County proposal earmarks
A housing plan allowing development of at
least 502 dwellings in Marin's unincorporated areas has the blessing of county
planners and will be forwarded to state officials for preliminary review.
The county Planning Commission on Monday
approved a tentative plan earmarking sites for 361 low- and moderate-income and
141 market-rate dwellings, after making minor revisions to a program endorsed
earlier this summer.
Thanks largely to the addition of Silveira-St. Vincent's lands to the
housing list, the plan calls for more than twice as many units as required by
state policies in order to provide what officials called a
"buffer" enabling planning flexibility. The state says Marin's
unincorporated areas need to provide for potential development of just 185
housing units — including 37 moderate and 87 low-income units — through 2023.
Two commissioners protested that because of
extra units allowed developers of low- and moderate-income housing, the program
could potentially pave the way for more than 600 dwellings. They joined
colleagues in agreeing to submit the plan to the state for comment before the
commission takes a final look in November and passes the program along to
county supervisors.
The commission voted 5-2 to reject a proposal
to trim the 502-unit plan by about 100 dwellings to offset potential "density bonus" or extra
units for affordable housing developers. Commissioners Don Dickenson and
Margot Biehle dissented, noting county general plan policies allow up to 502
units, not 600 or more, at the 10 sites the new program earmarks for housing.
"On some properties this could result in significantly
more units," Dickenson said on the state bonus program. "It
potentially could end up a lot higher than what's on the countywide plan."
County
policies, for example, allow 221 homes at the Silveira-St. Vincent's tract, but
bonus incentives could boost the number to 298. "If it's closer to
300, what good's the general plan?" Commissioner Biehle wondered.
Colleague Katherine Crecelius said any bid for
more than 221 units on the ranch tract as agreed during laborious general plan
proceedings would be a highly unlikely "kamikaze" gambit. And county
principal planner Leelee Thomas noted that as a practical matter, only seven
"density bonus" units have been approved countywide in recent years,
including only two by the county in the past decade. "They are not exactly
flying out the door," Thomas noted.
Several commissioners noted that the key point
of the housing program is to increase affordable housing, and that no matter how
many units the county provides, the need for more will remain. "It's not
just about playing number and buffer games, it is about trying to address"
the lack of affordable housing in Marin, Commissioner John Eller said.
"We're way short of what the actual need is," added Commissioner
Peter Thelan.
As carved out during "straw votes" a
month ago, then endorsed on Monday, the commission's program drops two
controversial Tam Valley sites from the housing list. Potential dwellings
envisioned by the program through 2023 if developers step forward include 268
low income, or 181 more than the state requires; 93 moderate-income, or 56 more
than required, and 141 market rate, or 80 more than required.
The designations include: Silveira-St. Vincent's, 100
low-income, 50 moderate and 71 market-rate units; Golden Gate Baptist
Seminary in Strawberry, 20 low and 20 moderate income; Drake Avenue in Marin
City, 15 low income; Woodland at Auburn, California Park in San Rafael, 40 low
income; Marinwood Village,
72 low income and 10 market rate; Sir Francis Drake behind 7- Eleven at
Oak Manor in Fairfax, 10 moderate income; Easton Point on Paradise Drive,
Tiburon, 43 market rate; Indian Valley Road, Novato, five market rate; Tamarin
Lane, Novato, three market rate, and 150 Shoreline Highway, three moderate
income. The plan also calls for 40 second units: 21 low, 10 moderate and nine
market rate.
A familiar parade of speakers including
housing advocates, density foes, neighborhood activists, nonprofit agencies and
environmental groups, many of whom dominated previous housing hearings,
repeated arguments, concerns, philosophies and theories. More than 30 speakers
in an audience of about 50 rose to review the issues at hand.
Everyone seemed to embrace affordable housing,
but opinion differed on where to put it. Some asserted their community wasn't
the proper place or asserted San Rafael neighborhoods were being asked to
provide more than the area's fair share. Others worried about the density bonus
situation.
Foes of high-density complexes said they
supported "infill" housing blended into neighborhoods, painted grim
scenarios of WinCup-style "Corte Mazillas" or warned that special
interests and agencies who stand to profit were behind a rush to develop, and
urged more environmental study and reflection before proceeding with a
blueprint. Traffic is jammed, transit is inadequate, water is in short supply,
schools are full and environmental issues are overlooked, development opponents
said.
"There is no mystery as to why developers
want to develop now," Jennifer Larson of Corte Madera told the commission.
"The mystery is why
you want to roll out the red carpet."
Affordable housing advocates argued attractive
apartment projects can be designed to brighten the community, noted including
more dwellings in a project cuts costs while increasing affordability, and
asserted Marin must do its part to accommodate California's growing population.
They noted extraordinary public outreach included 16 workshops or hearings
already held on a plan that in most respects was similar to one approved in
2013 covering the past several years.
Marge Macris, a former county planning
director who spoke for the Environmental Housing Collaborative, said there has
been plenty of time for public review of the plan and urged its submission to
state officials as scheduled. The lineup of other groups urging the commission
to proceed as proposed included Habitat for Humanity, Sustainable San Rafael,
the Greenbelt Alliance and Marin Association of Public Employees.
"There will be more people in California
in five years whether we like it or not," noted Roland Katz, head of the
employees association, the largest union at the Civic Center. "These
people will need housing," Katz continued, adding that half of the Civic
Center's employees live outside the county. "We urge you to move forward
with the plan."
Pam Drew of Novato begged to differ, saying
growth must be limited to save the planet. "Do not schedule four times the
number of homes required," she said. San Rafael attorney Ed Yates contended the buffer of
extra dwelling sites will pave the way for more projects, hand local authority
to developers and disenfranchise the public. "There's no reason to
rush," he said, suggesting officials ignore a Jan. 31 deadline for
submitting a plan.
Other focused on development sites on their
own areas, with a Cal Park resident saying he was shocked to learn of plans
allowing 40 low-income dwellings on 1.7 acres near his backyard — a project
that would be "two thirds the size of the existing neighborhood."
Both sides traded accusations, with transit
advocate David Schonbrunn claiming neighborhoods are being stirred up by
"instigators" with "right-wing goals." Density foes said
the real culprits are special interests including agency advocates who depend
on grant "revenue streams."
"You have the power. You have the money. But you don't
have the people," declared Steve Nestel, head of savemarinwood.org, who indicated the process
is rigged. "You're going to push this through," he told the
commission. "It doesn't matter what I or anyone else says."
Planning staffers said sending the plan to the
state for review does not preclude changes by the commission or county
supervisors later this year.
The commission will welcome partisans on all
sides of the housing debate back when it takes another look at the plan at 1
p.m. Nov. 17 at the Civic Center.
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| Frederick Douglass, Former Slave and Abolitionist 1849 |
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and this will continue till they have resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those who they suppress."
-- Frederick Douglass, 1849
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