Find suitable land, build new community to satisfy housing needs
There will never be affordable housing in Marin until we are prepared to accept change. The only way to get more affordable housing is to build it and accept the people who will live there.
We know how aggressive the state is with new laws to force construction of multistory housing in the centers of our towns. The supposedly less onerous option of small multiunit buildings anywhere, in any residential neighborhood, is no better. We are right to fight these moves that could destroy our villages.
Sadly, this ruination would have virtually no effect on meeting affordable housing needs. A few units here and there will make advocates feel that they are “doing something,” but it will make little real difference, while just a few monster buildings can change things forever. A countywide alternative response is needed.
Changes are coming.
It’s essential that we get ahead and offer solutions that are responsive and that put us in control.
IJ political columnist Dick Spotswood recently suggested solutions aligned with the repurposing of large office and retail properties like Fireman’s Fund and Northgate Mall. These options are worth considering. They are better alternatives than cramming high density units into existing neighborhoods.
Alternatives that can produce enough housing to make a real difference must also be considered. With proper planning, construction in new areas could create new neighborhoods with their own character and sense of community. Marin has an abundance of vacant land available for this.
More than half of the county is designated open space — greater than 180,000 acres. Surely, 1,000 acres or so of suitable, fairly level land near urban boundaries can be found in public or private ownership.
The most obvious, of course, is the St. Vincent’s (aka Silveira) acreage bordering San Rafael. Given its proximity to utilities and transportation, no wonder it was once planned for over 2,000 housing units.
Can 50 years of battles be forgotten and the reality of today’s needs be accepted? Political careers have been made and lost over this property, and real courage will be needed. A Williamson Act contract was instituted in 2017, limiting the land to agricultural use for 10 years. Start planning now since there may be no need to wait six more years until this agreement expires.
A greater opportunity to contribute to affordable housing resides with the numerous public agency and private nonprofit-controlled lands. Many of these entities are in the business of being stewards of the land for the public good.
Considering the abundance of open land, it’s time to think of housing as the more important public good in this era of incredible need. Land donation or long-term (99-year) leasing could go a long way to making new housing truly affordable.
The Marin IJ reported that Sen. Mike McGuire is also working on the land cost issue. He is advancing a bill to put a bond measure on the ballot to provide funding for land acquisition and construction fees. Perhaps a combination of such public funding and private endowment can make a real difference.
We should all look around for suitable acreage. A new masterplanned community is a far better way to meet state and possibly federal mandates than inappropriate infill. For me, every time I drive by the St. Vincent’s acreage, I think what a shame to have this property not serving people’s needs.
We should make land available by whatever means we can and pretty soon we just might have a lot of affordable housing in Marin.
I get it — all of the usual objections to bold ideas will come: more traffic, more water use, less open space and more people.
If housing is affordable, more young families and faraway service workers can actually live here. What about social and racial equity so dear to Marinites? This will be addressed, and more. Welcome to the neighborhood.