HomeMy WebLinkAboutCED General Plan 2040 Progress Report____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: 03/17/2025
Disposition: Accepted reports with modifications with a modification to the figure 1, 622 to the
correct figure (subsequently Staff determined there was no typo)
Agenda Item No: 5.a
Meeting Date: March 17, 2025
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Departments: Community Development Department
Prepared by: Micah Hinkle, Director of Community
and Economic Development Director; Margaret
Kavanaugh-Lynch, Planning Manager
City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: GENERAL PLAN AND HOUSING ELEMENT ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORTS
SUBJECT: GENERAL PLAN AND HOUSING ELEMENT ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT
HIGHLIGHTING PROGRESS ON THE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS IDENTIFIED IN
THE CITY’S GENERAL PLAN AND THE CITY’S PROGRESS TOWARD MEETING ITS
SHARE OF THE REGIONAL HOUSING NEED ALLOCATION (RHNA)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress
Reports for 2024 and direct staff to present the report to the California Department of Housing and
Community Development.
BACKGROUND:
All cities in California are required to prepare and adopt a General Plan. The General Plan is composed
of both required and elective elements. The General Plan is the City’s blueprint for meeting the
community’s long-term vision for the future. It identifies policies and programs addressing the
development and redevelopment of land, preservation of parks and open spaces, provision of housing
for current and future residents, conservation of natural resources, improvement of the circulation and
transportation system, control of noise, and protection of life and property from hazards. The City of San
Rafael adopted General Plan 2040 in August 2021.
Jurisdictions are required to update their Housing Elements every five years or eight years. The San
Rafael City Council adopted a substantially compliant 2023-2031 Housing Element on May 15, 2023, and
HCD certified the updated Housing Element on June 22, 2023.
Government Code Section 65400 mandates that local jurisdictions prepare an Annual Progress Report
(APR) on the status of the City’s General Plan and progress toward meeting its share of the Regional
Housing Need Allocation (RHNA). A copy of the report must be submitted to both the Governor’s Office
of Planning and Research (OPR) and the State Department of Housing and Community Development
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
(HCD) by April 1st for the previous calendar year (January 1-December 31). This staff report summarizes
the City’s progress in implementing the City’s Housing Element and General Plan during the 2024
calendar year. It includes data on its progress towards meeting its share of RHNA, including data on all
housing development applications, entitlements, building permits, and completions using forms
prescribed by HCD.
On February 25, 2025, staff presented this report to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission
accepted the report and directed staff to present it to the City Council at a public meeting.
There is no standardized format for preparing the APR. This year, staff has decided to provide an
overview of general accomplishments in the last year in terms of General Plan goals in addition to
required information related to the Housing Element of its General Plan forms and definitions adopted by
the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). However, OPR recommends
developing an APR that is useful to the jurisdiction. Please see Attachment 1.
ANALYSIS:
Housing Element Annual Progress Report
State law requires that all cities and counties in California have a compliant Housing Element as part of
their General Plan. Government Code Section 65400 includes specific requirements for preparing a
Housing Element Annual Progress Report (HE APR). The HE APR is reported on a form prescribed by
HCD. This report includes the City’s progress towards implementing the Housing Element and meeting
its share of RHNA, including data on all housing development applications, entitlements, building permits,
and completions. The HE APR contains fourteen (14) tables; for the 2024 reporting period, San Rafael
has applicable data to report in five of the tables, briefly described below.
Table A – Housing Development Applications Submitted. Table A includes data on housing units and
developments for which an application was determined complete between January 1 and December 31
of the reporting year. In Table A, an “application” is a formal submittal of a housing development for
approval. This includes but is not limited to, developments that involve no discretionary approvals and
projects that involve both discretionary and nondiscretionary approvals.
