Several public agencies are reviewing an application for a proposed five-story, 32-unit residential building at a parcel near the junction of Shoreline Highway and Highway 101 in unincorporated southern Marin County.
The property is at 150 Shoreline Highway, across from the Manzanita Park & Ride lot and adjacent to a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) property. On November 27, a representative from Pacific West Communities submitted an application to construct the 32 residences for lower-income households plus seven parking spaces on the parcel. The apartments would range from one-bedroom, 544-square-foot units to two-bedroom, 751-square-foot units. The project is being pursued as an alternative location for 32 of the 74 units originally planned at 825 Drake Avenue in Marin City.
The Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) has conducted an initial review of the application and is requesting more information regarding traffic and circulation issues, biological site assessment, hydrologic studies, and other technical studies. The applicant may submit additional information at any time up to mid-March.
The Tamalpais Design Review Board (TDRB) will be giving feedback on the project and plans to host a formal public review of the proposal after this further detail is provided. The date and location of the meeting will be announced once confirmed.
“This is the kind of place where Marin can accommodate the housing that the county needs,” said CDA Director Sarah Jones. “It has good transportation access and is near businesses and amenities. Our Housing Element calls for more homes in exactly this location, and the site was already approved for housing in 2021. We look forward to talking with the community about the specifics of this proposal during Design Review.”
The project site is within a mixed-use development known as the Howard Johnson’s Master Plan Area and is .6 of an acre. The developer is requesting a waiver from standards for the proposed height, as allowed for under state law, in part to incorporate required sea level rise adaptation into the design.
The TDRB’s review will be evaluated by the Marin County Planning Commission, which is the approving body for the project. If a decision is appealed, it would go before the Marin County Board of Supervisors for a final determination.
Proposal details can be found on the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) website.
In addition to the TDRB, the agencies reviewing the Pacific West Communities proposal include the Marin CDA, Marin County Department of Public Works Land Development and Traffic divisions, Southern Marin Fire Protection District, Marin Water, and the Sausalito-Marin City Sewer Services District. At any point, public comments may be submitted to Marin CDA via email.
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