasingly clear to housing advocates over the past few years. Fairfield prices have doubled since 2010, with single-family homes rising from $241,000 to $475,000.

Complaints Of Unsafe, Unhealthy Housing Conditions Plague Hickam

Solano County's homeless population is about 1,000, including about 150 veterans. Fairfield in 2010 Since 2014, it has approved 140 affordable units, less than 12 percent of the state's goal of 1,183.

JR. Wilson, who served in the military and helps vets find jobs and housing, said hundreds of veterans, many stationed at Travis Air Force Base, are moving out of the area because of rising costs. Renovating Georgetown Apartments could make a dent in that need, especially for homeless seniors.

"I see this mansion as a moth-eaten ship." "Shouldn't we deploy mothballed ships in an emergency?"

A renovated kitchen interior in a former Georgetown village house. Yalonda M. James / Chronicle

Fieldcrest Place, Spring Valley, Ca 91977

In a statement to The Chronicle, the Air Force said it is not in the water business and has no obligation to provide services on property it does not have. The Air Force never owned the Georgetown Apartments, but took control of the development and entered into a 20-year lease upon completion. When that lease expired, it was replaced by a new complex across a narrow canyon from Georgetown.

"The Department of Defense does not routinely provide utility services such as water, sewer or electricity to private, extraterrestrial entities," said Air Force Capt. Amanda Farr.

Col. Victor Biller, commander of the 60th Mission Support Group in Travis, indicated in a series of emails to Hunt executives that the issue was not open to debate.

Travis Afb Housing

In May 2019, Biller Hunt wrote to The Community Advocate, "Sir, Travis AFB does not provide water to Georgetown housing." Several months later he sent another email: "It has been decided at the HQ AF level that Travis will not provide water to Georgetown. There will be no further discussion of this matter by Travis."

Travis, California Firefighters Extinguish Blaze > Air Force > Article Display

Farrar said the Air Force is following the lead of the city of Fairfield, which also opposes housing revitalization efforts.

In a letter to Hunt's attorney last month, Fairfield City Manager Stephen Chatwin called the project "highly unlikely" and "not a priority for the city." He noted that the nearest municipal water service is at 4,900 feet and the nearest schools and grocery stores are 5 to 6 miles away. Chatwin did not return calls seeking comment.

While it's unclear whether the city or the military will oppose the project, Travis Air Force Base clearly has a strong interest in Fairfield.

The base — 6,400 acres with 6,641 active duty members and 3,018 civilian employees — is the largest employer in both Fairfield and Solano counties. In the year The base, which opened after Pearl Harbor in 1942 to defend against the Imperial Japanese Navy, has an annual economic impact of $1.65 billion, according to an analysis completed by the military in 2017.

Oaks West In Madison, Wi

Assemblyman Jim Frazier, who lives in Fairfield, said he doesn't understand why the Air Force and the city are against it. He said he has met with state housing officials and has scheduled a meeting with Fairfield city staff next week to discuss the issue.

Updated to include drought zones while tracking your local water scarcity, reservoir levels, and the Bay Area's largest water district list of restrictions.

"Here we have a company willing to spend millions to rebuild affordable housing, to provide shelter to people who need it most," he said. "It costs the government nothing. It costs the city nothing. Oh my God, how many times do we have an opportunity like this?"

Travis Afb Housing

"What's the problem? What's required of me to get this job? I'd like to think the city I live in won't back down," he said.

Basic Allowance For Housing (bah) Rates

The company has more than 50,000 military housing units across the country and regularly collaborates with the Department of Defense on housing development. For 10 years, the house sat empty, Hunt took care of the land, mowed the grass, trimmed the trees and maintained the roads. Renovation of the buildings will cost $100,000 per unit and could be completed within a year.

Dobie countered the argument that Georgetown is too far from schools and services, pointing out that the city's master plan calls for housing on the land. Located less than 3 miles from a lake subdivision that adds 2,226 single family homes to 358 acres. Eventually, as the land around Georgetown improves and Hunt no longer needs water from the base, water service may become available.

He added that hundreds of people employed at the station earn low and middle income from their company. A family of four earning less than $27,000 a year will qualify for some homes, while others target families with median incomes of up to $114,000.

"People who work on base but aren't qualified to stay on base — people who work at veterans clinics or elementary school teachers or base exchanges — can be disciplined," Dobie said.

Travis Makes Way For New Dorms > Travis Air Force Base > Display

Danny Bernardini, business manager for the Napa Solano Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Hunt has agreed to a project labor contract in which the remodeling will be built with all union labor — an agreement unusual for residential projects in Solano County.

"To have something of this scale, to have our members stay local and work here is pretty special," he said. "The housing shortage is not unique to Fairfield, but the solution is very unique. Not often."

Military drone range, laser range finder military, military range bags, military range targets, long range military radio, military radio range, military range finder, military long range binoculars, range rover military discount, military range rover, range of military drones, military range bag