Update from Kate - Seminary Tomorrow Working Group Update of March 2019

Update from Kate

A Message from the Seminary Working Group

The Seminary Tomorrow discussion participants - North Coast Land Holdings (NCLH), which owns the Seminary property, and the community caucus members - have asked me to share their periodic updates with residents who subscribe to my District Three news and information.

We are all eager to hear more about the progress of these discussions and have them proceed apace. Please feel welcome to share this with others in the community who wish to know about these discussions.

Seminary Tomorrow Working Group – Community Update

March 2019

This is the fifth in a series of updates on facilitated discussions between North Coast Land Holdings (NCLH) and community representatives about the future redevelopment of the Seminary site in Strawberry.

The Seminary Tomorrow working group, which consists of NCLH representatives and Strawberry residents who are volunteering their time, have been meeting for the last ten months to study options for the former Seminary property. We have been getting a few questions from the community about this process, which we answer below.

Why is this taking so long?

Since the group began meeting, we have done the following:

• Spent a substantial amount of time understanding the interests of all working group members
• Addressed scheduling challenges
• Worked to develop a deeper understanding of all aspects of the emerging project, the property, and the broader regulatory context
• Learned more about land use scenarios and their impacts; worked with subject matter experts on senior housing, traffic, traffic mitigation measures, and landscape architecture
• As a result of what we learned, the community representatives requested a traffic analysis by an independent expert, which NCLH agreed to provide. This has taken more than three months to conduct and for the group to digest.
• We have also formed various subcommittees to further study senior housing, traffic, institutional/academic use, open space/trails, parcel taxes, and community outreach.

What land uses are you considering and studying?

The land use scenarios under consideration include deed-restricted affordable housing and market-rate housing for seniors, on-site workers, and academic users; academic/institutional space; and community amenities including open space and walking trails.

How and when will you be considering broader community input?

We recognize that broader community input is critical to this process. Once we have a draft plan, we will be presenting it to you for your consideration and input.   Our outreach process will include: 

• A community meeting to present the proposed plan, answer questions, and receive public comment (both at the meeting and via a survey)
• Hosting a poster board session to provide additional opportunities for discussion and feedback
• Holding a workshop for people who are interested in a more detailed explanation of land use scenarios with an emphasis on traffic analysis and mitigation measures
• A public comment period
• Providing detailed information on the proposed plan on the web and accepting comments via email

The Seminary Tomorrow group will collect, consolidate, and carefully consider all input. A response will be prepared and distributed that articulates how input was addressed and any resulting revisions to the proposed plan. We will then host a second meeting to present this information and discuss next steps in the process.

When do you think you will be hosting the first community meeting?

We have made substantial progress over the last several months because we have taken the time to do our work thoroughly and responsibly. We anticipate hosting the meeting in the next few months, but our process will continue to be driven by a desire for quality versus speed. We commit to announcing the meeting date well in advance and not scheduling the meeting at a time we know is bad for many people. We appreciate the community’s patience while we proceed with this important work.

For more information about the Seminary Tomorrow working group or to be added to our project mailing list, please contact:

 

Josh Sale, SeminaryNeighbors@gmail.com

Tracy Craig, 510-334-4866 (nights/weekends okay) or tracy@craig-communications.com