Marinwood Association Blog

FROM POLITICS TO PROJECTS

At a special meeting on Tuesday, September 26, 2006, the Marin County Board of Supervisors accepted the Marinwood Village Concept Plan and authorized the Community Development Agency to use the plan as the framework for future development of precise building and site designs, and for environmental review.

The Community is now one step closer to getting a market.

The next set of planning challenges will require a new approach by the Community and the Community Reps. We now have to turn the Concept Plan into a precise plan. The precise plan must reflect the vision of the
Concept Plan and, once again, must gain the acceptance of the community and the approval of the Board of Supervisors.

The Community Reps have begun to reorganize and prepare to meet these challenges. There will be a name change. The Community Reps will now be referred to as the Marinwood Village Advisory Task Force.

The Resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors at the September 26th special meeting endorses the community planning process and authorizes the county planning staff “to continue to work with the property owner and the members of the community on refining
the concept into a Master Plan/Precise Development Plan”.

The work of the Task Force will now shift from creating and gaining community acceptance for the Marinwood Village Concept Plan to a project management approach. We will continue to work closely with the property owners and the county planners.

As we move forward, the Task Force will focus on all the separate projects that make up the Marinwood Village Concept Plan, for example:
• recruiting a market
• types of housing units
• architecture
• traffic circulation and parking
• the plaza/community gathering area
• green building principles
• bike and pedestrian paths
• landscaping, etc.

To help us reorganize and divide up responsibilities for each of the projects and to provide opportunities for continued community involvement in helping to create the Marinwood Village,
we are in the process of designing a new format for the Marinwood Village Newsletter.

The new Publisher and Editor of the Marinwood Village Newsletter is Task Force member Geoff Mack. Geoff is busy creating the new format. You might want to let your neighbors and friends know about the
new look for the Newsletter so they can get on the email list and receive a first edition. Subscribing to the Newsletter is a good way to stay informed about the progress toward the creation of the precise plan for the Marinwood Village project.

If you received this Newsletter, you are already on the email list.
New subscribers can email Geoff at geoffmack@gmail.com and request to be put on the email list.

Hear is a summary of some of the features of the revised Newsletter:

1. Regular specific project updates, for example:
• Market recruitment
• Design
• Green building
• Traffic circulation and parking
The updates will include information explaining how you can participate in working on the various projects.

2. There will be a regular section devoted to Casa Marinwood. The feeling is that it is justified to devote regular space to Casa Marinwood because this is the community which is most affected by the project.
The better job we do at addressing the concerns of the community which is situated next to the site, the better chance we have of meeting the needs of the entire community and ending up with a quality project.

3. The Newsletter will be interactive with the Marinwood Association web page. You will be able to click on links to get additional information about the projects, make comments and suggestions, and participate in discussions.

4. Letters to the Editor

5. Photos will be used to assist in communicating information, especially design information.

6. Special features: Information about and interviews with participants in the planning process, for example, individual residents, Supervisor Susan Adams, Task Force members, property owners, market owners, architects, developers, county planners, traffic engineers, etc.

SIERRA CLUB SUPPORT

On September 13th, the Marinwood Community Reps made a presentation to the Sierra Club Marin Group at their monthly Executive Committee meeting. The Reps described the Marinwood Village Concept Plan and discussed the community-based planning process
(wherein the community assumes a leadership role in the planning process) and the importance of continuing the community-based process as the Marinwood Village project moves forward into the design stage.

Following the Community Reps presentation, the Executive Committee
voted, unanimously, to support the Marinwod Village Concept Plan
and the community-based planning process.

Following is a copy of the Sierra Club Marin Group’s letter of support.
A representative of the Sierra Club Marin Group will be present at the Board of Supervisors meeting on September 26th
to express support for the plan and the process.

Sierra Club Marin Group
Box 3058 San Rafael CA 94912
sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org/marin
c/o Gordon Bennett 40 Sunnyside Dr Inverness CA 94937
415-663-1881/gbatmuirb@aol.com

September 15, 2006

Marin County Board of Supervisors
3501 Civic Center Drive Suite 315
San Rafael, CA 94903

Re: Marinwood Village Concept Plan (9/26/06 Agenda)

Dear Board Members:

The Sierra Club Marin Group supports the Marinwood Village Concept Plan for the following reasons:

1. The Plan is consistent with the infill housing and sustainable community goals of the draft Countywide Plan.

2. The Plan provides that 50 percent of the housing units would be for sale or rented at levels affordable to lower and moderate-income households.

