Why 360 Units?
Why 360 Units? If This Project Is for School Employees, Show Us the Need
Let's start with something I believe many Windsor residents can agree on.
Teachers, classified staff, and other school employees deserve the opportunity to live in the communities they serve. Sonoma County is an expensive place to live, and workforce housing is an important part of the solution. I support finding ways to help those who educate our children live closer to where they work.
But supporting workforce housing doesn't mean we shouldn't ask questions about the size of a proposed project.
Why Approximately 360 Units?
The question many residents continue to ask is simple:
Why approximately 360 units?
How was that number determined?
Earlier this year, during a public meeting, members of the Windsor Unified School District Board were asked whether they had surveyed district employees to determine how many teachers and staff would actually be interested in living in district-sponsored workforce housing.
The response given at the meeting was that they had not.
If that's the case, then how was the need for approximately 360 units established?
If the purpose of this development is to provide housing for school employees, shouldn't the first step be understanding how many employees would actually use it?
That seems like a reasonable place to begin:
Survey the employees.
Determine the need.
Build a project that reflects that demand.
Instead, residents are being presented with a proposal for approximately 360 apartment and condominium units without understanding how that number was reached.
Why the Size Matters
A project of this size doesn't exist in a vacuum.
It affects roads, emergency services, utilities, schools, neighborhood character, and the Town's ability to provide services for everyone who lives here.
It also doesn't stand alone.
More than 100 homes are already under construction on Armando Renzullo Way, immediately adjacent to the Windsor Creek property. Another approved residential development is planned at the end of Old Oak, which will connect into the same neighborhood.
Every new development adds demand on the same infrastructure.
That's why getting the size right matters.
Questions That Deserve Answers
Many residents have also seen workforce and affordable housing developments throughout the region that continue to experience vacancies after opening. If a project is built larger than the actual demand, what happens to those remaining units?
Will they remain dedicated to school employees?
Will eligibility eventually expand?
What is the long-term plan?
These are fair questions that deserve clear answers.
If there is data showing that approximately 360 units are needed for Windsor Unified School District employees, the community should be shown that data.
If there isn't, then perhaps that information should be gathered before moving forward with one of the largest residential developments proposed in this area of Windsor.
Thoughtful Planning Benefits Everyone
This isn't about saying "no" to workforce housing.
It's about asking whether the project is appropriately sized.
Could a smaller project fully meet the housing needs of school employees while reducing impacts on the surrounding neighborhood?
Could the project be phased, allowing the District to meet demonstrated demand first and expand later if additional housing is truly needed?
Those possibilities deserve consideration.
Responsible planning isn't about building the biggest project possible.
It's about building the right project.
Supporting workforce housing and asking for thoughtful planning are not opposing ideas—they go hand in hand.
Good planning starts with good data.
If this project is truly about providing homes for school employees, then let's begin with the people it's intended to serve.
Survey them.
Measure the need.
Share the findings with the community.
Then build a project that reflects those results.
That's not opposing workforce housing.
That's asking for responsible planning that benefits school employees, existing residents, and the future of Windsor.
Stand With Us
If you believe Windsor deserves thoughtful, data-driven planning that balances workforce housing with the needs of the entire community, we invite you to add your name to our petition.
Sign the petition today and join us in advocating for thoughtful growth in Windsor, California.