San Rafael, CA – Throughout 2022, proposed updates to the County of Marin’s primary planning document will be made public, open for feedback by both residents and elected officials. On June 14, the Marin County Board of Supervisors and the Marin County Planning Commission will hear about key sections of the Countywide Plan, one tied to housing and another tied to climate change and hazard mitigation.
The joint session about the plan’s state-mandated Housing Element and the Safety Element is set for 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 14. It is an online-only meeting, and the Board of Supervisors chamber at the Marin County Civic Center will not be open. Participation instructions are on the Board’s website. The elected officials are not voting that evening, just receiving the draft updates.
By law, every municipality in California needs to plan for future housing needs and safety mitigation for its residents.“We are looking for more feedback on our progress thus far,” said CDA’s Jillian Nameth Zeiger, who is overseeing the updated housing plan. “We will continue to provide updates to the Board and Planning Commission and emphasize the connection between safety measures and future housing needs.”
Marin County is among the most expensive counties in the country in which to live, and it has experienced a severe shortage of housing, mostly in affordable units for the local workforce. At the same time, there needs to be a clear understanding of the local impacts of global climate change and its effect on existing and future housing needs.
The planning team from the Community Development Agency (CDA) will first present the latest on the Safety Element, which addresses environmental threats such as wildfires, landslides, droughts, flooding, and sea level rise within the county’s unincorporated areas. The Safety Element has three new goal sections: Equitable Community Safety Planning; Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery; and Climate Resiliency Planning. The section on wildfires is significantly expanded from previous Safety Elements.
The Safety Element is being updated to comply with new state requirements to address climate change, flood hazards, wildfire hazards. Public hearings were held in February and April as the updates to the 2007 Countywide Plan got underway, and the environmental impact report (EIR) is being prepared for both this spring and summer. The Board and Planning Commission directed CDA to include specific guidance on climate change adaptation planning and focus on tangible measures for sea level rise and wildfire mitigation. For the first time, the Safety Element draft includes a section about how the County plans for serving the most vulnerable populations during emergency responses and recovery.
On June 14, after the Safety Element update, CDA will discuss the Housing Element. The County must demonstrate to the state that it is taking steps to accommodate more housing units by designating parcels of land as potential locations for development. Under state law, the County has to plan for at least 3,569 new units in unincorporated areas during the eight-year cycle that begins in 2023. This spring, after extensive public outreach and consulting with the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission in March and April, CDA identified a list of properties to begin environmental analysis for future housing development.
The plan will incorporate the preservation of existing housing, including short-term rental properties and accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. Consistent with established County goals, the Housing Element update will address the impact of vacant homes and maximize the use of all homes for longer-term residents rather than temporary vacationers. For new development, the County is focusing on infill – vacant properties adjacent to existing development and access to services. Choosing sites near existing developments, business districts, and transportation hubs aligns with longstanding goals in adapting for gradual population growth.
There will be stiff consequences if the County fails 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 statewide streamlining rules limited the public review process for housing development. A noncompliant municipality also faces the possibility of funding cuts, forfeiture of housing grant eligibility, and fines. California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has a new division that is designed to enforce accountability with plans to meet housing needs.
The draft EIR will cover how any proposed housing development might affect nearby traffic, schools, environmentally sensitive areas and be vulnerable when faced with environmental hazards. In August, the draft EIR for both elements will be made public and open for comment for 45 days.
Both updates are scheduled for consideration by the Board of Supervisors later this year.
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.