RGM continued to participate regularly in Planning Commission, Design Review Board, and City Council meetings to provide input on: Northgate Redevelopment Project and Development Agreement. We will also continue to meet regularly with City Staff.

• To protect the Design Review Board from dissolution, RGM will participate in City Council meetings and encourage the community to attend and write letters of support.

• RGM will design a letter writing campaign and conduct outreach to the community to influence the final Draft Environmental Impact Report, move the Northgate Redevelopment Project forward and influence the final outcome; supporting Northgate to become a vibrant community destination.

• In preparation for the final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and entitlements which are expected in fall/winter 2024, we will be vetting subject matter experts to assist in reviewing the report and recommending mitigation strategies as required. We need YOUR donations to hire these experts to help keep the City accountable. We need your help.

In October, RGM held an in person Supporters meeting to discuss the final stages of the Northgate Redevelopment Project, find out what’s next and learn how to make a difference by holding the City accountable.

In October, (prior to the Planning Commission meeting) RGM wrote a letter to San Rafael Mayor Colin and distributed it in the Marin IJ, asking the Mayor to “Stop Hiding Behind State Laws, It’s Time to Take a Stand on Northgate”.

In October, the Planning Commission held an in person meeting, most likely for the last time, on the Northgate Redevelopment Project. We urgently asked our Supporters to attend in person and/or write letters. The house was packed as many expressed the following concerns:

• Traffic

• Need for a Construction Management Plan

• Parkland in-lieu fees

• Fire risks/evacuation

• Future of the Town Square

In September, RGM attended the San Rafael Planning Commission study session to discuss the redevelopment of the existing Northgate Mall into a new, phased mixed-use, density bonus development.

Both City staff and Merlone Geier, the Northgate Developer, were present and delivered an updated presentation and addressed any questions or comments from the community. RGM members attended and wrote letters.

RGM and many attendees expressed the following serious concerns:

• Noise

• Traffic

• Emissions and pollution

• Emergency access and evacuations 

• Shortage of police and fire resources to accommodate the increase in new residents

In August, RGM met with San Rafael Fire Chief, Abe Roman, to discuss concerns about fire safety, evacuation routes as well as additional fire services and equipment that will be needed to accommodate the numerous new housing developments that are planned for San Rafael and Terra Linda including Northgate.

RGM learned that the Fire Department engaged a specialist consultant to perform a study of projected citywide growth and the increased needs that the new developments will generate.

The Fire Chief stressed the importance of distributing information regarding emergency alerts as it is crucial that residents are educated on how to prepare themselves and their loved ones for disasters.

In August, RGM attended a Northgate Open House sponsored by Merlone Geier, Northgate Developer, which offered an opportunity to see the updated Plan, ask questions of the project team and offer feedback on the Project.

Responsible Growth in Marin attended and talked with all presenters and listened to various conversations of local residents.

By July, the City revealed that Merlone Geier, the Northgate Developer, submitted Revised Plans for Northgate to the City which can be viewed on the City webpage.

RGM notified the community that The Original Plans were to be maintained with highlights of the modifications as follows:

• Eliminating the EAH stand-alone affordable housing development “Residential 1”. Instead, 143 affordable units (10% of all housing) will be dispersed throughout the development.

• Adding 38 for-sale townhomes on Parcel 1 to the unit mix in place of the EAH development for a total of 138 for-sale townhomes of which 14 will be affordable up to 60% of area median income (AMI).

• Town Square size increases from 48,075 to 56,975 square feet, natural turf is replacing artificial in the Town Square, a children’s playground is included plus the dog park has been relocated.

• Multifamily units in “Residential 5” grown from 251 to 309.

• Removing the Development Agreement (DA) component of the entitlement package.

RGM responded to the New Plan with concerns as follows:

• Two pollution producing drive-through restaurants were included despite the public’s concerns about increased greenhouse gases.

• The project will not have a Development Agreement (DA) which is a negotiation between the city and the developer that identifies the standards and conditions for the life of the project. While DA’s are not mandatory, typically both sides benefit as they provide transparency for all involved.