3. The Plan calls for adherence to Green Building Principles, including materials and energy use.

4. The Plan specifically provides for pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation connections to the site to reduce greenhouse gas caused by dependence on the automobile.

5. The Plan does not require building on environmentally sensitive lands.

The Marinwood Village Concept Plan, if properly implemented, could provide a model for how to create sustainable communities. The Marin Group believes that process safeguards should be put in place to ensure that the completed project will fulfill the vision of the Concept Plan. Further, the Marin Group believes that the key to fulfilling the goals of the Concept Plan is to strengthen the community-based planning process in a way that will enable the community residents to participate fully in the design process.

Sincerely,

Gordon Bennett, Chair

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING

On Tuesday, September 26th at 6 p.m. in Room 330
(Board of Supervisors Chambers) of the
County Civic Center, The Marin County Board of Supervisors
will meet to hear a presentation of the Marinwood Village
Concept Plan and to vote on a Resolution
prepared by the Marinwood Community Reps.

The Resolution states: (a) that the Marinwood Village
Concept Plan will form a roadmap to guide the project
through the planning, design and construction phases,
(b) that the planning process as it moves forward will continue as a community-based process and (c) that the Board of Supervisors recognizes and endorses the central role the community will continue to play in the planning process for the Marinwood Village project.

You are encouraged to attend the meeting and show your support for both the Concept Plan and the community-based planning process.
This is an important step to achieving the community vision:

1. A full service Market
2. Ancillary retail appropriate to the Community
3. A Plaza/community gathering area
4. A quality mixed use design which creates a project
that is an asset to the community

The Community Reps have been meeting with each
individual Supervisor to educate them about
the Concept Plan and to reinforce the importance
of continuing the community-based planning process.
Our message to the Supervisors is that for the final
project design to be accepted by the community it
must reflect the community vision. And, that the best way
to fulfill the community vision is to encourage and
empower the community to fully participate in the
design phase of the planning process.
To date, we have met with three of the Supervisors.
All three responded very positively to
the Concept Plan and to the importance of continuing
the community-based planning process.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

The Marinwood Village Concept Plan is now headed to the Marin County Board of Supervisors for review and acceptance.

The Community Reps are requesting that the Board of Supervisors Meeting, for the Marinwood Village Concept Plan be held at the Marinwood Community Center instead of at the Civic Center.

To prepare for the Board of Supervisors meeting the Community Reps have been scheduling meetings with each Supervisor to discuss the Concept Plan and, also, to discuss community concerns about the potential impacts on the community resulting from the density of the project and what can be done to address these concerns.

The first scheduled meeting is with Supervisor Steve Kinsey on Wednesday, September 6, 2006 at his Civic Center office.

COUNTYWIDE PLAN

The Marinwood Village Concept Plan is the latest land use planning idea for a County which is renowned for responding to growth issues in a way that provides maximum protection to Marin’s unique physical environment. Have you ever wondered why, when you drive out Lucas Valley Road and pass big rock, on your way to the coast, you drive past ranches, open space and small villages and not an endless sea of houses?
The reasons can all be found in the history and current language of the Marin Countywide Plan.

The Marinwood Village project is a response to the sustainability policies of the proposed new Marin Countywide Plan. The Countywide Plan sets the rules for how land is used.
What rules the Plan spells out and how it evolves over time to respond to changes is the result of an ongoing political process.

If you feel a need to learn more about Marin’s rich land use planning history and the on-going efforts to protect Marin’s environment, you should consider attending an upcoming event sponsored by Marin environmental organizations. The event is called, “Campaign for Marin” and invites the public, there is no admission charge, to learn about the role that the Countywide Plan plays in protecting the Marin environment:
“Join us for an afternoon of fun and good theatre and to find out more about this movement to insure a healthy and sustainable future Marin”.

