While
we’ve had a low
profile since the Priority
Development
Area
discussions,
Strawberry Community Association has
been quietly
active on a number
of issues.
Strawberry
continues to be an
attractive target
for development
from a variety of
sources, and we
continue to watch
for issues that
can significantly
affect the general
density and
traffic conditions
of Strawberry, to
make sure our
community is
represented in any
decisions.
We only
get the outcomes
we want if there
is a lot of
community
involvement. Most
of these items
don’t require any
action right now,
other than
learning about
them and forming
your own opinion.
But when times
come for action,
we need each and
every member of our community to
participate,
regardless of your
perspective.
We’re
beginning this
monthly newsletter
with quick
summaries of
status and next
steps on these and
other items, and
we’ll begin public
meetings (monthly
or quarterly) to
provide a forum
for discussion of
them, for those
interested.
To contact
or join SCA, visit us at www.Strawberry94941.org or email us at StrawberryCommunityAssociation@gmail.com
Here’s a
quick rundown of
some of the issues
we’ve been engaged
in.
Seminary
Development/Branson
School -
There have been no
new public
developments from
either Fasken Trust
or Branson, though
Branson continues to
privately express
confidence in their
relocation to the
Seminary campus. We
are equally
confident that the
current community
plans do NOT provide
for a private high
school, and it will
be important to make
sure that our county
representatives
recognize this as
well. If you want
to get more engaged
in understanding the
issues with the
Seminary
development, contact
the Seminary
Neighborhood
Association, who
have been
spearheading the
effort to prevent
over-development of
the Seminary
property over the
last five years, at: www.SeminaryNeighbors.com,
or contact us at StrawberryCommunityAssociation@gmail.com.
Belvedere
Place/Marin
General Hospital
-Approval of zoning
changes for Marin
General Hospital to
begin leasing almost
half of Belvedere
Place (the large
office building
behind In-n-Out
Burger) were pushed
back by the Board of
Supervisors, amidst
significant local
concerns over
traffic impact. The
BOS gave those
parties an
additional 3 months
to provide an
accurate traffic
study. After this
proposal’s 2 year
submission process -
and despite the
Planning Commission
approving the plan
without ever seeing
a traffic or parking
study at all - the
combination of
community protest, a
CalTrans request for
a “peer review” of
the latest parking
study, and concern
expressed by the
City Planner from
Mill Valley made it
too awkward for the
Board to approve the
proposal.
This
outcome clearly
demonstrates the
value of community
engagement - we
raised concerns to
our Supervisor about
the grossly
inaccurate traffic
study and the
inexcusable approval
of the Planning
Commission, and
showed up to voice
these concerns at
multiple Board of
Supervisor meetings
- making it
difficult for the
Board to approve the
changes, though they
clearly wanted to.
The Supervisors
granted an
additional 3 months
for the parties to
provide an adequate
peer-reviewed
traffic study.
Marin General
representatives
indicated that they
would not continue
to pursue this
expansion; however,
we need to be aware
that they may
continue to pursue
this option despite
these statements.
Medical
Marijuana -
County Development
staff provided a
proposal to the
Board of Supervisors
(at the Board's
request) for
approval of medical
marijuana
dispensaries in
Marin, with the
suggestion of one
(1) in each of
Southern, Central
and Northern Marin,
complete with
specific location
recommendations.
Two of those
recommended
locations for
Southern Marin are
in Strawberry, near
the Seminary/101
interchange, and
near the
Reed/Redwood
intersection.
Community members
argued that very
little due diligence
has been provided
for the impact of a
medical marijuana
dispensary (as well
as the
appropriateness of
it on or near Rec
Board land), while
advocates argued
passionately for the
relief that readily
available medical
marijuana
dispensaries would
provide. The Board
voted to move
forward with the
proposal, which
doesn’t yet identify
the process or the
locations of
approving the
dispensaries. This
process continues to
bear watching. If
you’re interested in
this, please contact
us at:
StrawberryCommunityAssociation@gmail.com.
AHCD -
In keeping with the
recent Levine bill
that redefines Marin
as a “Suburban”
county rather than
“Metropolitan," the
Board of Supervisors
voted to reduce the
default density of Affordable
Housing Combining
Districts in
Marin County (of
which there are
three, including the
Seminary) from 30
units per acre to 20
units per acre, over
the near-unanimous
opposition of the
Planning Commission.
Despite protests
from members of the
Strawberry community
that the AHCD
designation is no
longer appropriate
for the Seminary
property - it’s a
tool for use with
the Housing Element,
which no longer
lists the Seminary -
the Board of
Supervisors voted to
keep the designation
applied to the
Seminary. Why does
this matter? This
designation is
important because it
is a tool to
encourage higher
densities and
density bonuses.
There’s no current
activity on this
front, but we should
all be aware of the
Planning
Commission’s process
and problems, as
well as the Board of
Supervisors position
on this issue.
BevMo -
Beverages & More
is proposing to move
into the former
Ideal Stationers
location in
Strawberry Village.
They recently
presented their
plans to the
Strawberry Design
Review Board. At
that review, the
SDRB rejected the
application based on
a lack of parking
and traffic studies
which had not been
provided. As the
SDRB is an advisory
board, BevMo may
return with those
studies, or may go
directly to the
Planning Commission
for approval.
Given the Planning
Commission’s
historical lack of
diligence on any
Strawberry-related
issue before it,
concerned community
members will likely
need to comment
and/or appear at
that hearing. If
you’re concerned and
want to get
involved, please
contact us at StrawberryCommunityAssociation@gmail.com.
Seminary/101
Interchange
- Changes are being
discussed between
the county, CalTrans
and the
Transportation
Authority of Marin
to revise the
interchange, adding
bike lanes (for a
short distance),
eliminating commuter
parking,
implementing
metering lights, and
modifying traffic
patterns. This
project has been
delayed until
Spring/Summer for
administrative
reasons, but there
are concerns about
the impact of
metering lights on
Strawberry surface
streets; the impact
of bike lanes on the
width of the car
lanes; the effect of
bike lines just
around the
interchange (but not
extending farther
down the frontage
road; the impact of
removed commuter
parking on Seminary
street parking, and
more. If you are
concerned about any
of these aspects of
the project, please
contact us at StrawberryCommunityAssociation@gmail.com.
Mill
Valley Traffic
task force
- Mill Valley city
council is looking
to improve their
traffic issues, and
have created a task
force, calling for
the inclusion of
Supervisor Kate
Sears and State
Senator McGuire.
This traffic
solution will likely
impact Strawberry
residents as well,
as proposals are
made to modify
traffic lights up to
and including the
101/Tiburon Blvd
interchange.
Related, CalTrans
has been proposing
an additional
traffic light on
Tiburon Blvd and
Knoll Rd, which has
garnered the
attention of Mill
Valley, Tiburon and
Supervisor Sears,
but a forum hasn’t
been provided for
Strawberry residents
to get involved. If
you’d like to find
out more about this
process, please
contact us at StrawberryCommunityAssociation@gmail.com.
If you
have a Strawberry community
issue you’re
concerned about and
would like to get on
the community’s
radar, please
contact us and let
us know. We’ll be
publishing this
newsletter monthly
(at least) and
arranging public
meetings quarterly
(at least) to make
sure that we all
have the opportunity
to be informed and
participate in
what’s happening
around us. |