The following issues were not in the new plan which RGM had lobbied the city to include:

• Safer bus stops on Las Gallinas, Completion of the North San Rafael Promenade, including a safe walking route to the SMART station

• Guarantee that the open space, including the town square, be open and accessible to the general public in perpetuity

• Using the “in-lieu” fees payable to the city (because the project does not include the amount of open space required by General Plan 2040) to improve local Terra Linda parks and playgrounds.

In June, RGM met with senior San Rafael City staff to discuss various important topics, including the status of the Northgate Redevelopment Plan.

The following topics were discussed:

• The Northgate Redevelopment Plan

• Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) comments (300+) that the city received

• Legal experts hired by the city to review the DEIR comments

• Design Review Board update

In March, Merlone Geier, the Northgate Developer, submitted an Alternative Plan for the Redevelopment of Northgate, containing some significant changes to the Original Plan.

RGM’s attorney reviewed the details and conducted an analysis.

RGM and the community expressed concerns over the Alternative Plan. The Alternative Plan was retracted (see above ‘By July’).

March 5th was the deadline to submit letters for Public Comment to the City regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Northgate Town Square Redevelopment Project.. These letters can be viewed on the City’s website. Scroll down to ACTION ITEMS//Public Comment.

The letters that the community and RGM submitted are significant since the City is required to include them in the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).

In February and March, RGM was invited to conduct numerous public presentations at a variety of Terra Linda communities including Quail Hill, Villa Marin and Drake Terrace. RGM informed the attendees on the Northgate Town Square Redevelopment Plan, encouraged letter writing to the City, followed by a Question and Answer session. We addressed numerous concerns about the Plan and also shared ways to take action and make a difference in the future of Northgate.

In February, RGM attended an in-person Planning Commission meeting to discuss the DEIR. RGM sent an email encouraging the community to attend in-person and to share their concerns with the City resulting in a large turnout.

RGM’s concerns include:

• Evacuation Routes and Safety

• Traffic

• Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases

• Noise

• Building Height

• Insufficient Public Open Space

• Pollution and Health

RGM created sample letters along with our list of concerns to be used as guidelines. In addition, RGM’s attorney and experts wrote numerous technical letters which were submitted to the City and shared with the community in our emails. These letters can be viewed on our Resource page under ‘Letters’.

In January, the City of San Rafael released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Northgate Town Square Redevelopment Project. This draft is an important first step in producing the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). The DEIR identifies and analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed Northgate project and the mitigation measures, if any, that are needed to address those impacts.

RGM retained a CEQA attorney to assist us with the DEIR/FEIR process and with the retention of environmental experts. The community generously donated to RGM to fund our efforts.

Throughout the year, RGM continued to participate regularly in Planning Commission, Design Review Board, and City Council meetings to provide input on: Northgate Redevelopment Project and Development Agreement, San Rafael 2023-2031 Housing Element, San Rafael Parks and Recreation Master Plan, traffic projects (Caltrans proposed roundabout at Redwood Highway and Civic Center Dr. and the Promenade on Merrydale), and various North San Rafael projects.

RGM met regularly throughout the year with City Staff.

In December, RGM attended the City Council meeting and wrote letters to oppose the proposed dissolution of the Design Review Board which was on the Agenda. We also opposed the timing of the meeting during a busy holiday season when many community residents and groups would be unavailable, therefore streamlining the process.

The resultant outcome was that the City Council decided to postpone the Design Review Board decision for several months and provide the public with more time for comments.

In September, RGM attended an In-Person Design Review Board meeting to discuss the Northgate Redevelopment Project with a focus on the architecture of the proposed residential buildings. RGM’s concerns included:

• Height, Density & Scale

• Safety, Traffic & Evacuation Challenges

• Shading & Noise

• Need for a Draft Environmental Impact Report and a Traffic Study

• Building Materials

The Design Review Board recommended to the Planning Commission the approval of the project’s Environmental and Design Review Permit inclusive of additional requirements, including the following:

• Increase the size of the Town Square significantly

• Omit faux materials in the landscaping (e.g., artificial turf)

• Eliminate the proposed dog park

• Consider eliminating the rocks in the Town Square, add seating instead

• Use permeable paving

• Add awnings and shade trees in appropriate locations

• Consider alternative designs such as green walls for the east and south side of the theater building

The Board directed City Staff to work with the developer to address how to accommodate these recommendations.

