Whispering Oaks to offer affordable housing

Redevelopment of the old Whispering Oaks mobile home park is entering its final phases.

Oakdale and Washington County officials said the 126 new units will offer "full life cycle" housing options, from townhomes to single-family homes to senior housing.

Barbara Dacy, executive director of the Washington County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, said because the aging property required a major overhaul in order to redevelop it, the county partnered with the city to update the infrastructure.

Although the City Council originally preferred a single-family home neighborhood, City Administrator Craig Waldron said the mix of high-density units was needed to make it a smart financial deal.

The county replaced the mobile home park with a mix of housing targeted for low- to moderate-income levels, mixed with some "move-up" market-price homes, Dacy said.

The development has 20 Habitat for Humanity townhomes, five community land trust single-family homes, 33 market-value single-family homes built by Ryland Homes, a 29-unit family townhome complex and 39 units of senior housing.

The senior housing complex is the final component. It breaks ground next month, Dacy said.

"It really allows for people to go from their startup home to potentially transition to a market-rate home," said Teresa vanderBent, executive director of Two Rivers Community Land Trust.

"It was being built while the market was crashing," vanderBent said. "It's a good example of how private and nonprofit can work together."