Testosterone Replacement Therapy in Fillmore, CA

Location may be everything when it comes to housing, but aesthetics is a close second. This is doubly true for affordable housing, which is often mired in social stigma. Affordable housing historically had a purposeful, “low budget” look. In other cases, insufficient long-term funding resulted in inadequate or completely nonexistent maintenance.

Consequently, many people are now skeptical of new affordable housing projects. Getting these projects approved by the community requires close collaboration between all stakeholders. The award-winning Mountain View Apartments in Fillmore is an example of that collaboration in action.

The 77-unit community provides affordable homes for over 150 individuals, families, and seniors, as well as people formerly experiencing homelessness. The apartments have a wide range of on-site services, including after-school programs and a community room with Wi-Fi and computer stations, as well as case management and life skill training for residents in need of extra support

“People who don’t know what Mountain View is walk on the site and have one of two reactions,” said Doug Menges, the executive vice president for developer Many Mansions. “Hey, are any of the condos/townhouses available for sale here? Second: This reminds me of a beach community.”

The apartments opened late last year. Rosa was one of the first tenants. A single mother, Rosa worked hard to stabilize her life and is now the assistant manager at Goodwill in Fillmore. However, she could only afford a studio apartment, and her two older children had to live with their grandparents.

“[I am] grateful to Many Mansions for the opportunity to live in an apartment that is the right size for my family,” Rosa said.

Construction projects are usually governed by two truisms. Construction rarely goes smoothly, and vacant land is vacant for good reasons. In this case, the land was an abandoned orchard surrounded by above-ground utilities. There were no curbs or gutters. There was, however, a large gully, and an eight-foot grade difference from the highway.

Competing demands and laws can also slow down construction. “There are no more easy properties in California,” said Kevin McSweeney, the city’s planning and community development director.

Many Mansions and the city rose to the challenge. The city amended its general plan and changed the site’s zoning from commercial highway to high-density residential. This allowed the developers to build 35 units per acre, making the project financially feasible.

There was also an early disagreement about the building’s façade. “We do a very in-depth review at the very beginning that includes all involved city departments,” McSweeney said. “When you propose something, city staff will respond with a really long letter. You are going to know exactly what we think.”

In this case, Many Mansions proposed a tan, stucco box design typical of inexpensive housing. The city countered with something more unique — the award-winning color and material scheme — which the developers accepted.

“If we want to continue build[ing] affordable units, they have to look nice,” McSweeney said. “The moment we build one that looks like tenement housing in New York or New Jersey, we’ll never be able to build another one.”

For affordable housing, this means that each unit must appear independent and not feel like part of a “complex.” According to McSweeney, this creates a sense of ownership that allows a tenant to say, “That is my unit.” The units should also have porches or balconies that let people “step outside and enjoy [the] fresh air.” Features like this help reduce the social stigma of affordable housing.

After the developers changed the design, the process went smoothly. “The actual permitting process went very quickly once we secured the design,” Menges said. “All throughout the process, they worked hand in hand with us in getting the zoning right. The city was always available, always returned our calls. When we would stop in — which was often — to city hall, they were always [there] to talk to us. There were no surprises.”

The city also helped advertise the apartments, gave Many Mansions a place to interview applicants and conduct outreach, and provided temporary parking for construction workers on city-owned land.

For their part, Many Mansions met with the community often and early, something Menges says is key to getting these projects approved. “The hot topics are always going to revolve around parking, water, trees, followed by traffic,” Menges said. “In terms of Mountain View, we addressed the parking early on because we actually provided more parking than we were required to do. We saw the condition of the street and wanted our residents to walk safely to the elementary school.”

According to both men, residents were thrilled about the project. In the end, the major hurdle was not the land’s unusual slope or the city’s review process. It was funding. It took six years to complete the project. In the end, the housing authority, along with a combination of state funding and tax credits made the project a reality.

“The funding in California is so competitive,” Menges said. “It’s really acquiring the different funding that took the most amount of time.”

The city is working on several other notable housing projects and programs. McSweeney is particularly focused on finding developers willing to build housing for people making just above low-income wages — the area with the greatest demand. At this income level, most people do not qualify for subsidized rent but still have trouble paying market-rate rent.

One possible policy change is specific to a four-block neighborhood near city hall. The homes were built before World War II. When the city adopted its zoning ordinance, it identified the neighborhood as a commercial highway. As a result, homeowners could not receive construction loans and many homes fell into disrepair. Due to the size of the lots, it is unlikely those homes will ever become storefronts.

The city plans to change the zoning to high-density residential. “For a homeowner, they probably won’t realize that until two to three years when they try to get a construction loan,” McSweeney said “It will help them immensely and it will help the city.”

A subdivision of 130 condominiums is also under construction and 222 apartments for people making just above low-income wages are in the development pipeline. More moderate-income projects are on the way.

“For Fillmore, that’s a lot,” McSweeney said.

