The United States Senate passed legislation late last week requiring the Coast Guard to sell its Point Reyes Station housing complex to Marin County, so that it can be used as affordable housing. The legislation prevents the Coast Guard from publicly auctioning the surplus property, although the agency has said that it would work with Marin on a sale even without Congressional action. “I am pleased the Senate did the right thing and passed this commonsense legislation to provide affordable housing for families in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country,” Sen. Barbara Boxer said in a statement. The House of Representatives passed the legislation, which is part of the comprehensive Coast Guard Authorization Act, last week. The bill, H.R. 4188, included changes since the House of Representatives originally approved the Coast Guard act last May. Major changes include a mandate that the Coast Guard sell to the county at fair market value, as opposed to simply offering Marin the first chance to purchase the complex. It also says that the county will choose the real estate appraiser to determine the value of the 30-acre site, which includes 36 townhomes, a playground and a tennis court, though it does not have a septic or sewer system. Because the Senate made some modifications to other sections of the Coast Guard act, it must be re-approved by the House, after which it will head to President Obama’s desk to be signed into law. (Congress is now out of session until the New Year.)