Table A2 – Annual Building Activity Report Summary – New Construction, Entitled, Permits and
Completed Units. Table A2 requires information for very low, low, moderate, and above-moderate income
housing affordability categories and for mixed-income projects. This Table includes data on all new net
housing units and developments that have received any one of the following:
• An entitlement
• A building permit
• A certificate of occupancy or other forms of readiness issued during the reporting year
Table B – Regional Housing Needs Allocation Progress – Permitted Units Issued by Affordability. Table
B is a summary of prior permitting activity in the current planning cycle, including permitting activity for
the calendar year being reported
Table D – Program Implementation Status Pursuant to Government Code Section 65583. Table D
includes the status/progress for all programs described in the housing element.
Summary Table. The Summary Table automatically tallies the data from several of the tables listed
above. The summary data focuses on the total of all permits issued and all applications submitted and
approved for the 2023 reporting period.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
The City of San Rafael did not have any relevant activity to report in Tables C, E, F, F2, G, H, J, K, and
“Leap Reporting.”
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) Progress
The following is a summary of the City’s progress on housing approvals/entitlements, building permits
issued, and housing units completed for occupancy.
As shown in the Summary Table below, a total of 32 housing development applications were submitted
to the City and deemed complete in 2024. Of those new applications, there were 440 proposed dwelling
units in the applications received, and 227 of those same dwelling units have received their planning
entitlements.
Table 1: Summary Table
Housing Applications Summary
Total Housing Applications Submitted: 32
Number of Proposed Units in All Applications Received: 440
Total Housing Units Approved: 227
Total Housing Units Disapproved: 0
Table 2: Summary Table of Calendar Year 2024 Housing Units: Entitled, Permitted, & Completed
Units by Structure Type Entitled Permitted Completed
Single Family Dwellings- Attached
(SFA) 0 0 0
Single Family Dwellings – Detached
(SFD) 0 0 0
Multi-Family Dwelling Units 2 to 4 per
Project 4 4 0
Multi-Family Dwelling Units 5+ Units
per Project 1,622 0 0
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) 34 34 3
Mobile Homes 0 0 0
Total 1,660 38 3
Table 2 tallies the number of housing units entitled (Planning approval), permitted (Building permits
issued), and completed (Certificate of Occupancy issued). It notes that 1,622 dwelling units in a project
of five or more have been entitled, four (4) units were entitled in one fourplex as well as 34 Accessory
Dwelling Units.
Table 3 below summarizes housing permits issued to determine progress toward meeting RHNA.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 4
Table 3: Regional Housing Needs Allocation Progress
Income Level
RHNA
Allocation
by Income
Level
Projection
Period –
06/30/2022-
01/30/2023
2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Total Units to
Date (all
years)
Total
Remaining
RHNA by
Income
Level
Very Low
Deed
Restricted 857
- 40 - - - - - - - -
40 817 Non-Deed
Restricted - - - - - - - - - -
Low
Deed
Restricted 492
1 - - - - - - - - -
40 452 Non-Deed
Restricted 14 13 12 - - - - - - -
Moderate
Deed
Restricted 521
- - - - - - - - - -
- 521 Non-Deed
Restricted - - - - - - - - - -
Above
Moderate 1,350 14 56 26 - - - - - - - 96 1,254
Total RHNA 3,220
Total Units 29 109 38 - - - - - - 176 3,044
Progress toward extremely low-income housing needs, as determined pursuant to Government Code 65583(a)(1).
Extremely Low-Income Units 40 - - - - - - - - 40 389
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 5
Housing projects that have been entitled are not reflected in the RHNA progress if they did not also
receive a building permit. Those units will be counted in future reporting periods once building permits
are issued. For example, an entitlement was granted for 155 units at 1515 4th Street, but these units have
not been counted toward the RHNA number since a building permit for this project was not issued in
2024.
Housing Element Program Implementation
As reported in Table D, there are more than 43 programs to streamline housing development within the
City, provide housing protections to vulnerable communities, reduce homelessness, combat
discrimination, and increase housing choice.
Here are some highlights from 2024:
The City Manager's Office (CMO) established a Community Services Division within the CMO. The
Division is dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all residents, with a special focus on disadvantaged,
historically underserved, and vulnerable populations. For the foreseeable future, the focus of their work
will be on homelessness response. In addition, the Community and Economic Development Department
hired an Assistant Director to oversee Housing and Economic Development.
