March 22, 2022 Update from Supervisor Connolly

MARCH 2022 ISSUE Marin County Housing Element COVID Update Project HomeKey Wildfire News Point San Pedro Road Lane Diet MarinCAN Great Redwood Trail Intern Highlight: Meredith Foster

Dear Friends,

I know there is a lot of community interest over the State's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). I want to acknowledge the untenable task that is being asked of all of us. I am committed both to increasing the amount of available affordable housing and working with community members to get it right. 

My focus throughout this process is to ensure that we, as a decision-making body, are good stewards to the County. We need to continue to work through these sites so that we meet that responsibility, for the residents living here today and the generations to come.

The current State RHNA is requiring 14,000 units throughout Marin over the next 8 years, of which 3,569 are within Unincorporated Marin County. Last June, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to appeal Marin’s Unincorporated RHNA. The appeal was denied.

The County is going through the process of updating the Housing Element, a legal requirement by which governments adopt land use plans and regulations that provide opportunities for housing development. The plan must be reviewed and certified by the State.

On March 1, two housing element alternatives were presented to the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission who jointly heard and provided feedback. On March 15, a hybrid list of sites was presented for further comment. You can read more about the meeting in this Marin IJ article. There will be another meeting on April 12 to select a list of sites for an environmental impact report (EIR). Community members are raising important issues, including site-specific concerns. There will be additional opportunities for comment on specific sites during the EIR – you can also submit comments throughout the process. 

On March 29, County staff will host a workshop to discuss some of the themes and policies that came up during the Housing Element process, such as the impact of short-term rentals on housing stock in West Marin. The Marin County Housing and Safety Element Community Workshop #5 will be held on March 29 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. I encourage you to attend. Please continue to share your thoughts throughout this process with my office as it helps us better advocate on behalf of the community.

COVID UPDATE

Our COVID case rates have dropped dramatically since January, and the indoor masking mandate has been lifted in most settings. How we view and understand COVID has changed but testing and vaccines will continue to be a key part of our strategy.

The federal government is now giving free adult-size N95 masks to anyone that needs them. The masks can be picked up at a community health center or pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens. You can order an additional four free at-home COVID tests at covidtests.gov and have them shipped directly to your home. I want to thank all of you for doing your part to keep Marin safe. We couldn’t have done it without you.  

We continue to work toward solutions to homelessness and encampments throughout the County. The County has worked with the City of San Rafael and the City of Novato to apply and secure competitive state funding to address encampments. Combined, $839,000 was awarded to the cities by the State.

Additionally, the County is planning on providing roughly $166,000 each to San Rafael, Novato, and Sausalito to address encampments. We will continue to work to find solutions that are compassionate and effective.

On February 15 the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved to receive $15.49 million from the State Project Homekey grant to help fund the project on 1251 South Eliseo Drive. The site will house 43-50 chronically homeless individuals.

The County is committed to taking a Housing First approach, providing permanent supportive housing to chronically homeless people. Since 2017, the county has housed over 427 chronically homeless residents following this strategy and using federal housing vouchers.

Once complete, the County will have approved three Homekey sites in Corte Madera, San Rafael, and Larkspur, creating over 100 new units. Making sure there is adequate staffing, resources, and opportunities for community feedback will ensure the project's success. The safety and wellbeing of the community and the residents are my top priority. 

 

WILDFIRE NEWS

We are expanding outreach for the Point San Pedro Road Modification Pilot Project. An informational public meeting to present the pilot is scheduled for 5:30 pm Wednesday, March 30 via Zoom.

Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s decision to enforce a 1971 permit requirement for a bike lane along the frontage of Bayside Park has prompted a broader look at the roadway. We have the opportunity to have a pilot that will convert the roadway from two vehicle lanes to one vehicle lane with a buffered bike lane. No physical changes, such as curb or median locations, will be made. The roadway will go through a slurry seal treatment later this year that will create a blank canvas for a final layout. 

This pilot gives the community an opportunity to test one option. I have requested an additional informational meeting on March 30 to give community members who have recently learned about the pilot an opportunity to better understand the proposal and address concerns.

Approximately 90 days after the start of the pilot I will meet with residents to hear their experiences. Community input and data will guide the decision-making process at the end of the pilot. I want to hear from you, you can reach out to me or my aides anytime to share your thoughts.