Marin progresses on Countywide Plan

The Marin County Planning Commission is in the midst of a series of intensive public hearings on the 2005 Countywide Plan. The Commission has made several good environmental decisions in a series of tentative "straw votes", but it needs continued input and support from people who care about the environment.

Marin's major environmental organizations are working on the Countywide Plan through the Campaign for Marin, including the Sierra Club, Marin Audubon Society, Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN), Tomales Bay Association, Marin Conservation League, Community Marin, Environmental Action Committee, and Marin Baylands Advocates.

Baylands Corridor

To date the commission has been moving in a positive direction on the Baylands Corridor, the most important issue in the plan for the environmental community. This would be a zone of protection for environmental resources and public safety in the lands along San Pablo/San Francisco Bay. These lands are highly susceptible to earthquakes, and parts are expected to be inundated by sea-level rise in the foreseeable future. Development here should be strictly limited.

The commission has tentatively voted to support Option 2, the most extensive definition of the corridor, reaching to Highway 101 in the Las Gallinas Planning Area and including the St.Vincent/Silveira properties and the area around Gnoss Field. This option offers the greatest protection of resources, and is consistent with the recommendations of Community Marin, prepared by Marin environmental organizations. The recently completed study of Marin Baylands by the San Francisco Estuary Institute helped to support this decision.

A controversial issue, however, that could derail the Baylands Corridor is whether to include small developed lots. The environmental groups originally recommended that the Corridor cover only large undeveloped parcels north of Point San Pedro. The staff for legal reasons proposed covering all bayside areas, including lots to the south in existing subdivisions such as Paradise Cay and Strawberry. Residents of these areas have protested angrily to the commission, out of concern that the Corridor would impose more development restrictions. Their opposition could threaten adoption of the Corridor proposal. The Planning Commission is working on language to assure that existing uses can continue, while providing needed protections over new development.

Agriculture

The Commission is tentatively allowing houses up to 6,000 square feet on agricultural land. Houses over 2,500 square feet, however, would have to provide guarantees that they will continue real agricultural operations on the property. The Campaign had recommended a 4,000 square-foot maximum, but the requirement for agricultural mitigations offers a reasonable compromise.

The Commission's "straw votes" have so far not supported adequate streamside and wetland protection in agricultural areas, or adequate protections against the proliferation of ancillary non-agricultural uses. The Farm Bureau has adamantly opposed any regulation in these areas.

Commercial buildout

The draft Environmental Impact Report on the plan reports that between 2005 and buildout there could be another 11.5 million square feet of commercial/industrial space. This development would cause huge traffic congestion, even if "mitigated" with large and environmentally damaging freeway widenings.

The Campaign strongly recommends the formation of a city-county committee to review countywide growth, planned land use, and traffic and service capacity. It would recommend how city general plans should be revised to correlate development with the capacity of transportation and other services.

WhatYouCanDo

Write to the Marin County Planning Commission at:
3501 Civic Center Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903,

and attend its hearings. Express your support for:

a Baylands Corridor that provides maximum protection of environmental resources and public safety and covers the St. Vincent/Silveira properties;
preservation of agriculture by discouraging mega-mansions and encouraging real farming activities;
protection of streams and wetlands with adequate setbacks, including in agricultural areas;
less commercial development, by encouraging cities to amend their general plans.

Remaining hearing dates are:
April 23, 9:30 am - planning areas, including St. Vincent/Silveira, San Quentin, and San Rafael Rock Quarry
April 30, 9:30 am - Socioeconomic Element;
June 4 - Final EIR (FEIR) distribution for 14-day review;
June 11 - Commission comments on FEIR;
June 18 - FEIR comment period ends;
June 25, 9:30 am - Commission review of FEIR and Plan;
July 9 - presentation to Commission of all comments on FEIR; review of Plan;
July 23 - Commission action on FEIR and Plan.

All meetings will be on Mondays in Room 328 of the Civic Center.

The Campaign for Marin is helping activists with lobbying and outreach. To be notified of future activities, contact or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 316

The Campaign for Marin is a united effort by the Sierra Club, Marin Audubon Society, Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN), Tomales Bay Association, Marin Conservation League, Community Marin, Environmental Action Committee, and Marin Baylands Advocates. It has prepared much more detailed comments on the DEIR.

Marge Macris, member, Marin Group and Bay Chapter ExComms