Holy Cow! St. Vincents /Silvera Ranch Development in 2006

See Article: Marin County's development debate comes to a head at St. Vincent's / Silveira.

Author: Bill Meagher and Peter Seidman

December, 2006 Issue

It isn’t quite 7 a.m., and the southbound traffic on Highway 101 crawls as cars crest the hill coming out of Novato and drop down into Marinwood. Commuters on the northbound side of the highway can look toward the San Pablo Bay and see the fog hugging the ground, shrouding the rolling hills and oaks in a ghostly blanket. Further north, the cows from Silveira Ranch gather near the fence line and head out to a pasture dry and barren from a late Indian summer. The 78-year-old Italian Renaissance church of St. Vincent towers over the herd of Holsteins as if keeping track of the bovines. On this chilly morning, rays of sun squeeze through the marine layer and mix with the wet mist to lend a mysterious quality to the 1,300 acres known as St. Vincent’s/Silveira.

The curtain-like haze fits the land to a T as uncertainty has draped the ranch and church land for almost three generations. That ambiguity hasn’t really benefited from three different land-use committee studies, a ballot measure, countless public meetings or a lawsuit. Perhaps the most remarkable thing to come from this tortured process is that there’s only been one legal action in relation to the area in a county where some organizations and businesses have their barrister on speed dial.

Depending on whom you talk with, the adjoining properties that belong to the Catholic Youth Organization and the Silveira family north of San Rafael are an ideal location for market-rate housing, affordable housing, commercial development, a mixed-use development, a senior care center or open space.

The land in question

The St. Vincent’s land is owned by the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), which falls under the organizational umbrella of the San Francisco Catholic Archdioceses. It began with a gift of 317 acres that was donated by Timothy Murphy to Archbishop Alemany. The school for boys, which was opened by the Sisters of Charity in 1855, is the oldest continuously operating school for children west of the Mississippi; it’s number 630 on the California registry of historic landmarks. There are 952 total acres of land on which it sits, including the St. Vincent’s Holy Rosary Chapel that can be seen from Highway 101. Today, the program consists of residential counseling for troubled youth as well as educational programs.

The school, like most in California, is always in need of more funding. For St. Vincent’s, the need is more critical since the buildings are in need of repair—in some cases, complete rebuilding or tear-down. In the 1990s, the school had proposed selling 594 acres of land to Shappell Industries for development of homes and commercial buildings. But the sale never came off, due in large part to the fact that, although the property has long been planned for building, the city of San Rafael and the county of Marin have never agreed officially on whether the development could take place, nevermind at what level.

Bordering the church property is the Silveira Ranch, a 358-acre spread on which the Silveiras run the last remaining dairy operation in east Marin. Led by family patriarch Tony Silveira, the family has made a living off the land for as long as anyone can remember. As part of the 1972 General Plan, the county elected to take away the family’s Williamson Act designation, meaning it would no longer be taxed at a rate consistent with agricultural use but rather as land that could be developed. The new plan zoned the ranch and neighboring St. Vincent’s land for development as part of the “city-centered corridor” (CCC).

The CCC was designated for the lion’s share of future development along the Highway 101 corridor.
The change has cost the family literally thousands of dollars extra in property taxes each year as they continued to run the ranch. And since then, the Silveiras have done a slow burn waiting for the city and county to come to grips with what could ultimately take place on their family land. They have met with city and county officials, participated in studies and even come forward with an informal development plan of their own.

But today, the cows graze in quiet solitude, undisturbed by construction, and the family’s developmental rights are in limbo.

The problem for both St. Vincent’s and the Silveiras is that, up until 2005, while both properties are outside the San Rafael city limits, the lands were within the sphere of the city’s influence. “Sphere of influence” is planese for land that will eventually be annexed into the city, and thus the city must take it into account when planning for such things as fire protection, sewer service or affordable housing requirements.

