Stan Lawson explained that the various parts would be built over years, perhaps generations: "I think my grandkids can build some of this stuff." First off, he'd like to get a few of the homes built - just so he can pay off the application and consultants' fees, Lawson said, not entirely kidding. (He estimated that $200,000 has been spent on the plan so far.)
Marin planning staff last week returned the Lawsons' application as incomplete, citing 40 some issues on which planners need more information before starting a formal environmental review.
Chief among the missing ingredients, said planner Dean Powell, is a recent environmental assessment of the property - that is, a detailed report on why buildings are sited where they are, what environmentally sensitive areas have been avoided, etc.
The family has long maintained that development is unavoidable. Lawson noted that when his family first bought the property in 1926, an 800-house subdivision called Portola Beach was already on file for land that's now part of the resort and Lawsons' Landing campground, which is owned by a different branch of the family.
Furthermore, Dillon Beach's 1988 Community Plan calls for construction of a motel, gas station, more houses, a restaurant - essentially everything that is proposed except the health club.
Current zoning allows for building only 42 houses. However, Lawson said, the zoning was written with the condition that the density could increase if a sewage plant were built - which the resort proposes doing.
Contractor Thornley said the number of houses is not that big a deal. He added that he is pleased with the choice of architects - Backen, Arrigoni, and Ross of San Francisco - whose credits include designing George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in Nicasio.
As planned, the small houses would be subdued, mostly one-story structures with gabled roofs and some simple ornamentation - a style that project consultant John Oberto on Saturday called "West Marin vernacular."
Said Lawson this week, "We want the whole place to look like [19th-century town founder] George Dillon built it."
Thornley, Lesher, and others said traffic will be a main point of contention. Lawsons' Resort, Lawsons' Landing, and indeed the whole town of Dillon Beach would still be served by only two-lane Dillon Beach Road, which on warm weekends now backs up with trailers en route to the campground.
A primary concern is access for emergency vehicles. Thornley noted that even now, if a vehicle flips over just out of town, "everyone has to sit there."
However, Charlotte Smith, a resident of the Oceana Marin subdivision north of the old village, suggested Wednesday that the traffic fears are "a red herring." Residents already know how to work around the town's well-established traffic patterns, she said.
While Smith strongly supports the overall plan, she did say the Lawsons may be shooting a bit high on their commercial plans. For instance, the health club might be "a financial loser," given the high proportion of elderly residents and visitors, she said.
Smith, like Thornley and others, noted that through the years, the Lawsons have acted responsibly with their land and have earned a large measure of goodwill from residents.
"I think it is a great family, and I like the idea of keeping the resort in the family," Smith said. "I believe they really do need to expand."
The project, she continued, will face "lots of checks and balances, so they're not going to be putting up the Taj Mahal."
