Strawberry News
MAY 11 COMMUNITY MEET-AND-GREET & A SEMINARY UPDATE
Dear Strawberry Community Members,
I am now partway through my second quarter as Marin County Supervisor for District 3, and having gotten my feet firmly planted in the Civic Center, I am reaching out to communities in Southern Marin for virtual community meet-and-greet conversations.
There are a few topics on my mind that I'd like to share with you, and I'd also like to hear what's on your mind. Please continue reading for a few important updates that are relevant to the Strawberry community, as well as information on how you can join me on May 11 on Zoom.
Best,
Stephanie
Two Important Meeting Invitations for Strawberry Residents:
I hope you'll join me for a community meet-and-greet via Zoom on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 from 7:00-8:00pm. I plan to provide an overview of my priorities and focus areas for the year ahead, as well as an update on the Seminary project* and other topics relevant to the Strawberry community. Mostly, I want to offer Q&A time to hear from you about community issues, concerns, and suggestions.
On May 11, to attend the community meet-and-greet, please join us on Zoom:
| Join by computer or mobile device: |
Join by telephone: |
| Click the Zoom meeting link. Or, visit zoom.us/join or open the Zoom app and enter the details below: |
Dial (669) 900-6833 and enter the details below when prompted: |
| Meeting ID: 929 9581 0288 |
Meeting ID: 929 9581 0288 # |
| |
Attendee ID: # |
| Password: 043528 |
Password: 043528 # |
| Use the "Raise Hand" button to let us know you would like to comment or ask a question. |
Press *9 to let us know you would like to comment or ask a question. |
If you are a new Zoom user and have questions about how to tune in and participate in the meeting, please feel welcome to reach out to my Aide, Sarah Estes-Smith, at sestes-smith@marincounty.org or 415-473-7862. We are happy to assist you with this virtual meeting platform.
*Read below for more information about the Seminary project and the next step in that process: the upcoming Environmental Impact Report (EIR) scoping session. At my May 11 community meeting, County Environmental Planning Manager Rachel Reid will provide a brief and high-level overview of the general EIR timeline and scoping session purpose/process, including how you can be involved. Please note that we will not be discussing the Seminary project itself; please plan to bring those questions and comments to the scoping session, or provide them in writing as described below.
After a long pause, the application for the Seminary proposal is getting active and I want you to know what’s happening and how you can stay informed and participate in this process as it unfolds.
On Tuesday, May 18, 2021 from 6:00-8:00pm on Zoom, an independent environmental consultant will conduct a public scoping session inviting all interested parties, including everyone in the community, to help set the depth, breadth, and direction of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Seminary project.
An EIR is a detailed study undertaken to understand how a land use proposal will affect a community and the environment.
A public scoping session’s purpose is to provide individuals, organizations, and agencies an opportunity to raise concerns about the environmental effects or impacts of a proposed project.
At the May 18 scoping session, the environmental consultant and County planners from the Community Development Agency (CDA) will explain what the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is, what an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) covers, and the purpose of the evening’s scoping session. They will cover the schedule of events, the approximate timeline for the process moving forward, and how you can participate throughout the process.
During the scoping session, you will be able to make comments related to the project's potential impacts that should be considered during environmental review. These will be recorded and made part of the EIR record. You may also send comments before and after the scoping session, in writing until May 25. Please mail written comments (postmarked on or before May 25, 2021) to the attention of Rachel Reid, Environmental Planning Manager at 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 308, San Rafael, CA 94903. Comments can also be submitted by email to envplanning@marincounty.org.
The scoping session is an information gathering session. Questions and comments raised during the scoping session will not be answered at that time. Instead, they will be answered once they’ve been thoroughly studied, with detailed replies provided in the resulting EIR.
A notice for the scoping session is included in the Friday, April 23 issue of the Marin Independent Journal (page C5). In addition, here are a few other ways you can receive the scoping session notice, as well as the meeting agenda and EIR procedures guide:
On May 18, to attend the scoping session, please join via Zoom:
| Join by computer or mobile device: |
Join by telephone: |
| Click the Zoom webinar link. Or, visit zoom.us/join or open the Zoom app and enter the details below: |
Dial (669) 900-6833 and enter the details below when prompted: |
| Webinar ID: 941 6082 6487 |
Webinar ID: 941 6082 6487 # |
| |
Attendee ID: # |
| Password: 506440 |
Password: 506440 # |
| Use the "Raise Hand" button to let the moderator know you would like to comment or ask a question. |
Press *9 to let the moderator know you would like to comment or ask a question. |
Let's Move Forward Together
Having attended the North Coast Land Holdings Open House in December 2019 and the closing meeting of the Seminary Tomorrow process in January 2020, and in subsequent conversations, I heard the concerns that the proposed project application does not include the institutional or school use, which is one of the larger causes of apprehension about this proposal. While the applicant has not chosen to include this aspect in its proposal, the Environmental Impact Report will consider a range of project alternatives and will evaluate the potential impacts of a school with different student population sizes. It makes sense to examine the project proposal in its entirety to determine potential impacts that would need to be mitigated. All of us need to know how the pieces of this proposed development work together and fit.
An EIR process is a lengthy and involved undertaking that provides an avenue to vet the project and project alternatives, to better understand the project features and the applicant’s goals, and to provide public comments that will help shape the project. Let’s work together toward a project that we can support and be proud of. It is possible to have a project that meets the community’s current needs and is also resilient and flexible enough to meet the needs and aspirations of future generations.
To participate and stay informed, please subscribe now to the North Coast Land Holdings page here (this link will also take you to a page where you can double-check that you are already subscribed). Please also consider sharing this message with friends, neighbors, and others who might wish to have this information.
Thank you for investing your time and thought in this upcoming public review process.
I invite everyone to sign up for my Southern Marin Scoop e-newsletters, as well as community-specific and topic-specific updates like this one.
If you have a question or concern and would like to contact me, please send an email to me or one of my Aides using the links on my webpage: marincounty.org/depts/bs/district-3/home.
For information on the County of Marin's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit coronavirus.marinhhs.org. You can also contact the COVID-19 Response Team with your questions and concerns at coronavirus.marinhhs.org/contact.
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