Marin County OKs purchase of Point Reyes lot for interim shelter; CLAM to pursue entitlements

The Marin County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 26 approved a purchase-and-sale agreement to acquire a vacant lot at Sixth and B Street in Point Reyes Station for $1,100,000, clearing the first step toward using the parcel for a temporary shelter and, in time, affordable housing. The board’s motion, moved by Supervisor Lucan and seconded by Supervisor Milton Peters, passed with all voting members present; Supervisor Rodoni recused from the matter and did not participate.

County staff and CLAM (the Community Land Trust of West Marin) told the board the county purchase is contingent on CLAM first buying the lot from the current owner and that CLAM must secure entitlements to develop permanent affordable housing on the site by a specified deadline — March 2034 — or the property could revert to CLAM under the terms described in the agreement.

Why this matters: County staff and CLAM said the site can serve as a temporary shelter for families displaced by recent changes on local ranch properties and will be used while a longer-term, permanent housing solution is pursued. County officials told the board the decision is intended to speed a response to imminent displacement in West Marin while preserving the option for a permanent affordable project on the same parcel.

What the board approved - Purchase and sale agreement for the parcel at Sixth and B Street, Point Reyes Station, with a county purchase price of $1,100,000, contingent on CLAM’s purchase from the current owner. (Motion by Supervisor Lucan; second by Supervisor Milton Peters; approved unanimously by voting members present.) - Acceptance of grant interest in real property and related budget adjustments as outlined in the staff report.

How county and CLAM described use and timeline County Community Development Agency staff said the parcel would be used initially for a temporary shelter under Marin’s shelter-crisis authority (the county adopted a shelter-crisis resolution March 11, 2025). Lily Thomas of the Community Development Agency told the board the shelter-crisis resolution “provides exemptions from state and local zoning and planning for properties that are owned by the county” and that those exemptions apply only to temporary shelter uses, not to permanent housing proposals.

CLAM’s Jared Russell said CLAM is prioritizing West Marin families displaced from ranches and has been doing community outreach. Russell told the board that early technical work supports a possible interim layout of ‘‘26 bedrooms, 14 units, between 26 and 52 people’’ (CLAM’s consultant estimates; CLAM and county staff emphasized those numbers were preliminary and subject to permitting and environmental review).

Public concerns and county response Neighbors and other Point Reyes Station residents used the public comment period to raise concerns about density, septic capacity, parking, and the difference between ‘‘transitional housing’’ for ranch workers and a general homeless shelter. Several speakers asked for more detail on septic and wastewater plans, and for clearer commitments on who would be prioritized to live on the site.

County staff and CLAM acknowledged community concerns, and staff emphasized the next steps will include a lease and operating agreement and building-permit review. Sarah Jones, director of the county Community Development Agency, said the county and CLAM intend to continue public engagement and that the operating and lease agreements — which set day-to-day rules, capacity limits, parking arrangements and other details — will return to the board for approval. Staff also said any shelter must meet health-and-safety and septic standards enforced through building and environmental review.

Numbers cited in the meeting - Purchase price presented by staff: $1,100,000 (Christy McCroy, County Department of Public Works – Real Estate Division). - Displacement figures cited by county HHS and other staff: 55 initial residents displaced by a recent apartment fire (mentioned earlier in the meeting) and 43 who used the overnight shelter; for the Point Reyes ranch displacement the county said more than 40 West Marin households were at risk of losing housing (figures discussed in staff remarks and public comment). - CLAM’s early technical estimates for Sixth & B: “26 bedrooms, 14 units, between 26 and 52 people,” Jared Russell said (CLAM estimated range; pending review and permitting).

What the approval does and does not do - The board’s vote authorized the county to move forward with acquiring the site and to proceed to subsequent steps: CLAM would pursue an application for temporary shelter use, and county staff would negotiate lease and operating agreements for the interim use. Those lease/operating agreements and any application for building permits and septic/wastewater systems will be subject to county review and will come back to the board. - The approval does not approve a final design, a fixed capacity, or an operating plan for the shelter. Those details were described as subject to later agreements and ministerial reviews (septic, building, and health-and-safety), plus the operating/lease agreement the board will consider.

Next steps County staff will negotiate a lease and operating agreement with CLAM, continue community outreach, and process any necessary building and septic permit reviews. Staff emphasized the operating agreement will be the vehicle for specifying neighbor protections (parking, “good-neighbor” rules, on-site services, etc.) and that the board will review those agreements before any shelter opens.

Votes at a glance - Purchase-and-sale agreement (Sixth & B Street, Point Reyes Station): motion by Supervisor Lucan; second by Supervisor Milton Peters; outcome: approved. Vote tally recorded in the meeting: Lucan — yes; Colbert — yes; Milton Peters — yes; President Sackett — yes; Rodoni — recused.

Speakers quoted (selected) - Christy McCroy, principal real property agent, Dept. of Public Works: “This purchase and sale agreement is contingent on CLAM’s successful purchase of the property from the current land owner... The county’s purchase includes a term for the property to revert to CLAM if specific requirements are met.” - Lily Thomas, Community Development Agency: “The shelter crisis resolution... provides exemptions from state and local zoning and planning for properties that are owned by the county.” - Jared Russell, executive director, Community Land Trust of West Marin (CLAM): “26 bedrooms, 14 units, between 26 and 52 people.” - Elizabeth Matthews, Point Reyes Station neighbor: “Temporary transitional housing and homeless shelters are not the same things.”

Why residents and the county say the parcel is urgent County staff and local nonprofit partners described an urgent mismatch between available housing and families at risk of displacement in West Marin, including families living in substandard housing on private ranches and others facing eviction. Supporters including West Marin Community Services, Marin Community Foundation and several health clinics told the board the site could provide a “soft landing” that lets families keep community ties (schools, jobs and clinics) while permanent solutions are composed.

What to watch for - Lease/operating agreement language (how many units, parking limits, health- and safety conditions, selection/prioritization of residents). - Design and permitting outcomes, especially septic/wastewater plans and the county’s building-permit review. - CLAM’s progress in securing financing and entitlements for a permanent affordable housing project by the deadline in the county agreement.

Reporting note: County staff and CLAM repeatedly said the purchase step was the necessary first move to create options on a short timeline. Opponents urged the board to delay the purchase until more technical details (septic, parking and a narrower definition of who would be served) were answered; supporters, including impacted ranch workers and several community organizations, urged the board to act quickly to prevent households from becoming unhoused.

The board’s action sends the site into a next phase of planning and negotiation; the county will return to the board with lease and operating agreements and any permitting actions required to proceed.