Construction continued on the conversion of an office building at 3301 Kerner Blvd into 40 units of
permanent supportive housing, a project that received both City and County funding. The project will be
completed in the first half of 2025. (Housing Element Program 2)
The City, in partnership with the County of Marin, was awarded a $5,999,241 Encampment Resolution
Funding Round 3 (ERF-3) grant. These funds will support improved living conditions and housing
services for individuals residing in the Mahon Creek Area encampment, including interim shelter,
housing-based case management, sanitation, and supportive services. Additionally, the City received a
$1,000,000 grant from a combination of state and local funds, which has facilitated the development of a
Sanctioned Camping Area (SCA) along a portion of the Mahon Creek Path. The SCA currently serves 50
participants, with an additional 15 individuals—totaling 65—receiving housing-based case management,
outreach, and other services to help secure permanent housing through June 2027. (Housing Element
Program 3)
The 2024 Point in Time (PIT) Count for San Rafael identified 264 unsheltered individuals. Staff have
been collaborating with the County and consultants to identify opportunities and funding to increase
shelter capacity. In 2024, City and the County of Marin staff initiated regular partnership meetings to
identify a potential location for a housing-focused interim shelter site, which would be developed using
partial ERF-3 grant funding. (Housing Element Program 4)
Staff launched a series of housing workshops for Spanish-speaking tenants. Workshop topics include
the types of below-market rate housing that exists in Marin and who is eligible, fair housing law, code
enforcement, and tenant protection policies. The objectives of these workshops are to increase
community members’ awareness of housing laws, programs, and resources provided by the City and by
other agencies and organizations; engage members of the City’s renters in conversations about housing
needs, resources, plans, and priorities; and gather input on effectiveness of existing policies and
regulations to better understand gaps and identify opportunities for improvement. The workshops will
continue through Spring 2025. (Housing Element Program 8)
Additionally in 2024, staff began assembling and analyzing data on existing City policies including Just
Cause for Eviction, Mandatory Mediation, and Relocation Assistance, and will bring forward an evaluation
to the City Council in Summer 2025. (Housing Element Program 11)
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 6
The Code Enforcement Division continued to inspect rental housing properties with three or more units,
and issue notices to property owners regarding code violations requiring correction. In 2024, the Code
Enforcement Division inspected 1,364 units at 54 properties. In addition, Code Enforcement's Residential
Building Resale (RBR) program processed 508 transactions. (Housing Element Program 12)
In 2024, the San Rafael City Council approved the implementation of a rolling application process for the
Notice of Funding Availability for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. The details of this process are
outlined in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Staff Report This action was taken to allow the City to be
able to respond to opportunities that arise in the competitive real estate market and must be acted upon
quickly. The amount available through the rolling application process is capped at $250,000 per year,
unless the City Council authorizes additional funding, and is dependent on sufficient available funds.
Through this process, San Rafael awarded $250,000 for the acquisition and preservation of a 9-unit
apartment building at 1400 Lincoln Ave. (Housing Element Program 16)
2040 General Plan Annual Progress Report
The City of San Rafael has adopted eight State-required elements, and five optional elements as follows:
• Land Use
• Neighborhoods
• Community Design and Preservation
• Conservation & Climate Change
• Parks, Recreation, and Open Space
• Safety and Resilience
• Noise
• Mobility
• Community Services and Infrastructure
• Arts and Culture
• Economic Vitality
• Equity Diversity and Inclusion
• Housing
Selected updates on the implementation of General Plan programs are included in Attachment 1 with the
corresponding references to the General Plan Element Implementation Program. Some notable
highlights from the APR are provided below.
Land Use
After several years of discussion and input, the City Council amended Titles 2, 14, and 15 of the San
Rafael Municipal Code to dissolve the Design Review Board (DRB), transfer their review authority to the
Zoning Administrator, Planning Commission or Community and Economic Development Director.
Further, to ensure consistency with timelines found in State law the Conceptual Review portion of the
Major Environmental Design Review permit and other preliminary design consultations were removed.
