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San Rafael staff: state housing laws shaped nearly all recent multifamily projects; commission urged to focus on long-range planning
Summary
Planning Manager Margaret Kavanaugh Lynch told the San Rafael Planning Commission that since 2021 the city has received 18 multifamily projects, 17 of which used the state density bonus path, and outlined code edits, specific plans and incentives staff will bring back to manage height, timing and services.
Planning Manager Margaret Kavanaugh Lynch told the San Rafael Planning Commission on a staff study session that state housing laws — particularly the state density bonus and ministerial pathways — have driven most multifamily development proposals in San Rafael since 2021.
"We had 18 projects in the city of San Rafael since 2021," Lynch said. "All but 1 used the state path ' 17 of them used the state density bonus law." She warned that under the State Housing Accountability Act local governments face a high legal bar to deny or reduce density unless a project would cause a "significant quantifiable direct and unavoidable" health-and-safety impact that cannot be mitigated.
The staff presentation summarized the city's development pipeline (figures as of Jan. 17): about 101 units in preliminary review, 535 formally submitted, roughly 1,183 approved or entitled, 331 appealed (appeals…
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