 |
| Marinwood Plaza housing developers were here in 2006 |
Editor's note: Here is the 2006 plan for Marinwood Plaza that was developed with a private developer. It has many similarities to the current proposal that Bridge Housing hopes to build today with several notable exceptions.
1.) As a non-profit developer of low income housing, Bridge Housing win 50 years of tax breaks, lowered development fees, a waiver or "streamlining" of stringent environmental and design reviews, few impact fees.
2.) Tax payers must pay for water and sewer upgrades and road improvements. Build more classrooms, hire more teachers and after school care. New police and fire staff may be needed and depending on height the design of the apartments, a new fire truck and fire station. For profit developers generally pay impact fees, development fees and pay full taxes to the community.
Do not let the promoters tell you that this old plan is same as the new one. It is far more costly for the community to host a low income housing project than a private development.
Do not let them tell you there was "consensus" This plan too had many unanswered questions and elimated Marinwood's only viable retail location along 101.
Do not let them tell you that Marinwood Plaza cannot be made a profitable market and retail center. It is conveniently located off 101 freeway where thousands of cars pass daily. Marinwood Plaza lacks visibility and an imaginative and aggressive marketer. It could be a great location once visibility is improved by cutting trees and installing a clock tower. I'd love to see a Farm to Table Market similar to Oxbow market in Napa with Marinwood Market as the anchor tenant.
But there is not room for a successful market and a housing development with 300 people at Marinwood Plaza. Successful retail needs visibility and convenient parking. A market will need at least 200 parking spaces available during market hours. On the busiest times on the weekend there will be no spaces available since tenants will be home too and parking their cars in the same spaces. No successful retailer would accept such meager parking provisions. At their own admission, Bridge Housing is primarily a low income housing developer and doesn't have experience in retail.
Take your pick. Government housing and a convenience store or a modern Farm to Table Market and supporting retail. You cannot have both at Marinwood Plaza.
We can have a beautiful and prosperous future in Marinwood Lucas Valley. Isn't that the future you want?
_______________________
M A R I N W O O D V I L L A G E
G U I D I N G P R I N C I P L E S
The conceptual design plan for the Marinwood Plaza property is the result of
a joint effort between the Marinwood community, the Marinwood Plaza
property owners and the County of Marin. These parties have worked
collaboratively during the planning process, and as the process moves
forward, will continue to work together to best assure that each party
achieves their goal.
A. Development Program
A preliminary development program for the project site has been developed,
including:
♦
90 to 100 residential units, with 20 to 50 of them affordable for low- or
very low-income families.
♦
A grocery store of 20,000 square feet.
♦
Ancillary retail of 4,000 to 12,000 square feet.
♦
A plaza or community gathering area.
♦
A redesign of Marinwood Avenue.
1. Grocery Store
♦
The grocery store building will provide 20,000 square feet of space for a
full-service grocery store. If the property owner completes a lease with a
full-service grocery store prior to commencement of construction, and
the grocery store owner requires less than 20,000 square feet, then the
property owner can build the amount required by the grocery store
owner, provided the market is acceptable to the community.
♦
The grocery store will be located at the north end of the site with an
adjoining parking lot.
♦
The grocery store building will be built during the first phase of
construction. However, if the property owner does not have a grocery
store lease prior to commencement of construction, the property owner
may build a 20,000 square-foot grocery store shell.
M A R I N W O O D V I L L A G E
G U I D I N G P R I N C I P L E S
2
D E S I G N , C O M M U N I T Y & E N V I R O N M E N T
2. Ancillary Retail
♦
The project will include 12,000 square feet of ancillary retail space.
♦
4,000 square feet of ancillary retail will be built during the first phase of
construction.
♦
An additional 8,000 square feet of ancillary retail will be built after
sufficient interest is shown or pre-leasing is achieved.
♦
The buildings that house the ancillary retail will help define the form of
the plaza.
3. Housing
♦
90 to 100 housing units will be developed on the site.
♦
50 housing units will be sold or rented at market rate.
♦
The remaining housing units will be sold or rented as affordable to lower
and moderate income households.
At least 20 percent of the total units will be built to meet the County’s
inclusionary requirements.
The remaining affordable housing units will be built with assistance
from the County or an affordable housing developer, possibly as part
of a later phase of development.
4. Public Plaza Program
♦
An outdoor public plaza will serve as the architectural/design focus of
the project and the gathering place for the larger Marinwood community.
♦
The public plaza will be built to create a “place” with a village feel. This
will include a variety of features, such as a lawn area, shade trees, public
seating, a outdoor eating area and/or a public fountain.
For the complete plan: Marinwood Plaza Plan in July 2006
No comments:
Post a Comment