Southern Marin Scoop - June 8, 2022
County of Marin, California sent this bulletin at 06/08/2022 05:06 PM PDT
Southern Marin Scoop
June 8, 2022
Dear Friends and Neighbors in Southern Marin,
I hope you are all well heading into summer. I wanted to make you aware of an important public meeting which continues the process of planning for the future of housing and addressing climate change in our community. County officials are working to meet the needs and state mandates with a Countywide Plan reboot, and we want you to continue to be part of the process. Please consider tuning in to the meeting next Tuesday, June 14, at 5 p.m. as the Marin County Community Development Agency presents the latest on the Safety Element and Housing Element. See below for more information as well as opportunities to submit comments and/or questions. I hope you decide to join us.
All the Best,
Stephanie
Draft Safety and Housing Plans Available for Review |
| Throughout 2022, proposed updates to the County of Marin’s primary planning document will be made public, open for feedback by both residents and elected officials. On June 14, the Marin County Board of Supervisors and the Marin County Planning Commission will hear about key sections of the Countywide Plan, one tied to housing and another tied to climate change and hazard mitigation. |  |
The joint session about the plan’s state-mandated Housing Element and Safety Element is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 14. It is an online-only meeting and participation instructions will be on the Board’s website. Elected officials are not voting that evening, just receiving the draft updates.
Marin County is among the most expensive counties in the country in which to live, and it has experienced a severe shortage of housing, mostly in affordable units for the local workforce. At the same time, there needs to be a clear understanding of the local impacts of global climate change and its effect on existing and future housing needs.
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The planning team from the Community Development Agency (CDA) will first present the latest on the Safety Element, which addresses environmental threats such as wildfires, landslides, droughts, flooding, and sea level rise within the county’s unincorporated areas.
After the Safety Element update, CDA will discuss the Housing Element. The County must demonstrate to the state that it is taking steps to accommodate more housing units by designating parcels of land as potential locations for development. Under state law, the County has to plan for at least 3,569 new units in unincorporated areas during the eight-year cycle that begins in 2023. This spring, after extensive public outreach and consulting with the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission in March and April, CDA identified a list of properties to begin environmental analysis for future housing development.
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There will be consequences if the County fails to adopt an approved housing plan. If a jurisdiction does not meet its housing goals, it becomes ineligible for state funding to serve local transportation needs, such as fixing roads, and may be subject to statewide streamlining rules limited the public review process for housing development. A noncompliant municipality also faces the possibility of funding cuts, forfeiture of housing grant eligibility, and fines.
The updates to both elements are scheduled for consideration by the Board of Supervisors later this year before going into the EIR process. The draft EIR will cover how any proposed housing development might affect nearby traffic, schools, environmentally sensitive areas and be vulnerable when faced with environmental hazards. In August, the draft EIR for both elements will be made public and open for comment for 45 days.
Questions and comments can be emailed to staff and phone inquiries can be made to (415) 473-6269. Regular updates can be found on the Housing and Safety Elements update webpage.
We want to hear from you!
The draft 2023-2031 Housing Element and Safety Element are available for review through June 30th at midnight. Visit the County of Marin Housing Elements site for more information about each document.
How to submit comments for the draft Housing Element: Use our online submission form to submit comments or suggestions for the draft Housing Element. Alternatively, you may use our PDF comment form to email or mail comments.
How to submit comments for the draft Safety Element: Email any comments or suggestions to safetyelement@marincounty.org
Questions? Questions about the draft Housing Element may be directed to the Housing and Federal Grants Division by email or by phone at (415) 473-7309. Questions about the draft Safety Element may be directed to Leslie Lacko by email or by phone at (415) 473-4333.
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Stephanie Moulton-Peters │District 3, Marin County Board of Supervisors
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Not all events are sponsored by the County of Marin. County of Marin sponsored events are required to be accessible. If you are an individual with a disability and require an accommodation to participate in a County sponsored event, please call (415) 473-4381 (voice), (415) 473-3232 (TTY), or dial 711 for CRS or email Disability Access at least five work days in advance. Documents in alternative formats are available upon request. |
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