In July, RGM attended an In-person Design Review Board meeting regarding the Northgate Redevelopment Project which focused on the following topics.

• Overall site plan

• Pedestrian and bicycle network

• Overall landscaping plan

• Commercial architecture

After Merlone Geier, the Northgate Developer, presented their redesigned plan, the following changes were requested from both the majority of the DRB members and public comments.

• Increase the size of the 48,075 sq. ft. Town Square by eliminating the dog park (It was a surprise that so many of the public, including dog owners, favored this approach) and eliminating some of the parking

• Replace the AstroTurf and rocks planned for the Town Square, which will create an oven, with eco-friendly, comfortable, and alternative natural materials. The general recommendation to the applicant was to provide more shading with more canopied trees and to create a few pocket parks where people could gather with friends, surrounded by lovely vegetation

• Rethink the shared pedestrian and bicycle paths circulating internally within the Northgate development. A major concern voiced was the risk of e-bikes and professional cyclists going 20 mph alongside pedestrians and families biking with their young children and toddlers

• Replace the mural on the 44 ft. wall of the cinema with a living wall (living walls or green walls are self-sufficient vertical gardens that are attached to the exterior or interior of a building) and adequate lighting

• Rent commercial spaces to local businesses; everyone was against the presence of drive-thru fast-food chains because of increased GHG emissions and traffic congestion

In January, Merlone Geier, the Northgate Developer, conducted an Open House at Northgate Mall. Visuals and plans were presented to give the community an opportunity to learn more about the Northgate Redevelopment Project, ask questions of the project representatives and offer feedback.

Ten members of Responsible Growth in Marin attended and talked with all presenters and listened to various conversations of local residents.

The following summarizes some of the predominant topics that were discussed and the concerns that were expressed by the community.

• Traffic and Emergency Evacuation

• Building Height and Density

• Open Space

• Affordable Housing

• Circulation and Community/Transit Connections

• Size of the Town Square

Throughout 2022, RGM participated in meetings with the San Rafael Community Development Planning staff to discuss the Northgate Town Square Project, offered input, and provided updated ideas and concerns from our community, generated from various outreach activities. In addition, RGM met with the developer, Merlone Geier, and shared community feedback, offered insights, and stayed updated on the project.

In November, RGM attended an in-person Planning Commission Study Session at City Hall to discuss the Northgate Redevelopment Project. The community voiced many questions and concerns including the following:

• Height & Scale

• Sustainability & the Environment

• Main Entrance at Merrydale

• Open Space and the size of the Town Square

• Town Square Amenities

• Parking & Transportation

• Housing

In advance of the meeting, RGM encouraged the community to write letters to the city sharing their concerns and ideas, to be included into the public record. RGM supplied examples of sample letters. RGM created and distributed flyers and conducted an email campaign to encourage attendance, resulting in a packed house!

In October, RGM invited the community to attend an RGM Supporters Meeting to discuss the Northgate Town Square Redevelopment Project. The agenda was as follows:

• Share factually what is being planned for Northgate Mall, which is the largest residential and commercial development in Marin County

• Share RGM’s ideas, based on community input, General Plan 2040, North San Rafael Plan 2010 and recent Design Review Board comments

• Listen to participants’ ideas and answer questions

In August, RGM met with residents at Quail Hill Townhomes in Terra Linda to offer an informative and factual overview of the Northgate Town Square Project, share proposed alternatives to the current plan, receive feedback and answer questions. RGM shared that through discussions and negotiations with the developer, Merlone Geier, the project had been significantly modified in several ways from the original proposal. Some of the modifications that RGM achieved included:

