82-unit condo plan in San Rafael approved
A controversial plan to tear down an old office building and construct an 82-unit condominium complex near the Marin County Civic Center was approved in the wee hours after a long meeting of the San Rafael Planning Commission Tuesday.
Commissioners voted 4-2-1 to approve the project, with conditions related to frontage improvements, construction hours and pedestrian access, city officials said. Demolition of the existing office building is expected to begin next spring.
Commissioners Daniel Sonnet and Gayle Wittenmeier-Mills voted against the project, citing concerns about transitions with adjacent structures and the narrowness of the existing street. Commissioner Larry Paul was absent.
Tuesday's meeting drew dozens who spoke passionately both for and against the proposal at 33 San Pablo Ave.
Jenette Erven, a 23-year resident of San Pablo Avenue, said the building just doesn't fit the neighborhood.
"I feel this project has been put on a fast-track from the beginning," she said. "None of us are against affordable housing. What we are concerned about is the scope and the size of this project and the height and the density - it's huge."
Housing advocates, and community groups such as the League of Women Voters and the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, lauded the endeavor as a prime example of responsible growth.
"Everyone says that infill is what we want," said Elissa Giambastiani, a 20-year housing advocate. "No one wants to build on open space. If we want infill, we're going to have to accommodate that in all sections of the city."
Concerns about height, mass and the number of units have delayed approval for some time. The project has been before the Design Review Board several times, and made a previous appearance before the Planning Commission.
City planners at one point recommended the proposal be rejected for aesthetic reasons. The plan was reworked, and the number of units reduced from 93 to 82.
Plans now call for a four-story complex with a stepped design. Sixteen units would be set aside as below-market-rate affordable housing. State law allows for a denser development if a certain amount of affordable housing is included in the project.
Jeff Hutchinson, project manager with San Rafael-based developer Monahan Pacific, said he believes his group has bent over backward to please the neighbors.
"What we've done is shoved the building up the hill and away from the neighbors as much as we can," he said. "We feel we've gone a long way to accommodate people's concerns here."
But neighbors disagreed, saying they felt they were being taken advantage of.
"I feel our neighborhood has been called upon over the years to carry a big burden for San Rafael and we've done our fair share," said Charles Cacciatore, a 14-year resident of Laurel Glen Terrace. "There's this arrogance that they (the developer) know what's better for our neighborhood than we do."
