San Rafael, CA – Climate change is affecting everyone living in Marin County, and the next update of the Marin Countywide Plan will include a section about climate change and the related potential hazards for local residents. An online public meeting April 5 will serve as an interactive discussion hosted by the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA). Registration for the 6 p.m. meeting is now open.
The section of the Countywide Plan is called the Safety Element. CDA planners have reviewed environmental threats such as wildfires, landslides, droughts, flooding, and sea level rise as part of its Safety Element Vulnerability Assessment. In February, staff presented findings about the state-mandated Safety Element to a joint meeting of the Board of Supervisors and the Marin County Planning Commission. The Board and Commission supported the focus on vulnerable populations in the Vulnerability Assessment and wanted continued focus on equity in the policies and programs. They directed staff to continue working across departments and agencies within the County, involving those with expertise in hazards such as wildfire and flooding.
Housing and safety updates to the Countywide Plan are mandated by the State of California every eight years. The updates pertain only to the unincorporated areas of Marin; each town and city is required to submit their own updates. This is the first time County CDA has elevated the Safety Element into a separate document to discuss in public; previously the content was worked into other sections of the Countywide Plan.
“We’re going to go over what this looks like from a program standpoint and what it means to Marin residents,” said CDA Planner Leslie Lacko. “There is a lot of interest in keeping communities safe, protecting resources and infrastructure, and facilitating disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The Safety Element is where the County’s commitment to resilience is recorded as programs and policies.”
Some sectors of Marin’s population are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. For instance, natural disasters could be much worse for those in isolated households that have less reliable communication service, those with language barriers, those with physical mobility limitations, those without financial means to add safety enhancements around the home, and those who are unhoused. Preparing the Housing and Safety Elements together is a deliberate strategy to address equity and make sure the County can meet its housing goals in a way that prevents vulnerable residents from being placed in harm’s way.
Neighborhood resiliency and safety have been prioritized as the ominous realities of climate change have grown more apparent and intense in recent years. The Safety Element touches on how Marin can grow and evolve in a way that promotes resiliency and adaptation in the face of the coming changes to its climate. It is mostly about plans to prepare and protect residents from harmful impacts of natural disasters.
Learn more at www.marincounty.org/HousingSafetyElements.
For disability accommodations, please phone (415) 473-6358 (voice), CA Relay 711, or e-mail the Environmental Planning staff at least five business days in advance of the event. The County will do its best to fulfill requests received with less than five business days’ notice. Copies of documents are available in alternative formats, upon request.