San Rafael, CA – A key part of the Marin Countywide Plan update later this year will be a section about climate change and the related potential hazards for local residents. The Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) will present findings about the state-mandated Safety Element to a joint online meeting of the Board of Supervisors and the Marin County Planning Commission on Tuesday, February 1.
The Safety Element of the Countywide Plan update will address environmental threats such as landslides, wildfires, flooding, drought, and sea level rise.CDA staff will review environmental threats such as wildfires, landslides, droughts, flooding, and sea level rise as part of its Safety Element Vulnerability Assessment and look for Board and public feedback.
The February 1 Board and Planning Commission workshop is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. by videoconference only; no officials will be in the Marin County Civic Center’s Board chamber at the time. Meeting details are found on the Board’s webpage.
The Safety Element is about existing communities in Marin County, and about how to grow and evolve in a way that promotes resiliency and adaptation in the face of the coming change. It is mostly about plans to prepare and protect residents from harmful impacts of natural disasters. Some sectors of Marin’s population are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. For instance, natural disasters could be much worse for those in isolated households that have less reliable communication service, those with language barriers, those with physical mobility limitations, those without financial means to add safety enhancements around the home, and those who are unhoused.
Sarah Jones, CDA Assistant Director, said preparing the Housing and Safety Elements together is a deliberate strategy to address equity and make sure the County can meet its housing goals in a way that prevents vulnerable residents from being placed in harm’s way.
This is the first time CDA has elevated the Safety Element into a separate document to discuss in public; previously the content was worked into other documents. Neighborhood resiliency and safety have been prioritized as the ominous realities of climate change have grown more apparent and intense in recent years. The Safety Element will build on and serve as a mechanism to coordinate those previous planning documents.
See the staff report for the February 1 meeting online. Learn more on the Housing and Safety Elements webpage.
For disability accommodations, please phone (415) 473-6358 (voice), CA Relay 711, or e-mail the Environmental 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.