An apartment complex in the works will bring 36 new housing units to Turlock.

The Planning Commission approved a Minor Discretionary Permit on Dec. 5 for the Pedras Road Apartments development, a 36-unit complex located on a 1.53-acre property at 1841 Geer Rd. The site entrance is off Pedras Road, behind the BBVA bank.

“It’s exciting to see some of these projects move forward…and provide more housing,” said Katie Quintero, Deputy Director/Planning Manager.

The project will consist of two structures with 18 units per building. Each unit will be approximately 800 square feet in size. The buildings will be 29 feet tall.

The developer, Rod Scott, said all the units will be two bedrooms with laundry hookups and quartz countertops, “everything people want nowadays.”

He also touted the location as being in walking distance of Walgreens and Save Mart. Crowell Elementary School is also located across the street from the apartment complex site.

The apartments will abut a single-family housing subdivision to the west. The permit went through the Planning Commission for approval because when notifications of the project went out, the City received several calls from neighborhood residents in opposition.

According to Quintero, residents were mainly concerned about the two-story buildings impacting their privacy and increased traffic in the public alley. The developer, Rod Scott, held neighborhood meetings to address the concerns and agreed to install 15-feet tall evergreen trees to block the view.

No one opposed the project at the Dec. 5 Planning Commission meeting.

Scott said he expects construction to start in mid-February, with completion in the fall.

The local developer said he is very aware of the need for more housing in Turlock.

“We have a bunch of rentals and it’s crazy. As soon as a unit is open, we are bombarded with phone calls,” said Scott.

Scott said he is already working on plans for another apartment complex in Turlock, this one with 100 units.

“There’s definite a need,” he said.