The Pine Ridge Villas Homeowners Association officially filed an appeal of the Planning Commission’s narrow, 4-3 vote to approve a high-density rental apartment project on Sterling Avenue and Lynwood Drive in North San Bernardino.
The Sterling Apartments is a 27-unit rental complex proposed on a 2.38-acre lot that is already partially developed inside the original boundaries of the Pine Ridge Villas condominium project.
Pine Ridge Villas was built in 1980 as a two-parcel development of privately owned, individual unit condos with the first 58 units built and sold at that time. The lot proposed for the rental apartments was a part of the original Pine Ridge development that was left uncompleted due to the developer’s bankruptcy. The lot was fully graded with perimeter fencing, retaining walls, water, and sewer infrastructure, and fire suppression all designed for shared use within the completed Pine Ridge Villas.
Currently, the parcel provides shared parking, emergency access, waste disposal/recycling facilities, and fire hydrants with the surrounding neighborhood as was intended by the Owner’s Certificate filed with the originally recorded map.
The apartment project would abruptly end those shared uses by walling off the parcel for the construction of the rental units.
“Our objection isn’t to the development of the lot,” said Pine Ridge Villas HOA President Mellace Thomson. “We would support the construction of condominiums as part of our existing community, with the shared uses that were always intended and have existed for over 50 years. Building 27 rental units inside our existing development and completely cutting off access and mutual use are not acceptable or in the best interests of our members or the city.”
The parcel in question is surrounded by existing condominiums to the South and West by the existing Pine Ridge Villas and to the east by the Lynwood Green Condominium project across Sterling Avenue. Single-family residences comprise the majority of the surrounding neighborhoods.
As of July 2022, 51 percent of all households in San Bernardino are currently renters according to RentCafe.com. This is well above the state average of 45 percent and the national average of 36 percent according to ipropertymanagement.com.
The appeal to the City Council specifically requests the city deny the apartment permit and condition any future development as individually owned condominiums.
Residents of Pine Ridge Villas have been joined in opposition to the apartment project by the Del Rosa Neighborhood Action Group (DRNAG), the San Bernardino Neighborhood Association representing the area, and other residents.