Doug Maloney, former Marin County Counsel, has written a
one act musical comedy to help us understand the world of land use planning.
The name of the play is The Da Vinci Plan and it will premiere at the McInnis Park Picnic Area on Sunday, August 27, 2006 at “about” 2 p.m., and will feature a “Star-Studded Cast”.

“Campaign for Marin” takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be displays and refreshments.
It is recommended that you bring picnics and picnic blankets. Children are welcome.

IMPORTANT

As you prepare your comments for the Monday, July 17th meeting
on the Marinwood Village concept plan, please consider the following:

1. There are 3 main parties who have an interest in the development
of the Marinwood Plaza site:
a. The Community
b. The Owners
c. The County

2. This is not an “all or nothing” game such as
sometimes takes place when the proposed development site
includes environmentally sensitive lands.

3. Each of the 3 parties has legitimate interests.

4. Some of these interests are in conflict.

5. No one party can get everything they want.

The challenge is to create a plan which, to a reasonable degree,
meets the needs of each of the parties.

If you cannot attend the meeting on July 17th,
please consider emailing your comments to
the following government officials:

1. Susan Adams, Supervisor SAdams@co.marin.ca.us

2. Alex Hinds, Director, Community Development Agency AHinds@co.marin.ca.us

3. Tom Lai, Principal Planner tlai@co.marin.ca.us

                                               WOW!

Quite a turn out for the July 10th Public Meeting on the Marinwood Village Concept Plan

The Grocery Store owners were quite impressed.

Now we have to get ready for the follow-up meeting on:

Monday, July 17th, 7:30 pm.
Marinwood Community Center

The County sent out notices which you should receive today.

There will be no booths stationed around the room, which means space for more chairs.

There will be a slide show presentation at the meeting.

However, the main purpose of the meeting is to allow time for public comment.

Whether or not the concept plan comes close to expressing the vision of the community
can only be determined from public comments. It is important that you comment on what parts
of the plan you like and what parts you have a problem with. Your comments are used
to guide the planners in making adjustments to the plan. We will keep doing this until we get it right.
The goal is to locate the planning sweet spot:  a concept plan which the community agrees should guide
the planning process into the next planning phase.

The feed-back seems to suggest that the sweet spot has not yet been reached.

The feed-back suggests the following:

A. STRONG SUPPORT FOR:
1. Grocery Store and Retail
2. Community Plaza area
3. Importance of the Quality of the Overall Design
4. Re-design of Marinwood Ave.

B. JURY STILL OUT ON:
1. Number of housing units
2. Traffic
3. Parking

Here is the Agenda for the July 17th Meeting:

7:30 p.m.  Welcome
• Susan Adams, Board of Supervisors President, Marin County District 1

7:40 p.m.  Project Overview
• Alex Hinds, Marin County Community Development Agency

7:50 p.m.  Review of Design and Site Plan
• Bruce Brubaker, Design, Community & Environment

8:00 p.m.  Discussion and Community Input

9:20 p.m.  Next Steps

9:30 p.m.  Adjourn

Help plan Marinwood Plaza

A COMMUNITY workshop for the proposed Marinwood Village concept plan is scheduled for July 10, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at the Marinwood Community Center at 775 Miller Creek Road.

The plan is a set of guidelines for redevelopment of the five-acre Marinwood Plaza shopping center site, one of several sites throughout the county being designated as a potential location for an in-fill project consistent with the new sustainability goals of the Marin Countywide Plan.

The plan includes up to 32,000-square-feet of retail space (including a 20,000-square-foot grocery market), 100 residential units of market-rate and affordable townhouses and apartments and a community plaza/gathering area.

The plan emphasizes enhancing pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation opportunities and using green building principles.

The plan is the product of a community-based planning process, initiated by the public through meetings with our county supervisor, Susan Adams, county Community Development Director Alex Hinds and the property owners.

This planning process, involving more than a year of meetings and discussions, has included Marinwood community representatives, property owners and county planners. The meetings were facilitated by David Early,president of Design, Community and Environment, a Berkeley design/planning and architectural firm.

The process is funded by the Marinwood Community Services District, the Marinwood Association, the county and the property owners.

During the planning process, the public has been kept informed and encouraged to participate.

This has been accomplished through e-mail newsletters, outreach meetings with homeowners associations and monthly meetings at the community center.