The Ordinance may be found here:
https://publicrecords.cityofsanrafael.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=37322&dbid=0&repo=CityofSanRaf
ael.
Conservation and Climate Change (C)
The City Council approved amendments to Title 18 “Protection of Flood Hazard Areas” of the San Rafael
Municipal Code on July 15, 2024, to comply with Department of Water Resource (DWR) requirements.
(Program C-1.6B)
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 7
Community Design & Preservation (CDP)
The Department of Public Works (DPW) completed its initial phase of tree inventory work, collecting the
location and data on over 22,000 trees within 15 feet of a roadway. This data will be added to the City’s
asset management system and made available to the public for additional work in support of the City’s
tree policy work. (Program CDP-3.5C)
Community Design & Preservation (CDP)
The City Council adopted a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) on April 4, 2024, that aims to align
agencies with the principles of Vision Zero and ensure eligibility for competitive grant programs that
require an adopted LRSP.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with accepting this report.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH/PUBLIC COMMENT:
Notice of the City Council meeting on this item was published in the Marin IJ.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider on this matter:
1. Receive and accept the report (recommended).
2. Direct staff to return with more information.
3. Take no action.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends that the City Council accept the General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress
Reports for 2024 and direct staff to present the report to the California Department of Housing and
Community Development.
ATTACHMENT:
1. General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Reports for 2024
1
MARCH 17, 2025
City of San Rafael
General Plan and
Housing Element
Annual Progress
Reports
2024
2
Introduction
Government Code Section 65400 mandates that local jurisdictions prepare an Annual Progress
Report (APR) on the status of the City’s General Plan and progress toward meeting its share of
the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA). A copy of the report must be submitted to both
the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the State Department of Housing
and Community Development (HCD) by April 1st for the previous calendar year (January 1-
December 31). This staff report summarizes the City’s progress in implementing the City’s
Housing Element and General Plan during the 2024 calendar year. It includes data on its
progress towards meeting its share of RHNA, including data on all housing development
applications, entitlements, building permits, and completions using forms prescribed by HCD.
Table of Contents
Housing Element Annual Progress Report City Council Acceptance ............................. 3
Progress Updates for Selected General Plan Policies for Calendar Year 2024 .............. 4
Housing Element APR 2024 ......................................................................................... 7
Attachments – HCD Forms ........................................................................................ 10
3
General Plan and Housing Element
Annual Progress Reports City Council
Acceptance
On March 17, 2025, the San Rafael City Council received and accepted the General Plan
and Housing Element Annual Progress Reports for 2024. A copy of the Agenda is
available from the City Clerk at City Hall, 1400 Fifth Avenue, or at 415-485-3066. The
Agenda is also available online through the City of San Rafael’s Public Records Portal.
4
Progress Updates for Selected General
Plan Policies
On August 2, 2021, the San Rafael City Council adopted General Plan 2040 (“GP” or “General
Plan”) and the Downtown Precise Plan. First initiated in 2017, the update of the San Rafael
General Plan 2020 was necessary to respond to new issues, priorities, forecasts, state laws, and
to incorporate recent City plans and programs. This section contains progress updates for
selected General Plan Policies for 2024.
Land Use
After several years of discussion and input, the City Council amended Titles 2, 14 and 15 of the
San Rafael Municipal Code to dissolve the Design Review Board (DRB), transfer their review
authority to the Zoning Administrator, Planning Commission or Community and Economic
Development Director. Further, to ensure consistency with timelines found in State law the
Conceptual Review portion of the Major Environmental Design Review permit and other
preliminary design consultations were removed. The Ordinance may be found here:
https://publicrecords.cityofsanrafael.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=37322&dbid=0&repo=Ci
tyofSanRafael.
To ensure that design remains a consideration in project review, the City Council authorized
the restructuring of the Planning Commission with five commissioners having expertise in
planning, zoning, and land use, and four having expertise in design. This structure created a
well-balanced review authority of seven professionals (with two alternates) with expertise in
land use, zoning, planning, and design, with two of the seven, and both alternates, being
architects or design professionals. In addition, the Community and Economic Development
Director is able to bring in design consultants if there is a need to augment staff expertise
related to Director reviews.