To date, there’s little (if any) agreement among land owners, the city of San Rafael, the county of Marin, the business community, environmentalists, affordable housing advocates or anybody else who’s ever bothered to circulate a petition, step up to a microphone at a meeting or write a letter to the editor. Moreover, there’s even less political will to do anything, leaving the CYO and the Silveira family to twist in the wind.

What is undisputed is the fact that the 1,300 acres that run from Highway 101 to the San Pablo Bay represent the largest and last block of undeveloped-but-buildable property in Marin County. What’s also undebated is that the uncertainty over the future of the land has cost the Silveira family a small fortune and delayed the CYO’s plans to renovate its aging school. It has propelled a political unknown into a county supervisor’s seat and, for all intents and purposes, ended the political aspirations of one city councilman.

The tale is the stuff of movies, with a cast of characters that includes a politically connected development company headquartered in Beverly Hills, a crusty family patriarch, the most powerful religious organization in the world, various elected officials of every stripe, captains of industry and take-no-prisoner environmentalists. It also stars troubled kids and slow-moving cows. It would make a dandy comedy…if only the story weren’t so true and so sad.

At this writing, the question of what can become of the portion of the land belonging to the CYO is before the Marin Superior Court. The CYO has brought a lawsuit against the city of San Rafael, claiming the city was arbitrary and capricious in taking St. Vincent’s out of the city’s new General Plan. The suit also contends the city illegally certified its General Plan before the associated environmental impact report was certified and that the city’s housing element is legally deficient. Marin Superior Court Judge James Ritchie is expected to render a decision soon.

To understand the future of St. Vincent’s/Silveira, one must try to understand the past—which is not an easy thing to do. Moreover, one must understand the agendas of all parties involved in this 25-year-old land dispute.

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.

Marin's Population Growth expected to Remain Flat.

Marin Growing Slightly- Population rise is smallest in region

By Mark Prado
Marin Independent Journal

Posted:   01/02/2014 04:45:22 PM PST

After a dip, Marin's population is increasing again, but it is last among Bay Area counties in terms of percentage growth, according to a new state report.

The county grew by 1,896 people between July 1, 2012 and July 1, 2013, according to a new report from the state Department of Finance. That increased Marin's population by .75 percent, bringing the total number of residents to 255,887.

While that increase was the smallest among all Bay Area counties, it was an increase over the previous year when Marin's population dipped by 319 people, a .13 percent drop. Marin now ranks 26th in population among the 58 counties in the state, behind Merced (263,026), and ahead of Butte (221, 955).

The Bay Area is the only region in California where more people are moving in from elsewhere in the United States than moving out, a sign of the economy's rebound and the creation of more jobs here.

"A better economy is generally the reason why you see these population increases," said Robert Eyler, CEO of the Marin Economic Forum — a public-private partnership that works to enhance the county's economic vitality. "But because housing prices in Marin are high, there is a natural barrier to larger population increases."

Eyler expects 2014 to be a good year for the economy, which should result in more people coming to the North Bay.

John Malson, a state demographer who helped produce the Department of Finance population report, also cited the rising Bay Area economy for the increases.

"It shows that, at least population wise, the recession is starting to dissipate, people are coming to employment areas and they're pretty obviously coming to the Bay Area and to some degree Southern California," he said.

Overall, California's population rose to 38.2 million people, an increase of 332,000 from July 2012 to July 2013, a .88 percent increase. While less than 1 percent increase, it is the highest gain for the state since 2003-2004, before the recession.

Much of the uptick was due to a "natural increase" of more births than deaths. In Marin there were 2,319 births in the county during the period and 1,904 deaths.

Foreign immigration to the Bay Area has remained strong, as it did throughout the recession years in the mid 2000s, adding 169,266 people to the state during the 12-month period. Marin saw 713 such immigrants move to the county.

The "domestic migration" numbers are the best indicators of a region's economic health. The statewide numbers continue to be negative, with 103,000 more people leaving California than coming here during the period — a downward trend that has continued since 2001.

