Amorosa Village largest project for Burbank Housing

The Amorosa Village affordable apartment and town house community, located at 1300 Pebble Creek Drive in southwest Santa Rosa, started taking residents last spring.

Built at a cost of $29 million, construction was financed by the Housing Authority of the city of Santa Rosa, and finished with additional federal stimulus funding. The project received the support of the Department of Economic Development and Housing.

Amorosa Village is the multi-family portion of the existing Dutton Village at 2740 Dutton Meadow Drive.

With a total of 150 units, Amorosa is the largest of 46 developments built to date by Burbank Housing Development Corporation, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the supply of low-income housing in Sonoma County.

Phase II, with 53 units, was completed in June, and Phase I, with 97 units, was finished in September. Fifty two of Phase II’s units are targeted to households at 30, 50 and 60 percent of area median income along with one unrestricted manager’s unit.

“Amorosa is like a small rural town with its own community pavilion, resident gardens, mail room, laundry, two playgrounds (one for small children), a basketball court, and two acres of outdoor space for picnics and barbecues. There are also several small plazas dispersed within the village for communal living,” said Larry Boughton, construction department manager with Burbank Housing.

“Every unit has a view and the village offers a feeling of openness. You don’t feel cramped in. Durable finishes and plumbing fixtures were used that don’t need replacement as often. We also incorporated extensive ceramic tile flooring and a 50-year rated roofing system.”

Amorosa is comprised of two and three story buildings with flats on the first floor and town homes above.

With an average of 30 units per acre, the complex covers five acres on a parcel that once served as farmland.

There are 17 buildings on the site with a total of 160,000 square feet of living space. Units include 480 to 500 square foot studios, plus one, two and three bedroom units up to 1,000 square feet. All ground units are accessible with seven units completely outfitted with special features to aid the physically challenged.

Buildings are divided into smaller sections connected by breezeways to allow for natural ventilation and daylight.

Cutting edge physical plant facilities, such as condensing boilers, produce radiant baseboard heat and hot water achieving energy savings 40 percent more efficient than levels set by state standards.

Midstate Construction was the general contractor and the Structural Design Group provided engineering support.

Hunt Hale Jones Architects created a contemporary design with traditional residential details. This combination allows larger scale apartments to become a bridge between legacy home concepts and major infill housing styles.

“One of our goals was to create micro neighborhoods within Amorosa Village enhanced and identified by different color schemes,” said Bob Iwersen, project designer and manager with Hale Hunt Jones Architects.

“Some 17 paint colors were used, including a blend of tints and hues, to give each building a distinctive look. This rich palate was created by color consultant Leslie Tipple of L.T. Designs.”

Each building was constructed as a wood frame structure with an acrylic stucco exterior, concrete and steel stairs and landings, metal railings and perimeter fencing as well as attractive balconies topped off with metal roofing.

The village landscape includes large grassy areas shaded by deciduous native trees and shrubs. Vegetated bioswales were placed in parking areas to channel and absorb runoff from the hardscape and treat water before it enters the storm drain system, in keeping with best management practices.

Organized in 1980, Burbank Housing builds and manages family and senior low-income rental housing and creates home ownership opportunities through its mutual, self-help program.