Conservation & Climate Change (C)
• The City Council approved amendments to Title 18 “Protection of Flood Hazard Areas”
of the San Rafael Municipal Code on 7/15/24 to comply with Department of Water
Resource (DWR) requirements. (Program C-1.6B)
5
Community Design & Preservation (CDP)
• The Albert J. Boro Community Center Mural Project was completed.
• The Department of Public Works (DPW) completed its initial phase of tree inventory
work, collecting the location and data on over 22,000 trees within 15 feet of a roadway.
This data will be added to the City’s asset management system and made available to
the public for additional work in support of the City’s tree policy work. (Program CDP-
3.5C)
Equity, Diversity, and Innovation (EDI)
• DPW completed the Grand Ave Cycle Track project which bridges the gap to the Bay Trail
and enhances connectivity between the Canal Neighborhood and Downtown. The City
Council accepted the project completion on 8/19/24. (Program EDI-2.1A)
Community Services and Infrastructure (CSI)
• Rotary Manor Notice of Completion (NOC) approved by the City Council on 2/20/2024
• Sun Valley NOC approved by the City Council on 3/18/2024
• Third Street Safety and Rehab NOC approved by the City Council on 7/15/2024
• Grand Ave Cycle Track NOC approved by the City Council on 8/19/2024
• Downtown Library Contractor Agreement Award approved by the City Council on
9/16/2024
• The City Council approved the Fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 Capital Improvement Program
(CIP) and DPW Work Plan. (Program CSI-4.1A)
o https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/sanrafaelca/2024/06/4.0-CIP-
FY2024-25-to-FY2026-27-Related-Work-Plan-compressed.pdfك
o https://storage.googleapis.com/proudcity/sanrafaelca/2024/07/8_San-Rafael-
Work-Plan-revisions-6.06.pdf
• DPW and its consultant have made progress on the implementation of an asset
management system that will enable the City to maintain an inventory of its assets and
support long-range capital planning (Program CSI-4.2A).
Mobility Element
• The City Council adopted a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) on 4/2/2024.
o The LRSP aims to align agencies with the principles of Vision Zero and ensure
eligibility for competitive grant programs that require an adopted LRSP.
• The City Council approved Caltrans Freitas Roundabout coordination on 8/19/2024.
• The City Council authorized the acceptance of Transportation Development Act (TDA)
funding on 2/5/2024. There were two awards - $38,000 and $25,000 for the Crosswalk
Safety Improvement Project and Francisco Blvd. East Mid-block Crossing Enhancement
Project respectively.
6
• The City continues to receive funding from the Transportation Authority of
Marin/Metropolitan Transportation Commission (TAM/MTC) – Measure A, AA, and B
and Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation (RMRA) funds.
Safety and Resilience
The Fire Department reports the following highlights for the year:
1. Staffing & Resource Deployment Study – In process
2. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Study – Completed 2024
3. Stations 54 and 55 – Completed 2024
4. Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan update – Completed 2024
5. 38-Point Wildfire Prevention Plan – Adopted in 2020, Implementation Ongoing 2024
6. Office of Emergency Services (OES) Strategic Plan- Started 2024 – Completed 2024
7. Earthquake Playbook – Started 2024 - Completed 2025
8. Wildfire Playbook – Completed 2024
7
Housing Element APR 2024
State law requires that all cities and counties in California have a compliant Housing Element
as part of their General Plan. San Rafael’s 2023-2031 Housing Element was adopted by the City
Council on May 15, 2023, and certified by the State of California on June 22, 2023. Government
Code Section 65400 includes specific requirements for preparing a Housing Element Annual
Progress Report. The APR is reported on a form prescribed by Housing and Community
Development. This report includes the City’s progress towards implementing the Housing
Element and meeting its share of Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), including data on
all housing development applications, entitlements, building permits, and completions.