Like any city, Fillmore has its fair share of challenges going forward. Fillmore is the first city outside Los Angeles County and is surrounded by agriculture and forests. Residents like the “slower pace of life,” which means there is a lot of political pressure to keep the region's character intact.

But there’s also a demand for housing — something McSweeney is confident the city can meet. “We are on target to meet [our housing numbers] … both affordable and moderate, McSweeney said.

The Cal Cities #LocalWorks initiative shines the spotlight on examples of local actions that are making a difference to their communities. Show how #LocalWorks in your community by contacting communications@calcities.org.

The Fillmore Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a state-of-the-art, zero-discharge water recycling facility (WRF) located in the City of Fillmore in the state of California, US. The city spent approximately $70m on the water recycling programme (WRP) project, including the WWTP.

Construction of the plant commenced in 2007 and was completed in August 2009. The completed plant was certified to begin operations in September 2009. The official opening ceremony, however, was kept on hold until landscaping was finished in May 2010.

The plant won eight awards, including two Project-of-the-Year (POY) prizes, within seven months of its operation. The plant is owned by the city of Fillmore and is operated by American Water, a public utility company operating in the US and Canada.

Fillmore’s water recycling programme

The city’s $70m WRP programme involved construction of a WRF capable of treating 1.8 million gallons of water a day (mgd), a distribution system to transfer the recycled water, an in-plant pump station, coarse screening, grit removal, finer screening, primary treatment process, recycled water storage tank which has a storage capacity of one million gallons, recycled water pump station and solids stabilisation and production of class B sewage sludge.

Other major facilities for the project include membrane bioreactor (MBR) system, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and operation building.

Moreover, the project involved construction of other amenities for the public, such as two new cycleways, an eight-hectare park baseball field, football fields, a skateboard facility and construction of infrastructure for tennis and basketball courts to be built in the future. Also undertaken as part of the project were citywide landscaping improvements.

Facility and project purpose

"The city spent approximately $70m on the water recycling programme (WRP) project, including the WWTP."

The plant has eliminated the need to discharge into the Santa Clara River by recycling 100% of treated water. A highly advanced filtration system is delivering ten times cleaner water compared to other types of modern activated sludge plants. This recycled water is used to irrigate schools, landscapes, city parks and green areas throughout the city.

The WRF is currently delivering 1mgd of water that meets the requirements of central and state regulations for unrestricted reuse irrigation purposes.

The existing irrigation system allows for 200,000gpd of recycled water to be delivered to two schools, a park and a new greenbelt along a railway in city centre of Fillmore. About 800,000gpd is released to an underground wastewater disposal system that provides groundwater recharge.

The Fillmore WRP was undertaken in response to the stricter discharge regulations brought down by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

As per the new regulations, the city was required to improve the quality of treated wastewater discharges to the Santa Clara River. This threatened the continued operation of the city’s old WWTP in its current state.

The city’s old plant was built in 1955 and was not meeting the stricter regulations. The plant was needed to be upgraded substantially to comply with the regulations and meet any future demands. So, instead of upgrading the old plant or replacing it simply with a new WWTP to discharge highly treated wastewater to the river, the city decided to build a new WRF that would not only completely stop water discharges but also allow development of a full-fledged water reuse system.

WWTP capacity and design features

The WWTP is designed to treat 2.4mgd of water at final buildout. The current configuration, however, allows it to operate at 1.8mgd. Peak pumping capacity per minute is 4,146 gallons of effluent.

The plant’s modern technology allows it to maximise energy efficiency and helps keep the costs down. The plant features a flow-equalisation system that minimises water flow during peak hours.

After cycling back to the plant, the wastewater is treated during off-peak hours, for example when power demand and costs are low.

The plant is installed with an MBR system and UV disinfection system. Together, these systems produce cleaner water suitable for irrigation. The recycled water irrigation system is operated through a fibre optic network using monitoring and control systems.

Contractors involved in the Californian water recycling project

American Water was chosen by the city of Fillmore to design, build and operate (DBO) the facility under a public-private partnership (PPP). American Water will operate the facility until 2029.

"The plant won eight awards, including two Project-of-the-Year (POY) prizes, within seven months of its operation."

American Water hired several subcontractors to complete the plant. The water recycling plant was designed by Kennedy / Jenks of Ventura and was built by WM Lyles Construction, of Bakersfield.

Geotechnical and materials testing was conducted by Fugro West Ventura.

Hopkins Ground Water provided ground water related services, and the L Newman Design Group was the landscaping specialist.

Penfield & Smith, Jordan Gilbert & Bain, Leighton Group, Earth Systems, Rincon Consultants, John C Fitzgerald and Associates, Hawkins Delafield & Wood, M.J. Schiff & Associates, Padre Associates and Hawks & Associates were some of the other subcontractors involved in the project.

Programme management services were provided by AECOM. It also provided design and construction-phase services for a recycled water distribution system.

