[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6060536,"mediaKeyId","3289368-b63e9de35057b459e32001eb909c6589","parentId",3289368,"title","City staff outlines major downtown development pipeline, warns of timing and infrastructure uncertainties","audioSeconds",936,"startMs",4291000,"endMs",5227000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3289368-b63e9de35057b459e32001eb909c6589&start=4291&end=5227","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3289368-b63e9de35057b459e32001eb909c6589/thumbnail_4291000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6060536/San-Rafael/Marin-County/California/City-staff-outlines-major-downtown-development-pipeline-warns-of-timing-and-infrastructure-uncertainties","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060536-09134b9c3ff8ccfef220615403c6e3b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036983&Signature=lxwsPKSptbTYUlkoV9imb0BAzPqg1hksxXCzYqrQZJx1DJuFXt1K3R0XJB1r2iv7~4nuzxR1s-wng6lNqh~1iK9a7K-jiI9uM9xnfb2eitAz2R5RFWpFNluPIo4tlE2lLu80s4jwqNvdGAOgWHmPAkf-aE4AD8Wb1wmCg3bE42bh1-0-XvBg6GorOSA3C~RrwKzFZRRGr23QSxvqFfZWODSYyXIpzJ2kCSMQ5LajVgfPaArIWjTEL6TnRnkVv-drYjMC~Q7G-EHGQhYf9Lqg-Dtj8~2l1tvbjUQxhyApC04iyw7el0oULpG8BkJ~48c~c1wVhY~AEv~JwdJQXr6vug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Rafael City, CA","date","2025-05-14T04:11:01.853Z","article","City planning and economic development staff told the San Rafael Planning Commission on May 13 that an unusually large pipeline of downtown and North San Rafael projects is advancing through entitlement and early permitting stages, but said market timing and infrastructure constraints make the pace and completion of those projects uncertain.

The briefing matters because the city is assessing how a cluster of large projects — some proposing high‑rise buildings — will affect utilities, traffic and community planning and how the city should prioritize coordination with sanitation, water and public works partners.

Micah Henkel, the city’s Community Economic Development Director, presented the overview, describing three primary geographic clusters: North San Rafael, downtown and east/Point San Pedro areas. Henkel said the volume and complexity of proposals is “somewhat unprecedented” in his more than 20 years of municipal experience and highlighted projects at a range of stages, from demolition permits through active construction and environmental review.

Projects and statuses Henkel listed include large Northgate redevelopment work, an office conversion at 4040 Civic Center, proposals at 555 Northgate, multiple downtown projects at various phases (including 800 Mission, Aldersley, 1230 Fifth Street and 1515 Fourth Street), a 17‑story proposal referenced near 700 Erwin, and the recently approved 930 Erwin Street project. Henkel said some proposals remain early (for example, the Dominican University area project under EIR) and others encountered technical constraints such as archaeological reviews or utility upgrades.

Henkel told commissioners the city is coordinating with utility partners and separate sanitation districts to model cumulative capacity and potential impacts, particularly for downtown proposals that cluster near shared infrastructure. He said staff had briefed the City Council Economic Development subcommittee and asked the Planning Commission to treat the pipeline overview as informational rather than to comment on individual projects at this time.

Commissioner and public reaction highlighted two themes: infrastructure and market timing. Commissioners and speakers repeatedly asked whether the projects, if built, would exceed local utilities or traffic capacity and whether the total housing units in the pipeline could produce a surplus or mismatch with local needs. Henkel said the principal unknown is market timing — many projects are entitled but not yet financed or under construction — and that cumulative analyses (CEQA and utility modeling) are being done to the extent feasible when applications are submitted.

Several members of the public and long‑time residents urged more transparency about how many proposals are likely to be built; development professional Chris Hart estimated that around 30% of entitlement‑stage projects ultimately reach construction based on local market experience. Commissioner questions urged staff to add a historical list of projects that reached entitlement but did not proceed, to help the public understand which projects are unlikely to be built.

Henkel said staff will continue to coordinate with utility partners, incorporate projects into cumulative CEQA and infrastructure analyses and return to the commission with formal project reviews as each application advances. He characterized the pipeline as an opportunity for downtown revitalization but acknowledged material uncertainty about how many proposals will reach construction. The commission accepted the informational briefing and did not take an action vote on the pipeline overview.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Commission 4/13/2025 at 7PM","oneSentenceSummary","San Rafael staff presented a development pipeline overview May 13 covering multiple downtown and North San Rafael projects, noting an unprecedented volume of proposed housing, infrastructure coordination needs and uncertainty about which projects will reach construction.","taxTitle","San Rafael, Marin County, California","taxId",4100,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6060541,"Planning commission approves 210-unit, 8‑story housing project at 930 Erwin Street",3644,642000,4286000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3289368-b63e9de35057b459e32001eb909c6589&start=642&end=4286","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3289368-b63e9de35057b459e32001eb909c6589/thumbnail_642000.jpg","/articles/6060541/San-Rafael/Marin-County/California/Planning-commission-approves-210-unit-8story-housing-project-at-930-Erwin-Street","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060541-bb02a800354ae6375821451319853fe1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036983&Signature=VT2dRRJx~MInRaRjiFRJ-To6bIp3Kgzoto4zM0x0~ny0ZlqReI6a7kW72zPJzYc2Tl~TUk0khTvRZJ9XsKFFgrwqMSJjqNaUXQS2lQW~x97R5pv2JA7VSGh~b96ObY~xXDwoHgbE7LJucRmmDXqYXYTVzTrhWxqzFD3lvqFNzFFk3voJW0rGBZviWDNnma~m9apUKS0A4-XYkRKQaUPh4unakKMuaK4sdKeU30gEh9e8EmScMJtVKDrq7b29tgnmUjHp602qVblJ89w0iol9ZCNicERWMSIln7mgDjGPT4LEMZMOXN2TGXkCb5FRI93rVPJ1Vm8Y2fynaSLyJV0RUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The San Rafael Planning Commission on May 13 approved an eight‑story, 210‑unit apartment building at 930 Erwin Street and two adjacent parcels, approving environmental and design review and a lot merger and finding the project categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Class 32 infill exemption.

