The public was invited to “learn, share and be junior architects” at the third and final community meeting at the site of future affordable housing in Point Reyes Station on Saturday. The Community Land Trust Association of West Marin, its partner, Eden Housing, and their architects presented feedback from the two previous meetings, revealing the most common themes raised by residents: community, sustainability, resilience and open space. Attendees were given two maps, each with different layouts of proposed community spaces, gathering spaces, gardens and yard layouts for the 36 townhomes. The more than 100 people in attendance were split into groups and given five discussion topics to further break down preferences. The five key topics were parking and roads, housing hubs, backyards, community commons and buildings in the commons. Representatives from the design team joined each group and wrote down group members’ suggestions. After almost an hour of discussion, group leaders shared their findings. Some groups focused on the importance of sharing—whether it be costs, food, space or energy—while others zeroed in on reducing the area dominated by cars or the need to plan based on water usage. Attendees suggested ideas such as leaving the current roads open to pedestrians and offering golf carts as a form of transportation around the complex, or a shuttle to take residents to the post office. For now, CLAM and its design team are working to clear a few significant hurdles. The largest relates to wastewater. The site has an existing in-ground wastewater system—water pipes going into living units and pipes flowing out to two holding tanks—but no waste disposal system. Before the Coast Guard closed the site, it drained the tanks multiple times a week for disposal offsite. Based on an initial soil and hydrology analysis, the current proposed location for a septic treatment system is along the entrance of Commodore Webster Drive. This placement also allows for the best protection of water resources, CLAM spokespeople said. The barracks, a dormitory building that will be turned into apartment-style units, needs to be torn down due to asbestos. The townhomes, built in the 1970s and empty since the early 2000s, need to be updated and given general maintenance. The property also needs a new name, and CLAM is taking suggestions. The neighborhood is not zoned for residential or commercial use, but under the new Local Coastal Program, the Costal-Open Area zoning allow for affordable housing with a use permit. The design team is working with the community’s feedback to plan uses and site designs that fit the property and comply with zoning and planning regulations, CLAM’s deputy director Stacey Laumann said. The group is hoping to complete the project by 2024. CLAM has lobbied for affordable housing at the location since it went on the market in 2014. Rep. Jared Huffman passed legislation requiring the Coast Guard to sell the property to the county for affordable housing. In 2020, CLAM and Eden won the bid to develop the property. CLAM’s director of community engagement, Kim Thompson, expressed her appreciation of residents’ feedback and her excitement for the future last Saturday. “We’ve entered into the heart of what it means to be a community,” she said. Comments on and concerns about the project can be made online at coastguardhousing.com.