San Rafael seeks views on housing sites

By ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ | arodriguez@marinij.com | Marin Independent Journal PUBLISHED: July 27, 2022 at 7:07 p.m. | UPDATED: July 27, 2022 at 7:17 p.m.

San Rafael has zeroed in on 183 sites where 5,393 residences could be built over the next eight years.

The draft housing inventory, part of the housing element, provides the city with a 67% buffer to meet the state mandated 3,220 new residences, city staff said at a Planning Commission meeting Tuesday.

“We find ourselves in a better position than other cities in Marin County, and we have quite a bit of capacity without needing to rezone property,” said Alexis Captanian, city’s housing analyst. “That said, we do need to make sure our housing opportunities are distributed across the city as part of creating a more equitable and inclusive community.”

Captanian said of the city has 2,100 residences that are either approved or proposed. There is potential for another 3,200 new residences on sites that are underused or zoned for high density.

The housing element is the city’s guide to meet future housing needs. It’s part of the town’s general plan and is required to be updated every eight years. The 2023-2031 housing element update is expected to be approved this winter.

The planning document must demonstrate the city’s effort to address disparities in housing needs and access to opportunities for certain populations, said Liz Darby, a consultant.

“In general, it’s the city’s approach to planning for housing through an equity lens,” Darby said.

Ali Giudice, community development director, said the sites listed are already zoned for residential housing.

“I’m hopeful that you keep that in mind,” Giudice told the commissioners. “These are already sites that can be developed, an application could be submitted for a residential development.”

Giudice said that’s where most other Marin communities are struggling; meeting the quota means rezoning.

In San Rafael, there are two major projects that have been approved that count toward the state’s mandated housing quota.

Those projects include the 67-apartment affordable senior housing complex at 999 Third St., which is under construction; and a 192-unit project on a 10-acre lot on Los Gamos Drive in north San Rafael.