ONTO PHASE THREE

 This article was originally published in the May 24, 2025 Edition

The Mammoth Lakes Town Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve a contract with Triad Homes and Associates Inc. for the design of infrastructure related to Phase 3 of The Parcel housing development. 

The contract, expected to cost aproximately $70,000, is anticipated to fund engineering plans and specifications for roads, utilities, and pedestrian infrastructure, according to Nolan Bobroff, Community & Economic Development Director. Those monies will come out of the Housing Now! fund, as allocated in March. 

Phase 3 is expected to introduce ownership housing units aimed at middle-income residents, earning between 120% and 200% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Earlier phases of The Parcel focused on low-income rental housing, including the completed 81-unit Sawyer project and the under-construction Kingfisher phase. 

The infrastructure plans include an extension of Inyo Street, storm drainage, water and sewer lines, electrical conduits, street lighting, and multi-use pedestrian paths. The roads and paths will be public infrastructure, with plans for no special assessments or HOA ownership. 

“It’s comforting that the town will be providing the subsidies for this, not the federal government or the state government, anything like that,” Councilmember Amanda Rice said during deliberation. “This is money that we can count on.” 

Covering infrastructure costs directly rather than passing them on to a developer could reduce the final sales prices of the homes by up to $75,000 per unit, according to the town’s staff report. 

“We expect interest rates are going to go up, unfortunately, or that’s what it looks like,” Mayor Bubser said. “So I’m glad we’re moving forward because it seems like nothing ever gets cheaper.” 

The design work is a prerequisite for issuing bids for construction on the project, which the Town plans to undertake this summer.