SUMMARY TABLE
8
9
10
Attachments - HCD Forms
Date
Application
Submitted
Total
Approved
Units by
Project
2 3 4 6 7
Prior APN+Current APN Street Address Project Name+
Local
Jurisdiction
Tracking ID
Unit Category
(SFA,SFD,2 to
4,5+,ADU,MH)
Tenure
R=Renter
O=Owner
Date
Application
Submitted
(see
instructions)
Very Low-
Income
Deed
Restricted
Very Low-
Income
Non Deed
Restricted
Low-Income
Deed
Restricted
Low-Income
Non Deed
Restricted
Moderate-
Income Deed
Restricted
Moderate-
Income Non
Deed
Restricted
Above
Moderate-
Income
Total
PROPOSED
Units by
Project
Total
APPROVED
Units by
project
Summary Row: Start Data Entry Below 0 0 0 18 0 2 420 440 227
1115411
1115411
4 CULLODEN
PARK RD B2402-076 ADU R
2/20/2024
1 1 1
18514310 18514310 9 ROBINHOOD
DR B2402-123
ADU R
2/28/2024
1 1 1
1311104 1311104 224
WOODLAND
AVE C
B2401-124
ADU R
1/24/2024
1 1 1
01528125 01528125 12 AQUINAS
DR B2403-065 ADU R
3/14/2024
1 1 1
1407121 1407121 128 MISSION
AVE B2406-017
ADU R
6/3/2024
1 1 1
17814214 17814214 711 BAMBOO
TER B2404-172 ADU R
4/24/2024
1 1 1
17813124 17813124 346 HOLLY DR B2404-104 ADU R
4/15/2024
1 1 1
1223101 1223101 240 C ST B2404-053 ADU R 4/5/2024 1 1 1
1010107 1010107 39 RUSTIC
WAY B2404-095 ADU R
4/12/2024
1 1 1
1018109 1018109 135 FORBES
AVE B2406-089 ADU R
6/12/2024
1 1 1
17802813 17802813 710 PENNY
ROYAL LN B2407-041 ADU R
7/8/2024
1 1 1
16517137 16517137 11 PARK
RIDGE RD B2405-033 ADU R
5/6/2024
1 1 1
1221145 1221145 121 CLORINDA
AVE B2406-042
ADU R
6/5/2024
1 1 1
1207310 1207310 709 C ST UNIT PLAN24-025 2 to 4 R 2/20/2024 4 4 4
1404202 1404202 90 DEER PARK
AVE B2401-036 ADU R
1/3/2024
1 1 1
1124541 1124541 1515 4th St PLAN24-033 5+R 3/4/2024 155 155 155
17904127 17904127 350
MERRYDALE
RD
PLAN24-081
5+R
5/23/2024
2 43 45 45
1412327 1412327 930 IRWIN ST PLAN24-098 5+R 6/14/2024 18 195 213
18517101 18517101 151
ROLLINGWOO
D DR
B2405-046
ADU R
5/7/2024
1 1 1
17531121 17531121 16 NOVA
ALBION WAY B2402-089 ADU R
2/22/2024
1 1 1
1201635 1201635 207 TERRACE
AVE B2403-166
ADU R
3/27/2024
1 1 1
1222214 1222214 221 D ST B2407-043 ADU R 7/8/2024 1 1 1
17804143 17804143 482 LAS
COLINDAS RD B2410-080
ADU R
10/14/2024
1 1 1
17504202 17504202 85 ESMEYER
DR B2408-126 ADU R
8/20/2024
1 1 1
16506313 16506313 913 PATRICIA
WAY B2406-183
ADU R
6/28/2024
1 1 1
16517137 16517137 11 PARK
RIDGE RD A B2405-033 ADU R
5/6/2024
1 1 1
01117225 01117225 1134 MISSION
AVE B2203-065 ADU R
7/8/2024
1 1 1
Table A
51
Project Identifier Unit Types Proposed Units - Affordability by Household Incomes
Housing Development Applications Submitted
Total
Disapproved
Units by
Project
Streamlining Application
Status Project Type Notes
8 9 11 12 13
Total
DISAPPROVE
D Units by
Project
Please select
state
streamlining
provision/s the
application was
submitted
pursuant to.
