HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAC 2020-10-01 MinutesPage 1 of 2
City of San Rafael
Citizens Advisory Committee for Economic Development and Affordable Housing (CAC)
Virtual Meeting Summary Notes
October 1, 2020
CAC Members Present: Mari Jones, Bill Carney, Kati Miller, Glen Koorhan, Dirck Brinckerhoff, Joe
McCallum, Gladys Gilliland, William O’Connell, Roger Smith, Andrew Naja-Riese
CAC Members Absent: Madeline Silva Khan
City Staff Present: Simon Vuong
Guests Present: Ethan Guy
Members of the Public Present: None
1. Call to Order: Chair William O’Connell called the virtual meeting to order at 7:05 pm.
2. Approval of July 6th Meeting Notes: Approved as submitted.
3. Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items: None.
4. Presentation and Discussion – Inclusionary Housing – Ethan Guy:
A discussion regarding inclusionary housing was led by Ethan Guy, Principal Analyst with the City of
San Rafael. Mr. Guy provided a summary of City Council actions as well as a brief history of City staff’s
review of inclusionary housing over the last few years. Mr. Guy noted that staff has been directed
towards the in-depth study of four topics, which are briefly described as follows; revising inclusionary
housing requirements, simplifying density bonus provisions, amending various ordinances to
streamline approvals, and formalizing a design review board subcommittee. Mr. Guy spent time
explaining each topic and answering questions from members of the CAC.
Mr. Guy noted that the City Council has directed staff to develop a policy which can be revisited in the
future, and members of the CAC remarked that they would like to encourage that practice with
scheduled frequency over the upcoming years. Member Bill Carney remarked that it is important to
have metrics to define what “success” is following the implementation of the policy, specifically as it
pertains to the lowering of the inclusionary housing requirement from 20% to 10%. Mr. Guy
responded that success will be shown by new development as well as the collection of in-lieu fees.
Member Kati Miller made a motion as follows: to generally approve of the new inclusionary housing
component of the ordinance guideline changes, and to recommend the establishment of a formal
review process (with a cycle of no greater than five years) to gauge the effectiveness of the policy.
The motion was approved by a vote of 9-0 with Member Bill Carney abstaining.
5. Project Updates: Mr. Simon Vuong reported that Homeward Bound had applied for a conditional use
permit to use a portion of the vacant office building at 3301 Kerner Blvd as a homeless shelter, while their
current facility at 190 Mill Street is under renovation.
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Mr. Vuong also reported that the Hampton Inn and Suites hotel project at 1075 E. Francisco Blvd would
be applying for building permits in one to two weeks.
As a follow up to the August meeting, Mr. Vuong noted that the Goldstone Market Hall project at 1001
Fourth Street is still in the midst of an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (“ENA”) with the City of San
Rafael, and that progress had been made in regards to gaining an understanding of the conceptual
parking arrangement.
Members of the CAC expressed curiosity in updates pertaining to the 120-unit project at 703 Third Street,
as well as the 136-unit project known as Northgate Walk at 1005-1010 Northgate Drive. Mr. Vuong
noted that he would follow up to see if any updates could be brought back to the CAC at the next
scheduled meeting.
6. Suggestions for Future Agenda Items:
Member Bill Carney suggested revisiting the topic of the two named Priority Development Areas “PDAs”
of San Rafael, and honing in on the elements of the PDAs which would be of most importance to the CAC.
Member Roger Smith suggested revisiting the Downtown Precise Plan, with a specific focus on historical
preservation, design review, and other topics that would merit the CAC’s discussion.
7. Adjournment: Chair William O’Connell adjourned the virtual meeting at 9:09 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Joe McCallum