Proposed Plan Targets Tam Valley & Almonte with Potential High Density Development
We are currently most concerned about the 2012 Draft Marin County Housing Element. The plan targets Tam Valley & Almonte with potential high-density development and accelerated population growth.
But with crazy traffic, frequent flooding, overcrowded schools, sensitive natural habitat that is increasingly constrained and a lack of key retail (We don't even have a grocery store!), the community is not prepared to handle this type of growth.
The Housing Element will be adopted in late Fall 2013. So, although not much time, there is still time to change the plan.
Top Priority Goals:
Our top priority goals reflect how we wish to change the aforementioned plan and are:
- To remove the Tam Junction Affordable Housing Opportunity Sites from the 2012 Draft Marin County Housing Element;
- To ensure that any proposed development in Tam Valley and Almonte is subject to thorough permit review, thorough environmental review and full enforcement of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), with no exemption or streamlining of CEQA allowed.
Please read below to learn more about the plan and our related goals.
2012 Draft Marin County Housing Element
Tam Junction Affordable Housing Opportunity Sites
Each Marin County Housing Element includes an Available Land Inventory that consists of enough Affordable Housing Opportunity Sites to meet the projected housing needs of Unincorporated Marin for the housing element’s planning period. Five Tam Junction sites have been identified as potential Affordable Housing Opportunity Sites. Three of these sites are proposed for inclusion in the current 2012 DRAFT Marin County Housing Element (2007 to 2014) and two are proposed for inclusion in the next Housing Element (2014 to 2022).
The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the 2012 Housing Element is evaluating the possible development of 182 residential units at these five Tam Junction sites, which are listed below:
CURRENT HOUSING ELEMENT PLANNING CYCLE (2007 to 2014)
Site #4: Old Chevron Station, 204 Flamingo Rd, (.79 acres) (21 units)
Site #9: Manzanita Mixed Use, 150 Shoreline Hwy, (.58 acres) (3 units)
Site #14: Armstrong Nursery, 217/ 221 Shoreline Hwy, (1.77 acres) (53 units)
NEXT HOUSING ELEMENT PLANNING CYCLE (2014 to 2022)
Site #18: Around Manzanita (150 Shoreline Hwy), (1.48 acres) (45 units)
Site #19: Tam Junction Retail, 237 Shoreline Hwy, ect., (6.8 acres) (60 units)
Together these Tam Junction sites comprise 11.40 acres. If they remain on the list of Affordable Housing Opportunity Sites, they will be targeted for high-density housing with a density of up to 30 units per acre (or up to 40 units per acre if the State Density Bonus is granted).
According to the Countywide Plan, our commercial mixed-use areas are supposed to have a CAP of no more than 100 new residential units, which is already too many. So, it is curious as to why the Housing Elements’ EIR is evaluating 182 units.
The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the 2012 Housing Element is evaluating the possible development of 182 residential units at these five Tam Junction sites, which are listed below:
CURRENT HOUSING ELEMENT PLANNING CYCLE (2007 to 2014)
Site #4: Old Chevron Station, 204 Flamingo Rd, (.79 acres) (21 units)
Site #9: Manzanita Mixed Use, 150 Shoreline Hwy, (.58 acres) (3 units)
Site #14: Armstrong Nursery, 217/ 221 Shoreline Hwy, (1.77 acres) (53 units)
NEXT HOUSING ELEMENT PLANNING CYCLE (2014 to 2022)
Site #18: Around Manzanita (150 Shoreline Hwy), (1.48 acres) (45 units)
Site #19: Tam Junction Retail, 237 Shoreline Hwy, ect., (6.8 acres) (60 units)
Together these Tam Junction sites comprise 11.40 acres. If they remain on the list of Affordable Housing Opportunity Sites, they will be targeted for high-density housing with a density of up to 30 units per acre (or up to 40 units per acre if the State Density Bonus is granted).
According to the Countywide Plan, our commercial mixed-use areas are supposed to have a CAP of no more than 100 new residential units, which is already too many. So, it is curious as to why the Housing Elements’ EIR is evaluating 182 units.
Does This Proposal Make Sense?
In the Tam Valley and Almonte lowlands, where the Tam Junction sites are located, there are multitudinous constraints to development. These constraints include hazardous conditions, a lack of infrastructure & basic services, and proximity to natural habitat:
Encouraging new residential development, especially high density development, in these lowlands would increase the risk of undue harm to the environment and undue hardship, illness &/or injury to the residents.
In the Tam Valley and Almonte lowlands, where the Tam Junction sites are located, there are multitudinous constraints to development. These constraints include hazardous conditions, a lack of infrastructure & basic services, and proximity to natural habitat:
- Traffic Congestion
- Flooding
- Projected Sea Level Rise
- High Air Pollution
- High Seismic Activity
- Subsidence & Mud Displacement
- Insufficient Infrastructure
- Inadequate Public Services (Overcrowded Schools)
- Lack of Retail & Professional Services
- Poor Public Transit
- Proximity to Vulnerable Natural Habitat & Endangered Species
Encouraging new residential development, especially high density development, in these lowlands would increase the risk of undue harm to the environment and undue hardship, illness &/or injury to the residents.
