San Rafael, CA – A long-vacant facility in Point Reyes Station, formerly home to U.S. Coast Guard personnel and their families, is one step closer to being acquired by the County of Marin for public benefit.
County staff is now authorized to execute a $4.3 million purchase of the former Coast Guard facility in Point Reyes Station.
On September 17, the Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously authorized staff to enter into a $4.3 million purchase agreement for the property with the federal government. The agreement will include language that restricts the use of the 32-acre site to public benefit, which could include a conversion to badly needed affordable housing.
District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who represents West Marin, thanked community members and organizations that voiced support for the project during the Board meeting, adding that it’s been a long process that has required and tested patience.
“This starts the new process, another phase today, potentially leading to more affordable homes in West Marin,” he said. “This opportunity has come about with the support of the entire community and collaborative efforts by federal and local officials. I’m really happy to move the recommendation so we can move forward and get this rolling toward a purchase.”
The Real Estate Division of Marin County Department of Public Works (DPW) is working on the deal with federal contacts. Now with Board approval in hand, DPW can execute the agreement, pay a 10% deposit within 10 days of contract approval, and begin a 90-day escrow period. With the close of escrow, the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) would then begin to explore future uses of the property for public benefit. Details were in a staff report presented to the Board.
In 2018, CDA and a community advisory working group hosted two community meetings in Point Reyes Station to explore components for possible requests for proposal for potential partner to rehabilitate the property. Of the many public benefit use case scenarios the participants provided, affordable housing for families was the most common theme heard at both meetings.
In Marin, a household income of $129,150 qualifies a four-person household as low-income, and an income of $80,600 qualifies that same household as very low-income. The qualifying income levels are based on a percentage of the median household income in Marin, which, for a family of four, is $136,800 as of April 2019.
The Coast Guard property, located on Commodore Webster Drive, is a half mile east of downtown Point Reyes Station. With 36 townhomes and single-room-occupancy-style barracks, the base formerly served as home to dozens of officers and their families. When the Coast Guard designated the facility as surplus in 2014, the local community worked with Congressman Jared Huffman’s Office to seize the opportunity to anchor the property for community needs.
More information can be found at www.marincounty.org/coastguard, including answers to frequently asked questions, more about the Community Advisory Working Group, and an archive of community meetings about the property. Anyone may subscribe to receive e-mailed updates from Marin CDA about the Coast Guard property, and questions may be emailed to CDA staff.