Update: The Architectural Review Board approved Golden Gate Homes' 16-unit housing proposal by a 4-1 vote on Thursday, July 20. Read more here.

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A long-debated proposal to build 16 homes at a former orchard site on Maybell Avenue could win a key approval Thursday morning, when the project goes in front of the Architectural Review Board for a final decision.

The proposed project is a sharp departure from the development at 567 Maybell Ave. that the city had reviewed and approved in 2013 and that included 60 units of housing for low-income seniors and 12 single-family homes. Despite winning unanimous council approval, that proposal by the Palo Alto Housing Corporation fizzled after a citizen referendum.

The new project, which is being developed by Golden Gate Homes, consists of 16 two-story townhouses with basements. It has won the support of the neighbors, who last year urged the City Council to approve a tentative map that would support the development. In June 2016, the council voted 8-1, with Cory Wolbach dissenting, to do just that.