Our Goals
Therefore, Sustainable TamAlmonte advocates:
Therefore, Sustainable TamAlmonte advocates:
- To remove the Tam Junction Affordable Housing Opportunity Sites from the 2012 Draft Marin County Housing Element's Available Land Inventory; and
- To ensure that any proposed development in Tam Valley and Almonte is subject to thorough permit review, thorough environmental review and full enforcement of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), with no exemption or streamlining of CEQA allowed.
One Bay Area Plan - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Tam Valley & Almonte Parcels in the Priority Development Area (PDA)
The Tam Valley & Almonte parcels that were included in
the Hwy 101 Corridor PDA are shaded and outlined in blue
The One Bay Area Plan (AKA Plan Bay Area) was adopted on July 18, 2013 and is a state required Bay Area regional plan that will plan for transportation, housing and land use over the next 25 years. It concentrates high-density, mixed-use commercial and affordable housing near transit hubs. The plan concentrates the majority of this development in Priority Development Areas, also know as PDAs.
**The Tam Valley and Almonte lowlands, which are located within a ½ mile from Hwy 101, were included in the Hwy 101 Corridor Priority Development Area (PDA) (Please see the above map).
Each jurisdiction in Marin County is mandated to follow the One Bay Area Plan. According to the plan, between now and 2040, Marin County is supposed to accommodate an unrealistic amount of growth, specifically 7510 hew housing units and 18,390 new jobs. 38% of this new housing and 22% of these new jobs are anticipated in Marin’s PDAs. Yet, Marin’s PDAs comprise less than 5% of land designated for development in Marin. The result will be concentrated high-density development in Marin’s PDAs.
This meant that as long as portions of Tam Valley & Almonte remained in the Hwy 101 Corridor Priority Development Area (PDA), these areas would have been targeted for high-density development and accelerated population growth.
In the Tam Valley and Almonte lowlands, where the PDA is located, there are multitudinous constraints to development. These constraints include hazardous conditions, a lack of infrastructure & basic services, and proximity to natural habitat:
Encouraging new residential development, especially high density development, in these lowlands would increase the risk of undue harm to the environment and undue hardship, illness &/or injury to the residents.
Fortunately, on July 9, 2013, largely due to community activism, the Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to adopt the "Resolution of the Marin County Board of Supervisors To Modify the Priority Development Area", which included removing Tam Valley, Almonte, and Manzanita from the Hwy 101 Corridor Priority Development Area.
CONGRATULATIONS! and MANY THANKS to all of you who helped bring this important accomplishment to fruition!
**The Tam Valley and Almonte lowlands, which are located within a ½ mile from Hwy 101, were included in the Hwy 101 Corridor Priority Development Area (PDA) (Please see the above map).
Each jurisdiction in Marin County is mandated to follow the One Bay Area Plan. According to the plan, between now and 2040, Marin County is supposed to accommodate an unrealistic amount of growth, specifically 7510 hew housing units and 18,390 new jobs. 38% of this new housing and 22% of these new jobs are anticipated in Marin’s PDAs. Yet, Marin’s PDAs comprise less than 5% of land designated for development in Marin. The result will be concentrated high-density development in Marin’s PDAs.
This meant that as long as portions of Tam Valley & Almonte remained in the Hwy 101 Corridor Priority Development Area (PDA), these areas would have been targeted for high-density development and accelerated population growth.
In the Tam Valley and Almonte lowlands, where the PDA is located, there are multitudinous constraints to development. These constraints include hazardous conditions, a lack of infrastructure & basic services, and proximity to natural habitat:
- Traffic Congestion
- Flooding
- Projected Sea Level Rise
- High Air Pollution
- High Seismic Activity
- Subsidence & Mud Displacement
- Insufficient Infrastructure
- Inadequate Public Services (Overcrowded Schools)
- Lack of Retail & Professional Services
- Poor Public Transit
- Proximity to Vulnerable Natural Habitat & Endangered Species
Encouraging new residential development, especially high density development, in these lowlands would increase the risk of undue harm to the environment and undue hardship, illness &/or injury to the residents.
Fortunately, on July 9, 2013, largely due to community activism, the Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to adopt the "Resolution of the Marin County Board of Supervisors To Modify the Priority Development Area", which included removing Tam Valley, Almonte, and Manzanita from the Hwy 101 Corridor Priority Development Area.
CONGRATULATIONS! and MANY THANKS to all of you who helped bring this important accomplishment to fruition!
For more detailed information about these plans as well as other issues, please visit our issues page by clicking here.