The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to approve developer Meta Housing Corporation plan to construct two affordable housing complexes in unincorporated East Los Angeles.

The projects, referred to as Downey I and Downey II, would occupy two corners of the Whittier Boulevard and Downey Road intersection.  The mixed-use project carries a total valuation of approximately $54 million, including a $4.9-million loan from L.A. County according to previous documents considered by the Board of Supervisors.

Downey I, slated for the northwest corner of the intersection, would be a three-story building featuring 42 garden style apartments and 1,161 square feet of street-fronting retail space.  Other components of the development include residential amenities and a small parking garage.

The larger Downey II building would rise at the southeast corner of the intersection.  At completion, it would stand four stories and contain 71 apartments with 3,208 square feet of retail space, amenities and parking at the ground and basement levels.

The modern construction, designed by Gonzalez Goodale Architects, will equip more than 15 percent of its units with mobility features or auditory and visual communication features.

An appeal of the project by neighboring residents was denied by today's action by the Board.

“It is evident that both the community and Meta Housing are deeply passionate about quality of life of our residents. Every testimony we heard at the Board today had one thing in common: the community and its well-being. I work every day to keep the safety, quality of life, and environmental health of our neighborhoods at the highest quality possible and those values are reflected by our vote to deny today’s appeal," reads a statement released by Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents East Los Angeles. 

"My colleagues and I agree that Meta Housing has met all requirements to develop this project, including a number of measures designed to meet the communities’ environmental health and safety concerns. With new businesses and retail shops planned around the Calvary Cemetery’s new soon-to-be constructed walking path, this project, on a major transit and commercial corridor, will serve as a tremendous benefit to the entire community. We look forward to seeing new growth and new faces in East Los Angeles while protecting those who already live there.”