Did the housing
development application
seek incentives or
concessions pursuant to
Government Code
section 65915?
Were
incentives or
concessions
requested
pursuant to
Government
Code section
Please
indicate the
status of the
application.
Is the project
considered a
ministerial
project or
discretionary
project?
Notes+
0
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Approved Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Approved Discretionary
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE Yes Yes Approved Discretionary
0 NONE Yes Yes Approved Discretionary
NONE Yes No Pending Discretionary
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Pending Ministerial
0 NONE No No Approved Ministerial
0 NONE No No Approved Ministerial
Table A
Density Bonus Law Applications
10
Jurisdiction San Rafael ANNUAL ELEMENT PROGRESS REPORT
Reporting Year 2024
(Jan. 1 - Dec.
31)Housing Element Implementation Cells in grey contain auto-calculation formulas
Planning
Period 6th Cycle 01/31/2023 - 01/31/2031
Table A2
2 3 5 6
Prior APN+Current APN Street Address Project Name+
Local
Jurisdiction
Tracking ID
Unit Category
(SFA,SFD,2 to
4,5+,ADU,MH)
Tenure
R=Renter
O=Owner
Very Low-
Income Deed
Restricted
Very Low-
Income Non
Deed
Restricted
Low- Income
Deed
Restricted
Low- Income
Non Deed
Restricted
Moderate-
Income
Deed
Restricted
Moderate-
Income Non
Deed
Restricted
Above
Moderate-
Income
Entitlement
Date Approved
# of Units
issued
Entitlements
Very Low-
Income
Deed
Restricted
Very Low-
Income Non
Deed
Restricted
Low-
Income
Deed
Restricted
Summary Row: Start Data Entry Below 0 0 143 12 0 2 1503 1660 0 0 0
17813124 17813124 346 HOLLY DR B2404-104 ADU R 1 9/10/2024 1
1124541 1124541
1515 4th PLAN24-033 5+R 155 7/23/2024
155
1207310 709 C St PLAN24-025 2 to 4 R 4 12/16/2024 4
2 to 4 R 0 0
2 to 4 0 0
2 to 4 0 0
17904127 17904127 350 MERRYDALE
RD PLAN24-081 5+R 2 43 10/23/2024 45
175-060-12, 175-
060-40, 175-060-
59, 175-060-61,
175-060-66 & 175-
060-6
175-060-12, 175-
060-40, 175-060-
59, 175-060-61,
175-060-66 & 175-
060-6 5800 Northgate Dr
Northgate
ED 21-024
5+R 143 1279 12/16/2024
1422
1007113 1007113 419 FORBES AVE B2409-190 ADU R 1 12/04/2024
1
16517137 16517137 11 Park Ridge B2405-033 ADU R 1 10/21/2024 1
01117225 01117225 1134 Mission B2203-065 ADU R 1 03/12/2024 1
01313201 01313201 116 Southern B2210-048 ADU R 1 0 01/02/2024 1
01025113 01025113 155 TAMAL VISTA
DR B2210-048 ADU R 0 1 01/18/2024
1
18417106 18417106 335 RIVIERA DR B2306-158 ADU R 1 0 03/19/2024 1
01314101 01314101 385 IRWIN ST B2310-139 ADU R 1 03/05/2024 1
01408315 01408315 532 5TH AVE B2302-042 ADU R 1 04/11/2024 1
17517120 17517120 640 TARRAGON DR B2310-084 ADU R 1 04/23/2024 1
01217210 01217210 103 ROSS ST B2211-108 ADU R 2 02/20/2024 2
01222205 01222205 111 SAN RAFAEL AVENUE B2203-203 ADU R 1 03/06/2024 1
01123208 01123208 20A IDA ST B2204-110 ADU R 1 0 04/18/2024 1
01508101 01508101 216A MOUNTIAN VIEW AVE B2206-085 ADU R 1 04/02/2024 1
01501103 01501103 320 GLEN PARK AVE APT 1 B2312-103 ADU R 1 08/02/2024 1