This community-based planning process has delivered clear benefits to the community:

- A site vision that meets community needs;

- Inclusion in the plan of space for an appropriate amount of retail;

- Direct involvement in the recruitment of a full service market and ancillary retail appropriate to the community;

- Recapture of a significant portion of Marinwood Avenue to be used for the creation of a community plaza/gathering area;

- Volunteer community architects involved in the design process.

The community has made it clear that it will not approve a stand-alone housing project and that the project must include:

- A full-service grocery store and additional retail;

- traffic management;

- A community plaza/gathering area;

- A village-style design.

For more than 40 years, Marinwood/Lucas Valley has had a local grocery store and other retail at the Marinwood Plaza.

However, the plaza has never been redeveloped. As the demographics and shopping preferences changed, the plaza was unable to attract the newer stores we have come to expect.

In January, Bell Market closed, leaving Marinwood without a grocery store.

Now, residents face a 10- to 15-minute car trip for even the smallest items - adding to the traffic congestion and air pollution.

Opinion surveys demonstrate an overwhelming preference for including a full-service grocery store and retail at the Plaza site.

Discussions with several grocery store owners and the results of a recent market feasibility study have demonstrated the viability of a market and retail at the site.

The Marinwood Village concept plan will return a market and additional retail to the Marinwood Plaza site.

The July 10 workshop will include presentations by Supervisor Adams, Alex Hinds, community representatives and the property owners. The workshop will also include information booths and a question-and-answer session. The workshop is a critical step in the planning process.

Marinwood and other local residents are strongly encouraged to attend so they will have an opportunity to determine the future of this valuable community asset.

Frank Nelson is chairman of the Land-use committee of the Marinwood Association.

David Mitchell is board president of the Marinwood Community Services District

JULY 10TH COMMUNITY WORKSHOP
7:30 pm at the Marinwood Community Center

The proposed Conceptual Plan for the redevelopment
of the Marinwood Plaza site will be ready for community review
on July 10th.

The July 10th Workshop is designed to provide you with information
about the proposed Conceptual Plan.
AND to give you an opportunity to ask questions,
make  comments  and offer suggestions.
The Plan must first be accepted by the Community before
it goes to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.

Essentially, the proposed Conceptual Plan will consist of a conceptual drawing, a perspective sketch and guideline principles.
The Plan proposes that the retail space component include 20,000 square feet for a market and 4,000 square feet for ancillary retail
(coffee shop, mailing services, cleaners, etc.). Both the 20,000 and the 4,000 square feet of space would be built during the first phase of construction. Another 8,000 square feet of ancillary retail space will be shown on the drawings but would not be built until additional demand is shown. The Plan also proposes that the housing component include a total of 100 units, divided between townhouses and apartments.
Of the total 100 units, there will be a percentage breakdown between market rate and affordable. The percentage breakdown is being discussed by the county and the property owners. This information should be available by the July 10th Workshop.

The drawings and principles will propose a village style development.
A community plaza would front onto Marinwood Avenue with the market and some retail along the edges of the Plaza.  Marinwood Avenue would be redesigned into a tree lined boulevard.

The July 10th Workshop will also be an opportunity for the community
to express a determination to get a market at the site.
Remember, the Novato community was able to persuade Whole Foods and Trader Joe’sto locate in Novato by coming together as a community and presenting to the market owners a strong case for locating in Novato.

Recruiting a market and approving a development project are linked.
The Novato community provided support for a development project
which includes the Whole Foods market (approximately 53,675 square feet) and 125 residential condominium units on a  land  area approximately one-half the size of the proposed Marinwood site.

The Community Reps have been making the case for Marinwood to prospective market owners.
Now, with the potential completion of the Conceptual Plan our case gets stronger.
The market owners can now begin to get an idea of what the project will look like.

Follow-up Community Workshops are scheduled for July 17th and July 24th
in the event that some changes in the Plan are required. Once the Community is satisfied with the Plan it will be presented to the County Board of Supervisors for approval. This will take place either in August or September.
Following Board approval, the property owner will be entitled to submit a Development Plan based on the Conceptual Plan.