The project matters because it advances downtown infill housing under state density bonus rules while raising concerns from nearby residents and commissioners about traffic, neighborhood change and construction impacts.

Micah Henkel, San Rafael’s community economic development director, introduced the application as a downtown project that reflects recent city policy changes in the Downtown Precise Plan and the general plan. Christina Assidio, the city project planner, summarized the application history and entitlements: an initial SB 330 submission in December 2023, a formal application in June 2024, a completeness determination on Dec. 4, 2024, and a revised submittal completed March 6, 2025. Assidio said the applicant reduced a prior 213‑unit proposal to 210 units late in the review to provide resident amenities including a pool.

The developer, Mill Creek Residential Trust, presented project details through senior managing director Mike Kim and architect Isaiah Stackhouse. The proposal would merge three legal lots (545 Fourth Street, 523 Fourth Street and 914 Erwin Street), demolish existing buildings, and build an eight‑story building with 210 rental units. According to the project team, the unit mix includes 44 studios, 71 one‑bedroom units, 67 two‑bedroom units and 29 three‑bedroom units; the average unit size is about 968 square feet. The team said the project provides roughly 204,000 square feet of residential area, about 88,690 square feet of parking and proposes 232 parking stalls. The development includes ground‑floor resident amenities, a pool and a central courtyard; amenities are for residents only.

City staff told the commission the project requests waivers and reductions under California’s state density bonus law for height, setbacks and civic space; two parcels on the site are in different zoning districts with 50‑foot and 40‑foot base height limits. Staff said the base project for density calculations was 177 units; the city’s density bonus implementation (and its local resolution) yields a 20% density increase that at one stage produced 213 units, rounded according to state rules, with the final submittal reducing the total to 210 units. The project team and staff said objective design standards in the Downtown Precise Plan govern the review under the Housing Accountability Act and related state laws.

On environmental review, city staff and outside counsel Leila Mosheraf Dinesh of Burke, Williams & Sorensen reported that Rincon Consultants (contracted by the city and paid by the applicant) analyzed the site and recommended a Class 32 CEQA exemption for infill development. Mosheraf Dinesh summarized the consultant’s traffic analysis, noting CEQA’s focus on vehicle‑miles‑traveled (VMT): because the site is adjacent to the SMART transit station and within the city core, the consultant found project‑level VMT impacts below applicable screening thresholds and that the site can be served by public utilities.

Staff emphasized there are 111 conditions of approval including requirements to comply with the California Building Code and Fire Code, submission and city review of a construction management plan (parking and staging, delivery protocols, traffic control), a construction noise and vibration management plan with a locally based noise liaison, compliance with water‑efficient landscaping rules, mechanical screening, and a requirement that the lot merger be finalized prior to issuance of grading or building permits. Joanna Kwok, assistant public works director, said Public Works reviewed the project and will use a condition of approval to coordinate signage, striping and lighting for safe vehicle egress and access based on WTrans’ traffic report.

Public comment included concern about traffic and transit usage from resident Sharon Foster: “Smart has increasingly diminished ridership, so this is not the mass transit solution,” she said, and asked why a large parking supply is proposed if the project is being justified by transit proximity. Supporters included Jenny Silva, executive director of the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, who urged approval and called the site appropriate for higher density because of transit access and the city’s adopted downtown plan. Sergio Barajas, representing NorCal Carpenters Local 35, urged the commission to require labor standards, apprenticeships and local‑hire provisions during construction.

Commissioners asked staff and the applicant about street frontage definitions in the precise plan, the project’s stormwater and bioretention approach, garage ingress/egress and whether additional loading space could be provided. The applicant said the garage entry was located on Fourth Street after analysis with Public Works and traffic consultants that concluded Erwin would be unsafe for access; Public Works staff said conditions would allow review of striping and signage and could require measures to improve safety. The project team said stormwater would be treated primarily with C3 planters and podium landscaping to meet current water quality requirements.

After deliberation commissioners expressed support for the project’s design and location; several noted the project is large for the immediate area but consistent with the Downtown Precise Plan. Commissioner Havanman said the project “will help us reduce traffic along the 101 corridor by keeping people from commuting and staying in San Rafael,” and other commissioners noted the project’s potential to support downtown businesses and the transit system if occupied.

The commission voted unanimously to approve the resolution granting environmental and design review and the lot merger and to determine the project is categorically exempt under CEQA Class 32. The formal motion approved the applications as presented, subject to the conditions of approval described in the staff report. Vote: Commissioner Havanman — yes; Commissioner Rodby — yes; Commissioner Sadegh — yes; Commissioner Kent — yes; Chair Mercado — yes.

Next steps: the project must finalize the lot merger before the city will issue grading or building permits and must satisfy the 111 conditions of approval. The applicant and staff did not provide a construction start date during the hearing; timelines and required building permits were not specified.","The San Rafael Planning Commission voted unanimously May 13 to approve an eight‑story, 210‑unit residential project at 930 Erwin Street, finding it categorically exempt under CEQA’s Class 32 infill exemption and approving an associated lot merger and design review with 111 conditions.","actionData","errors"]

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City staff outlines major downtown development pipeline, warns of timing and infrastructure uncertainties

Planning commission approves 210-unit, 8‑story housing project at 930 Erwin Street