• Moving the timeframe of building the Town Square from Phase II (2040) to Phase I (2025)

• Adding 85 Townhomes to buy, instead of 100% rental units

• Designing tiered buildings and creating sets backs to avoid excessive massing at the perimeter of the property

• Improving pedestrian and bike circulation creating a safer environment

In May RGM attended the San Rafael Design Review Board’s meeting to review The Northgate Town Square Project and the developer’s request for a Rezone to the Planned Development Zone, a Use Permit, and an Environmental and Design Review Permit. RGM expressed the following concerns:

• A minimum 3-acre Town Square

• Sufficient open space for its 3600± new residents

• Density and height of structures

• Noise, light, shading, and wind impact existing neighbors and new residents

In January the community and RGM attended the San Rafael Planning Commission scoping study session which provided the public the opportunity to shape what topics are covered in the environmental impact studies for the Northgate Mall Redevelopment Project which will transform the existing Mall into a phased mixed-use development consisting of retail, housing, and a Town Center

RGM will continue to participate regularly in Planning Commission, Design Review Board, and City Council meetings to provide input on the following:

• Environmental Impact Report for Downtown and North San Rafael 

• State housing regulations 

• Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) goals and exemptions to the California Environmental and Quality Act (CEQA) and usurpation of local jurisdiction

• Traffic guidelines and standards

The new year welcomed new City of San Rafael Council and Planning Commission members as well as changes and new hires at the City Planning Department

The Research and Community Vision Teams are reviewed various planning tools in preparation for the North San Rafael PDA process

In March, we were excited to learn that due in part to RGM’s activism that Costco was defeated at Northgate and Merlone Geier, Northgate Mall owners, submitted their re-development plans to the City

The RGM Community Vision Team designed a series of creative and attractive illustrations expressing what RGM thought possible for Northgate.

In April, RGM attended a Community Forum to learn about the project, and submitted questions to influence the development of a sustainable mixed-use Town Center at Northgate Center that the community has been imagining for 20+ years

In September, RGM attended a joint session of the San Rafael Design Review Board and the Planning Commission as the city started the process to determine the Future of Northgate. We submitted our concerns in advance of the meeting which included the need for a ‘true’ Town Center, Sustainability, Mixed Ownership, Density, Parking and Sensitivity to the Existing Neighborhood.

In January RGM was approved for nonprofit tax-exempt status

The Alliances and Community Vision teams were formed, making us 28 people strong (RGM is exclusively run by volunteers)

In February we were overjoyed to host a standing room only Supporters Meeting where we received confirmation that RGM was on the right path and garnished some great new ideas and donations

Sadly, February was RGMs last in-person meeting in observance of Marin County’s Pandemic rules. We miss the interaction with everyone, and we had to regroup and adapt to the new normal ►Zoom

In 2Q introduced RGMs bi-monthly newsletter to stay in touch with over 900 supporters and keep everyone informed

In September we held our first zoom Supporters Meeting and were thrilled to be in touch with everyone again, albeit with a smaller crowd and remotely. Supporters saw preliminary alternatives to what is possible at Northgate and were happy that commerce, neighborhood-scale businesses, attractive gathering places, and housing could coexist profitably and sustainably

RGM teams worked throughout the year on critical issues that directly impact plans for North San Rafael and Northgate Mall, e.g., traffic methodologies, North San Rafael Priority Development Area (PDA), GP 2040.

End of August kicked off first community meeting with 59 concerned residents at Quail Hill

By the September meeting organized into six work teams, introduced name Responsible Growth in Marin, created website, Facebook, developed letter writing campaign, canvassed petition, created flyers and posters

Thoroughly researched and reported on negative environmental impacts of noise and light pollution and increase in greenhouse gas emissions and deterioration of air quality from increased traffic and idling

In October, the Planning Commission and Design Review Board were surprised at City Hall with overflowing crowds, hundreds of emails, and 1000+ petitions to comment against Costco’s preliminary plans (pictured above)

By year end RGM was recognized as a credible organization, meeting with Council members and collaborating on Draft General Plan (GP) 2040.