Point Reyes Light- December 17, 1998
Monthly meetings set to plan affordable housing
About 50 West Marin residents on Saturday began the first phase of a community-planning process for an affordable-housing project in Point Reyes Station.
Planning consultant David Early of Berkeley-based Design, Community & Environment suggested a multi-step planning process for the 19-acre site between Mesa Road, Commodore Webster Drive, and West Marin School.
Since the Ecumenical Association for Housing, the developer, must move ahead with a formal environmental-review process in the spring, townspeople's input in the housing project should be wrapped up by mid-April, Early said.
For the most part, those present at Saturday's meeting approved of the process, which in the coming four months will include:
A discussion of the existing conditions on the site limiting construction, such as soil and zoning, environmental restrictions, and the town's community plan, originally adopted by the county in 1976.
Local residents will address these issues at the next planning meeting from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5. The 12 members selected for the project's steering committee will be announced at that time.
A brainstorming session of ideas for the site in early February. Residents would present hand-drawn "maps," and consider building alternatives during a three-hour meeting.
Following this meeting, Early said, his firm will sketch out a series of site plans that would incorporate the community's suggestions.
At a March meeting, folks would view the site plans presented by Early's firm and give a "thumbs up" to some of them.
At an April meeting, a site plan would be selected and handed over to EAH to pursue further with county planners.
After talking about these planning steps in small groups, folks at Saturday's meeting came up with a "wish list" of sorts. Most requested that upcoming meetings be videotaped, broadcast over West Marin's community radio station KWMR or written up as minutes for those unable to attend. Some wanted to add items to upcoming meeting agendas, while others asked for more time and flexibility in the planning process.
A 10-member group of Latinos came up with perhaps the most compelling questions: How soon will the housing project be built? How much would it cost to live there? Could we live there? And, Let's get the thing started all ready!
The community's wishes will be honored, regardless of whether the project includes any affordable housing and therefore any role for EAH, said EAH senior project manager Lamar Turner.
"If the community comes up with something that doesn't match with what we do, we would not proceed with our development," Turner said, noting that EAH does not provide market-rate housing or commercial development.
"We would continue to control the property, but serve as a conduit for what makes the most sense for the community," recouping EAH's expenses along the way, Turner said.
Turner added on Monday, "I don't want anyone to misunderstand what our priorities are. We want to develop affordable housing for residents in the Point Reyes Station area."
Among the many elements of the project to be decided is what type of septic system will be most appropriate for the site, he said.
Andrea Arenovski, an environmental scientist from Questa Engineering based in Point Richmond, said at the meeting that several waste-treatment systems would meet county standards for the site.
Disposal options include standard septic tanks with leach fields; above-ground mound disposal systems; "cluster" systems; and intermittent or recirculating sand-filter systems.
"Based on our preliminary investigation of soil and groundwater conditions, we've determined the site is suitable for onsite wastewater disposal," she said. In other words, folks can choose to have their sewage pumped out and hauled elsewhere, or have it treated onsite.
Any one system or combination of systems would work on the property, which is zoned for residential development on most of the property and commercial development along part of Mesa Road, Arenovski said.
However, she said, any waste-treatment system must stay clear of a strip of small marshy patches on the property, which have been identified as minor "wetlands" by a biologist.
Questa engineers have suggested that the most suitable, cost-effective option would be a cluster system, in which individual buildings would have their own septic tanks that would feed a shared sand-filter treatment unit and leachfield system, she said.
"One of the advantages of the cluster system is that home sites can be clustered to maximize open space and avoid impacts to sensitive areas," she said. "Also, they would be maintained and monitored by qualified service providers regularly, so that any problems could be identified and resolved quickly."
In addition, she said, the cluster system provides the most flexibility with building placement, and would enable the site to accommodate as many as 78 three-bedroom homes with maximum total capacity of 23,500 gallons per day. However, zoning likely precludes any more than a rough maximum of 60 housing units.
She emphasized, however, that a cluster system can suit fewer homes, if that's what the community wants.
By contrast, she said, building options would be limited with individual standard septic systems: the site would sustain 23 three-bedroom homes with an estimated maximum total capacity of 6,800 gallons per day.
Those with additional questions or concerns can write or call Lamar Turner at EAH, 2169 East Francisco Blvd., Suite B, San Rafael 94901; 258-1800.
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