Imperial Beach’s southeast region is getting its first public park as part of a newly approved multifamily housing project. The City Council unanimously approved a 46-unit development on the corner of Holly Avenue and 14th Street in District 4 earlier this month. Developer Aaron Anavim plans to demolish three single-family homes he owns and construct two multistory structures in their place. The main building is four stories with 45 residential units consisting of studios and units with up to three bedrooms. Of that sum, six would be affordable housing units. The second structure is a detached accessory dwelling unit. There would also be a bike repair shop, lobby, gym, a mail room and a courtyard in the main building. The developer is also donating 5,244 square feet of land within the southeast corner of the property to the city for a park, making it the first one in an underserved area of Imperial Beach. It will have play equipment, benches, trees, drought-tolerant landscaping and lighting. “This project, along with the new public park, is a transformative addition to our community,” said District 4 Councilmember Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez. “Currently, District 4 lacks a dedicated park, and I am proud to have played a role in approving the first one for our district. We eagerly anticipate the start of construction and the opportunities this new public amenity will bring for residents to gather, connect, and enjoy.” The property would include a ground-floor parking area with 48 parking spaces and two on-street parking spaces dedicated to building residents. Some residents told council members buildings of that size exacerbate parking issues. They suggested dropping the number of units to 25 or building an underground parking lot. Anavim said the 48 spots already exceed the number of apartments on-site and that the development offers “other solutions, such as bike racks, to encourage other means of transportation.” The site is located within a half-mile of public transportation at the intersection of 13th Street and Imperial Beach Boulevard. Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre said she’s sympathetic to the small city’s parking challenges, “but the counter to that is that we do need a lot more housing. We need to meet our Regional Housing Needs Allocation numbers.” Every eight years, the state requires each municipality to build a certain number of housing units. Imperial Beach, with a population of about 27,000 residents, is required to build 1,329 units by 2029. “The project has affordable housing units … and the height limit is within our code,” Aguirre added. “I get it. We don’t want to see too much change too fast and this is the task before us … to find that somewhat perfect balance.”