San Francisco welcomed Fletcher with open arms as she performed to a sold-out crowd at the historic music venue, The Fillmore.

With every show selling out so far, the tour, which just began, marks Fletcher‘s best extensive tour headlining. To start the night out, Fletcher performed “girls girls girls,” one of her more recent singles that she released in October. The song reimagines Katy Perry’s 2008 smash hit “I Kissed A Girl” to tell her own coming-of-age story. Fletcher said, “In a lot of ways that song really marked the beginning of a lifelong journey of self-exploration and coming into my queerness and learning how to express my truth in a bold and unapologetic way.”

It was notable for Fletcher to be back performing at the Fillmore because, as she shared, the last time she performed her she was just an opening act. Back then, she was nervous and remembered watching the headliner from the balcony and thinking how cool it would be to headlining a show here. Now, years later, she was doing just that.

The stage setup looked like a catwalk straight from the streets of New York City. It was a creative set with a ladder adorned with spraypaint for Fletcher to get up and down quickly. She also threw in a funny story about how her manager told her not to go with that setup because you would not make much money from the tour because of how expensive it will be transporting it. Fletcher shared with the crowd that she didn’t care and then encouraged fans to buy her merch. It was also ironic that she mentioned that she’s afraid of heights but manages to climb a 10-foot high platform every night, and if that isn’t overcoming your fears, then we don’t know what is.

This story also helped set up the next song, “F**k You for Ruining New York City for Me,” which she wrote about her first love and how she is messed up because of it. After that, she slowed things down a bit and performed a fantastic cover of Billie Eilish’s song “Happier Than Ever.”

Fletcher was in the crowd signing boobs at one point during the night and mentioned how she had already signed so many, even with the tour just getting underway. She also said how just the simple fact of signing so many boobs is the highlight of her life.

While Fletcher doesn’t have an actual album out, she still has many songs to perform from her multiple singles and EPs Finding Fletcher, You Ruined New York City for Me, and her most recent one, The S(ex) Tapes. Amazingly, Fletcher sounds the same live as she does on these recordings. So if you have the chance to make it out to her tour, we would highly recommend that you do.

The North American leg will end in April, before she heads to Europe where she will wrap the tour in May.

On Tuesday, September 27th, the Grand Opening was held for Fillmore’s Mountain View Apartments. The 77-unit community consists of apartments reserved for extremely and very low-income households, with 8 units designated for those who have suffered homelessness. Pictured are those in attendance for the opening and ribbon cutting in no specific order: State Assembly member Steve Bennett, County Supervisor Kelly Long, Fillmore Mayor Pro Tem Lynn Edmonds, California Housing & Community Development Department representative Hector Leyva, and Joseph Alexander, a representative for Mountain View residents.

Southern California is experiencing acute levels of homelessness and lack of affordable housing. To help meet the need in the Fillmore community, Many Mansions and the Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura built Mountain View.

On Tuesday, September 27th, over 200 guests gathered to celebrate Mountain View’s Grand Opening. The 77-unit community consists of apartments reserved for extremely and very low-income households, with 8 units designated for those who have suffered homelessness. It is a culmination of a 6-year development process that transformed an essentially vacant and underdeveloped site into a beautiful, well-managed complex.

In attendance at this week’s festivities were residents and community leaders. State Assembly member Steve Bennett, County Supervisor Kelly Long, Fillmore Mayor Pro Tem Lynn Edmonds, California Housing & Community Development Department representative Hector Leyva, and Joseph Alexander, a representative for Mountain View residents spoke compellingly about the need for more affordable housing, and about the collaborative effort that made Mountain View possible.

Indeed, at its inception, the proposed project received enthusiastic response from over 3,000 Fillmore community members, embracing affordable housing and positioning Mountain View to be a welcome addition to the city. With design elements that recognize and celebrate Fillmore’s history and setting, such as a wall mural painted by a local artist and playgrounds inspired by agricultural equipment, Mountain View is a Fillmore community asset.

Mountain View residents are part of the Fillmore community and stories such as a 76-year-old 5th generation Fillmore resident who could not afford her home after her husband passed away in 2013, are representative of those who found a home in Mountain View.

To further support residents, on-site services and programs such as case management, life-skills workshops, and children’s after-school programs are available at no cost to all residents. These programs are run at on-site amenities designed to support community building and wellbeing, such as a community room, a pocket park, playgrounds, and courtyards. They are facilitated by Many Mansions and partnering organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley.

Many Mansions is a leading provider of affordable housing and life-changing services in Ventura County. With the belief that everyone deserves a place to call home, we house and serve close to 1,500 individuals, with a focus on working families in the very low-income brackets, seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities, and individuals and families who have experienced homelessness.

The Area Housing Authority of the County of Ventura is an independent, nonprofit agency serving the residents of Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and the unincorporated areas of Ventura County. It is a leader providing opportunities and assistance to people in need of affordable housing through development, acquisitions, and partnerships.