San Rafael, CA – On November 14, the Marin County Board of Supervisors plans to decide whether the County of Marin should move forward with the possible acquisition of the 157-acre San Geronimo Golf Course, which has been for sale since early spring of this year, to convert it to a public greenbelt area.
The San Geronimo Golf Course sits on 157 acres in a rural part of Marin County.A merit hearing, scheduled for approximately 2:15 p.m., will take place two weeks after a planned hearing was postponed to allow for more time for reviewing the proposal and to receive public input. The staff report is on the County’s website.
The hearing will start with a staff presentation followed by questions from the Board, public feedback and a Board vote. On the same afternoon, the Board is conducting a hearing about medicinal cannabis licensing at 1:30 p.m., and the San Geronimo property hearing is to take place right after the conclusion of the cannabis hearing.
All Board meetings are aired on Comcast Channel 27 throughout Marin County and webcast live on the County’s website, then archived for future viewing.
With stream restoration as its motivation, Marin County Parks has prepared a Board proposal for the golf course acquisition to restore the property’s critical habitat for endangered salmon.
“The stretch of San Geronimo Creek on the golf course is perfect habitat to give these fish a chance to thrive in our midst,” said biologist Mischon Martin, Parks’ Chief of Natural Resources and Science. “We don’t get many opportunities like this to improve those chances.”
In addition, the property would serve as a greenbelt linking the valley’s rural villages.
On September 22, The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit, signed a non-binding agreement to purchase the golf course from the Lee Family Trust with the intent of selling and transferring the property to the County at a future date for park purposes. If sold to a private buyer, the property could be developed into a resort or used for other commercial recreational purposes.
If the Supervisors approve the sales agreement following the public hearing, Parks and TPL would work together to raise funds from the state and other nonprofit sources to support the County's purchase for $8.85 million. The County estimates that $3.91 million of the purchase price would come from County funds with the remainder from outside sources.
If the Board approves the purchase agreement, County staff would engage the community in a thorough and collaborative discussion about property restoration, preservation, and other compatible uses over the long term.
Parks has published more information about the property acquisition on its website.
The Board chamber is in Suite 330 of the Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael. All sessions of the Board of Supervisors may be watched live on Comcast Channel 27 or on the County’s webcast.
All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held at accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats – or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity – please contact department staff at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY) or e-mail disabilityaccess@marincounty.org.