Domestic migration within the Bay Area has bounced for the last few years and is now in positive territory, with some 4,800 more people moving in than moving out. In Marin, 768 people moved in. Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa and Santa Cruz counties also enjoyed gains during the 12-month period.

Alameda and Santa Clara counties, plus Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties, account for more than half of the state's growth. Most of the growth was due to more births than deaths, but all have positive net migration as well.

Contact Mark Prado via email at mprado@marinij.com. The Bay Area News Group contributed to this report.

Population percent change among Bay Area counties, number of new residents:

Marin — .75 percent (1,896)
Napa — .77 percent (1,067)
Sonoma — .79 percent (3,850)
Solano — .93 percent (3,918)
San Mateo — .93 percent (6,837)
San Francisco — 1.08 percent (8,865)
Contra Costa — 1.19 percent (12,777)
Santa Clara — 1.47 percent (26,799)
Alameda — 1.68 percent (25,824)
Source: California Department of Finance.

Architect’s plan for new Marin town sparks debate (circa 1990)



The future of Marinwood Priority Development Area?

Editors Note:  This article was written in 1990 about Smart Growth architect, Peter Calthorpe by current Marin IJ Opinion editor, Brad Breithaupt.

Architect’s plan for new Marin town sparks debate

By Brad Breithaupt

Independent Journal reporter

PETALUMA — A novel scenario for Mann’s growth — concentrating develop­ment into new towns along the proposed commuter rail line — drew raves and rasp­berries Friday at a forum staged to seek so­lutions to the North Bay’s growing traffic jam.

Architect Peter Calthorpe pitched his concept, admittedly nostalgic of the way most of Marin and Sonoma cities got start­ed, to 275 people who turned out for the North Bay Transportation Management Association’s conference.

 Calthorpe said his proposed “Pedestrian Pockets,” involving building 2,000 apart­ments, condominiums and small houses methodology,” he said, suggesting pockets of “pedestrian-and transit-oriented devel­opment” could be built at the St. Vincent’s School for Boys and the Silveira Ranch in Marinwood, Hamilton Airfield in Novato and open areas bordering the railroad tracks in Sonoma.

Because the development would be con­centrated, it would leave most of those areas undeveloped as open space, he said.

But Calthorpe ran into a buzz saw of crit­icism from Marin Supervisor Robert Rou­miguiere, who said the concept isn’t politi­cally acceptable to Marin residents who support the traditional suburban neighbor­hood development with lots of open space, not high-density housing.

“Being very realistic and a pragmatic politician, it isn’t going to work in Marin with 3,000 jobs and downtown-type shop­ping opportunities packed into 128 acres, is a reversal of the suburban sprawl that is threatening to turn Highway 101 into a parking lot.

The sponsors of the forum have been big backers of Calthorpe’s proposal as a way to create affordable housing in Mann, where the average sales price of a home was $389,654 in 1989.

“Our (current) land use does nothing more than extend the need for more high­way growth,” said Calthorpe, who found support from state Assemblyman Bill Fi­lante, R-Greenbrae, Marin Supervisor Rob­ert Stockwell and Angelo Siracusa, presi­dent of the Bay Area Council, a group of the area’s major corporations.

“We just have an outmoded planning County. It isn’t going to work in Manin Sonoma,” he said.

Marin voters are not going to accept “high-density apartment-type living sur­rounded by fringes of open space,” Roumi­guiere said. He stressed that Novato voters’ overwhelming rejection of the Hamilton re­development plan sent that message loud and clear.

Calthorpe responded that Roumiguiere’s vision is to build “exclusive enclaves for the rich.” He called that attitude, which closes the door on affordable housing, “ethically and morally repugnant.”

Filante said Calthorpe’s idea is “some­thing that will work, that can work,” but sees it most effective on a smaller scale and used to redevelop and revitalize downtown areas.