The conceptual drawing, the perspective sketch and the principles should
all be available for public distribution following a group planning meeting on June 5thand before the Community Workshop on July 10th. We will notify you how to obtain copies as soon as they become available.

In the last Newsletter I included a marinwoodplaza email address and
suggested that you send questions to that address.
I have since been informed that the address has technical problems.
I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused some of you.

To address this problem and to maximize your opportunity to obtain information about the Plan, each of the Community Reps has agreed to provide contact information and to be available to provide information about the Plan and answer your questions.
If you call and get an answering machine, leave a return phone number and suggest a best time to call.
Someone will get back to you. One suggestion: if you have a complicated or technical question, e.g. about traffic, send the question by email. We may have to consult with a County Planner to get you the best  information available before we can respond.

Following are the names and the contact information for each of the Community Reps:

1. Bruce Anderson, phone #: 492-1699,  email: Bruce@home2150.com

2. Cyane Dandridge, email: Cyane@london.seiinc.org

3. John Hammond, phone #: 479-3013,
email: johnhammondclu@yahoo.com

4. Bill Hansell, phone #: 378-9064, email: info@hanselldesign.com

5. Jerry Kay, phone #: 479-5300, email: jerryk1234@yahoo.com

6. Geoff Mack, phone #: 492-8866, email: geoffmack@gmail.com

7. David Mitchell, phone #: 472-7526, email: dsmitch43@msn.com

8. Frank Nelson, phone #: 479-2254, email: flnelsonn@comcast.net

9. Joe Runco, phone #: 491-4936, email: rjrunco@comcast.net

WHETHER OR NOT THE MARINWOOD COMMUNITY GETS A GROCERY STORE IS NOW UP TO YOU

Your volunteer Community Reps have just about completed their task.

Presentation of the proposed Marinwood Village Plan is scheduled for Monday, July 10, 2006,
7:30 pm at the Marinwood Community Center.

The Planning Group (Community Reps, Owners and County Planners) is busy preparing a
Perspective Sketch of the proposed plan and a set of written Principle’s.
Our goal is to have these completed by June 5th.

We are pleased with the results. We believe you will like what you see.

Your response to the plan will determine the future of the project and our ability
to recruit a Grocery Store.

Consequently, it is important that you learn everything you can about the plan
and, right now, begin to seek out answers to your concerns.

When you attend the Community Workshop Meeting on July 10th, it is our hope that you
go to the meeting  with a sense of excitement about this opportunity for our community.
We believe this project will enhance the Marinwood community.
The owners of the property will be present to hear your reactions.
We  will encourage Grocery Store owners to attend the meeting so that
they can see for themselves why they should locate a store in Marinwood.

Right now, our immediate goal and top priority is to provide you with information
about the project and be available to answer your questions.

If you would like a phone call from a Community Rep who will discuss the project with you then
email your name and phone number to us at  flnelsonn@comcast.net
and suggest a time when it is best to reach you.

The regular monthly community meeting is coming up on Wednesday, May 24th, 7:30 pm
in the back classroom of the Marinwood Community Center. Several Community Reps
will be present and we will have draft copies of the concept drawing and a draft of the principles.
Stop by and join the discussion circle.

If you live in Casa Marinwood, your board of directors is going to schedule a community meeting within the next few weeks. Several Community Reps will be present to describe the plan and to answer your questions.
Watch your community newsletter for the date and time.

If you would like to host a neighborhood coffee and invite a few neighbors over to learn about the plan,
email us at flnelsonn@comcast.net and we will arrange to have a couple of Community Reps attend and
answer your questions.

If you belong to a local organization or association whose members would like to learn more about the plan,
let us know and we will attend a meeting.

Getting the information is an important part of the political process.
Another important part is letting your political representative know your position.
The redevelopment of the Marinwood Plaza is a major project.
It is important that our Supervisor hear from the community
that we fully support this redevelopment project.
It is the Supervisor who makes land use projects happen.

Our Supervisor, Susan Adams, can be reached by email at SAdams@co.marin.ca.us

        Now, It’s Your Turn

The Community Reps, the property Owners and the County have reached a tentative agreement.

The completion of the initial site drawings lead to the agreement.
The site drawings were used to address the question: “If 32K sf of retail space and 100 residential units are built on the site, can a Village Design which compliments and enhances the existing community be created?”  Answer: YES.

