New three-story apartment complex proposed for northeast Merced County. Here are the details

Merced County leaders are poised to consider a proposal that would turn a vacant swath of land into a three-story apartment complex, bringing 48 new homes to the Delhi community.

The development will be up for deliberation by the Merced County Board of Supervisors during a public hearing schedule for Tuesday’s 10 a.m. meeting. Community members will have the opportunity to comment on the plan prior to the board’s vote.

The imagined apartment complex aims to provide market-rate, multi-family housing that would increase the diversity of dwelling options for the Delhi area residents, as well as better align with plans for the Delhi community, according to county staff.

The nearly 2-acre site is located on the southeast side of West King Street, southwest of North Stephens Street, in Supervisor Lloyd Pareira’s district.

Plans for the project also show amenities such as a barbecue and seating area, children’s playground and a fitness center accompanying the 3-story apartment complex.

The 48 housing units would consist of a mix of floor plans intended to accommodate a mix of lifestyles and residents, according to planning documents by the project applicant, Sterling Triplenetcap Delhi, LLC.

The proposed project hosts a combination of 12 one-bedroom apartments measuring about 750 square feet, 24 two-bedroom apartments measuring 1,100 square feet and 12 three-bedroom apartments measuring 1,400 square feet.

The region surrounding the vacant parcel is already substantially developed with residential buildings and commercial sites, including a retail center that includes a Dollar Tree, Delhi O-Reilly Auto Parts and Delhi Health Center situated northeast of the project area.

The empty Delhi parcel is currently zoned general commercial. If approved by the Board on Tuesday, plans are to rezone the site as mixed use.

The change would allow higher density residential development on the same site as commercial or office space, thus facilitating pedestrian and transit-oriented development, according to county documents.

The change to mixed use would also align the parcel’s zoning with plans for the site outlined in the Delhi Community Plan, which aims to meet current and future uses of Delhi’s downtown area.

The mixed-use designation would help further the diversity and scale of downtown Delhi by promoting a combination of commercial, office, civic, and government uses, as well as increased diversity of housing types, county documents say.

Community members can comment on the proposed project by attending Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting at 10 a.m. in the Merced County Administration Building at 2222 M St.