By Deb Murphy

Silver Peaks, a 70-unit affordable housing project, has gone one significant step toward realization.

Bishop Councilmember Joe Pecsi has been negotiating to purchase the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power-owned 3-acre parcel at MacIver and Spruce streets after stepping up to fill in for the ill City Administrator Jim Tatum seven months ago. He mentioned those negotiations have resulted in a purchase agreement from the department during Tuesday evening’s candidate forum.

After more than ten years of back-and-forth, that was big news.

Because Los Angeles was reluctant to sell to any entity other than Bishop, the City simply fills the role of purchaser, using Community Development Block Grant funding from Inyo-Mono Advocates for Community Action. The property will be turned over to IMACA who will work with the Stockton firm, Visionary Home Builders of California, as the development partner.

The project will include apartments for families and singles with rooms set aside for clients of Inyo-Mono Association for the Handicapped. VHS has a 35-year history of building and managing low-income and affordable housing communities in California.

According to Larry Emerson, IMACA’s housing and planning director, both the City and IMACA sent their comments on the purchase agreement back to the City of Los Angeles and are waiting for LA’s comments on their comments and hopefully a final agreement.