Over the past year, a central issue during the planning discussions has been the recruitment of a Market.
The property owner’s goal was to  complete a lease agreement before committing to building space which would accommodate a full service grocery store. From the grocery store perspective there was a need to have a clearer understanding of what would be built at the site
and to have some assurance that adjoining retail space would be built in order to create sufficient “customer traffic”.

The property owner wants to move forward with construction. Housing is the owner’s primary goal, for the simple reason that housing increases the land value and does not involve the same level of risk as retail space. Retail space, without the support of the community, can sit empty, reducing the value of the land. At the same time, the owner understands that moving forward with construction will depend on community approvalof the project and that the community definitely wants a full service grocery store.

The owner’s tentative offer is to build a 20K sf shell for a full service grocery (the current Bell Market shell is 15K sf)  and 4K sf for ancillary retail during the first phase of the project.
An additional 8K sf of retail would be included in the plan and built once demand was shown.

The housing component of the project would include 100 units, composed of townhouses and apartments. The initial site drawings demonstrate that the site will accommodate the proposed numbers. The 3 architects (2 of the 3 are Community volunteers) who created the drawings, agree that the site could support some additional housing units without detracting from a village design.
In fact, it may be that some additional units could enhance the village design.

Consequently, we have taken the position that if some additional units would enhance the village design then we would leave the option open  to discuss some additional units at the Community Workshops where the community will be weighing in on the project.
Underlying this position is the recognition that, for this project to go forward, it has to pencil out for the land owners. The land owners are taking a risk by building unleased retail space,including a 20K market shell, and we want to send the message that the community is prepared,
in return, to do all it can to reduce the risk, by considering additional units and by supporting the retail.

The first Community Workshop, depending on completion of the drawings
and the written policies, could take place in May or June.  We will provide details, as they are worked out, in a subsequent Newsletter.  Basically, you will have an opportunity to meet the people who have been involved in the planning process, to review the site drawings and the written policies and to comment and give input on the overall project.

This will be your opportunity to move the project forward. The property owners and  market owners will be present at the workshop. If the property owners hear that there is strong community backing for the project then they will be motivated to move to the construction phase.
If the market owners hear an outpouring of support for a full service grocery store at the site then they will be motivated to negotiate a lease.

The market feasibility study of the Marinwood site has been completed.  It shows an opportunity for additional grocery store capacity in the area. Safeway is studying opening a large “lifestyle” store along Nave Drive near Hamilton. This creates an incentive for prospective market owners at the
Marinwood site to move quickly to establish a presence and a customer base before a Safeway is built.

One constant theme when we have our ongoing meetings with the owners of the Mill Valley Market is the importance they place on the Community in helping them to make their decision where to locate another market.

We have described the Marinwood community as the ideal location for a community grocery store.
The successful community markets in Marin, Paradise Foods in Corte Madera, Woodland Market in Kentfield, Mill Valley Market in Mill Valley and United Market in San Rafael, all have two things  in common: One, they are owned and operated by people who have years of experience in the grocery store business and, Two, they have built their successful markets around serving the local community.

Now, it will be your turn at the community workshop to demonstrate to the property owners that you want the project to move forward, and, to the market owners, that the Marinwood community will strongly support a community grocery store.

Between now and the Community Workshops you will have the chance to review the drawings and the written policies. A lot of preliminary design effort has gone into the creation of a community plaza which is bordered by the retail.  Recapturing a significant portion of Marinwood Ave. provides an opportunity to design a unique community gathering place.   We will send you electronic copies of the drawings and the written policies as soon as they are completed, probably by the beginning of May.
We will also make hard copies available at the Marinwood Community Center.

If you have questions or need some additional information, email the Community Reps at  marinwoodplaza@comcast.net.

In addition, the regular 4th Wednesday of the month meeting
is a good opportunity to get information and have your questions answered. The next monthly meeting is April 26th, 7:30 pm in the back classroom of the Marinwood Community Center.

Finally, there is the outreach program. Invite some of your neighbors over for coffee and 2 or 3 of the Community Reps will join you to provide information and answer questions.  Let us know if you want to set up a coffee.