San Rafael, CA – The State of California recently reviewed the County of Marin’s draft plan for responding to its local long-term housing needs, and now the County is fine-tuning the document that must be finalized and resubmitted by January 2023. Several public meetings are scheduled in early November on the topic.
During a 90-minute online joint session of the Board of Supervisors and the County Planning Commission on October 25, the state’s feedback on Marin’s big-picture plans was described as relatively minor -- not as significant as most review letters sent to jurisdictions on the sixth cycle of a Housing Element update. There were requests for more information, additional analysis, and justification of some source material, but no major recommended changes.
On October 17, the County received reaction from the state’s California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) regarding Marin’s Draft Housing Element, submitted on July 19. The Housing Element is a portion of the Countywide Plan that addresses residential housing needs and how they will be accommodated. By law each municipality in California must update its Housing Element every eight years. The next planning cycle for unincorporated Marin is 2023-2030.
The task at hand: For 2023-2030, the County must plan for at least 3,569 new units in unincorporated areas during the eight-year cycle that begins in 2023. Within that total, at least 1,734 must be designated as affordable to lower-income households, at least 512 for moderate-income households, and at least 1,323 for above-moderate-income households. The list of properties that could accommodate housing is under environmental review.
Given how challenging it has been for most municipalities to adequately address the focus on affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH) and rigorous community engagement, planners from the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) said it is notable that the County received no comments about public outreach and only minor data requirements on its fair housing section.
“It was great to hear that the Board and Planning Commission were happy with the draft and the overall level of work that’s gone into the process thus far,” said CDA Deputy Director Leelee Thomas. “We are confident that we will meet the statutory deadline after we make the changes HCD recommended.”
The next step is the draft environmental impact report (EIR) public hearing, at which public comment will be welcomed for both the Housing and Safety Elements. It is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, November 15.
CDA staff members plan to work with MIG and Veronica Tam Associates, the consultants for the Housing Element project, to provide a recommendation on how to address each of the issues identified by HCD. The inventory of sites that could be rezoned for residential housing will be evaluated based on the comments from HCD and information from the draft EIR. Staff will return for a workshop with the Board on December 6 to confirm the sites identified as potential locations for future housing.
Four online community videoconferences are set for early November to review collected feedback and provide an overview of amendments to the Countywide Plan and Development Code related to housing development in specific areas of unincorporated Marin:
- West Marin – Tuesday, November 1, 6-7 p.m. (Register)
- North Marin – Thursday, November 3, 6-7 p.m. (Register)
- Central Marin – Tuesday, November 8, 6-7 p.m. (Register)
- Southern Marin – Thursday, November 10, 6-7 p.m. (Register)
In addition to those community meetings, CDA is briefing design review boards in several unincorporated areas that are affected by the Countywide Plan updates:
- Kentfield Planning Advisory Board – Wednesday, October 26, 7 p.m.
- Tamalpais Design Review Board – Wednesday, November 2, 7 p.m.
- Strawberry Design Review Board – Monday, November 7, 7 p.m.
On November 17, staff will appear at a First 5 Marin online session for a presentation called “Housing Elements and Beyond: What Happens After Approval?” The session will provide an overview of the Housing Element approval process as well as next steps for project implementation. More details about the meetings are available on the CDA website.
The County isn’t updating the Countywide Plan just to address needs; it’s also to comply with state requirements. There are stiff financial and governance consequences for towns, cities, and counties that fail to adopt an approved housing plan. If a jurisdiction does not meet its housing goals, it becomes ineligible for state funding to serve local transportation needs, such as fixing roads, and may be subject to limitations on the public review process for housing developments. A noncompliant municipality also faces the possibility of funding cuts, forfeiture of housing grant eligibility, and fines. HCD has a new division that is designed to enforce accountability with plans to meet housing needs.
Questions and comments can be emailed to staff and phone inquiries can be made to (415) 473-6269. Regular updates can be found on the Housing and Safety Elements update webpage.
#
For disability accommodations, please phone (415) 473-4381 (voice), CA Relay 711, or e-mail the 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.