San Rafael, CA – Since the needs of Marin County residents change over time and new federal and state laws often affect what the county government does, the County of Marin normally updates its Development Code every two to three years. The Development Code relates to zoning and subdivisions in the unincorporated areas in Marin County that are outside of the coastal zone.
Staff from the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) is drafting amendments to the code to be presented to the Marin County Planning Commission, which will make a recommendation on the amendments to the Board of Supervisors.
CDA recently launched a new webpage to provide more details about the proposed changes, including a preliminary public review draft of the amendments. The release of that draft is the first step in the process. All the comments received through January 4, 2019, will be reviewed and then the draft will be revised to create a Planning Commission review draft. Public comments and involvement are welcome and encouraged throughout the process.
Most of the amendments are related to meeting state and federal mandates, establishing environmental safeguards, and addressing temporary activities such as educational tours and pop-up restaurants. Planners are also creating a new section related to disaster response and recovery.
“There are a lot of immediate needs that come up in the wake of a disaster, such as emergency response centers and temporary shelters,” said Jeremy Tejirian, CDA Planning Manager. “As it is now, our zoning restrictions do not have the flexibility they will need after a major disaster. We are proposing to build more flexibility into our code so that assistance can be offered without delay.”
The Planning Commission is scheduled to first review the draft amendments during a public hearing on January 22, and the updated document would make its way before the Board of Supervisors for approval sometime later in 2019.