St Vincent/Silvera Ranch development controversy in 2007

St. Vincents School for Boys

Editor's Note: Supervisor Susan Adams was swept into office with the promise to limit unbridled development at Saint Vincents and Silvera Ranch. She was considered an ardent environmentalist and one of our neighbors.  With the declaration of the Marinwood Priority Development area which she helped create  and promote while a vice president of ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments),  she no longer can be seen as any of these things.  The vision of creating six high density affordable housing developments, creating an increase in our population by at least 25% plus expected rezoning for addition compact development she must be seen as pro growth (at least for low income housing.)  The huge financial impact of these very low income developments  will burden our  Dixie schools and community services forcing the costs on Marinwood/Lucas Valley residents.

Funny,  I don't recall her mentioning the Marinwood Priority Development Area,  arguably her most significant "achievement" for Marinwood/Lucas Valley in the last election cycle.

What is YOUR vision for a successful future for Marinwood/Lucas Valley?  Find out more.  Attend our Monday meetings  at 6:30 PM. Email us at savemarinwood@gmail.com for details.



 

Marin IJ Article in 2007 on St Vincents/Silvera Ranch

 

Rival groups back compromise on St. Vincent/Silveira site

Brad Breithauptmarinij.com

Posted: 10/17/2007 12:08:53 AM PDT

Environmental leaders and housing advocates stood together Tuesday in support of a compromise plan that could lead to the construction a large senior village on ranchland at the north end of San Rafael.

After a six-hour hearing, county supervisors unanimously endorsed plans that would set a traffic-based development cap for the 1,110 acres owned by St. Vincent's School for Boys and Silveira Ranch.

Supervisor Susan Adams, a staunch critic of previous development plans for the acreage, supported the compromise. She said it sets the stage for "an Italian style kind of thing rather than a Southern California kind of sprawl across the hills."

For the second time in less than a month, more than 500 people attended the county hearing on new long-term growth guidelines for Marin's unincorporated areas.

Supervisors endorsed the controversial 221-home cap on the future development of the two properties. But they also opened the door for building a large senior village, much larger than 221 units, as long as it wouldn't exceed the commute-hour traffic generated by a conventional single-family home development.

Two prominent environmental leaders - Marge Macris of Campaign for Marin and Barbara Salzman of the Marin Audubon Society - stood when St. Vincent's spokesman Gary Giacomini asked backers of the compromise to rise.

The Silveira family, who run a dairy ranch on the adjacent 340 acres, objected to the cap, claiming it unfairly erodes the potential value of their property.
 "The harm to the Silveira family has already been done," said the family's attorney, David Trotter of Walnut Creek.