01018501 01018501 4 EYE ST B2311-094 ADU R 1 0 01/18/2024 1
1518110 1518110 833 BELLE AVE B2311-121 ADU R 1 0 08/19/2024 1
01528125 01528125 12A AQUINAS DR B2403-065 ADU R 1 5/21/2024 1
01221145 01221145 121 CLORINDA AVE B2406-042 ADU R 1 12/10/2024 1
01407121 01407121 128 MISSION AVE B2406-017 ADU R 1 8/22/2024 1
01018109 01018109 135 FORBES AVE B2406-089 ADU R 1 09/30/2024 1
01313424 01313424 142 BUNGALOW AVE B2404-209 ADU R 1 07/25/2024 1
01311104 01311104 224 WOODLAND AVE B2401-124 ADU R 1 05/09/2024 1
01223101 01223101 240 C ST B2404-053 ADU R 1 09/18/2024 1
01010107 01010107 39 RUSTIC WAY B2404-095 ADU R 1 09/18/2024 1
01115411 01115411 4 CULLODEN PARK RD B2402-076 ADU R 1 05/06/2024 1
17802813 17802813 710 PENNY ROYAL LN B2407-041 ADU R 1 10/07/2024 1
17814214 17814214 711 BAMBOO TER B2404-172 ADU R 1 09/05/2024 1
17505235 17505235 823 TAMARACK DR B2410-105 ADU R 1 12/12/2024 1
18514310 18514310 9 ROBINHOOD DR B2402-123 ADU R 1 05/07/2024 1
01404202 01404202 90 DEER PARK AVE B2401-036 ADU R 1 03/20/2024 1
17812111 17812111 1059 LAS PAVADAS AVE B2404-177 ADU R 1 06/06/2024 1
1
Unit Types Affordability by Household Incomes - Completed Entitlement Affordability by Household Incomes - Building Permits
4 7
Note: "+" indicates an optional field
Project Identifier
Annual Building Activity Report Summary - New Construction, Entitled, Permits and Completed Units
Cells in grey contain auto-calculation formulas
Streamlining Infill
8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16
Low-
Income
Non Deed
Restricted
Moderate-
Income
Deed
Restricted
Moderate-
Income Non
Deed
Restricted
Above
Moderate-
Income
Building
Permits Date
Issued
# of Units Issued
Building Permits
Very Low-
Income
Deed
Restricted
Very Low-
Income
Non Deed
Restricted
Low-
Income
Deed
Restricted
Low-
Income
Non Deed
Restricted
Moderate-
Income
Deed
Restricted
Moderate-
Income Non
Deed
Restricted
Above
Moderate-
Income
Certificates of
Occupancy or other
forms of readiness
(see instructions)
Date Issued
# of Units
issued
Certificates of
Occupancy or
other forms
of readiness
How many of
the units
were
Extremely
Low Income?
Please select the
state
streamlining
provision the
project was
APPROVED
pursuant to.
(may select
multiple)
Infill Units?
Y/N+
Assistance
Programs for Each
Development
(may select multiple
- see instructions)
12 0 0 26 38 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0
1 9/10/2024 1 1 12/5/2024 1 NONE N
0 0 NONE Y
4 12/16/2024 4 0 0 NONE N
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
1 12/04/2024 1 0
1 10/21/2024 1 0
1 03/12/2024 1 0
1 0 01/02/2024 1 0
1 1/18/2024 1 0
1 0 03/19/2024 1 0
1 03/05/2024 1 0
1 04/11/2024 1 0
1 04/23/2024 1 0
2 2/20/2024 2 12/3/2024 0
1 3/6/2024 1 0
1 0 04/18/2024 1 0
1 04/02/2024 1 0
1 08/02/2024 1 0
1 0 01/18/2024 1 1 8/29/2024 1
1 0 08/19/2024 1 1 8/26/2024 1
1 5/21/2024 1 0
1 12/10/2024 1 0
1 8/22/2024 1 0
1 09/30/2024 1 0
1 07/25/2024 1 0
1 05/09/2024 1 0
1 09/18/2024 1 0
1 09/18/2024 1 0
1 05/06/2024 1 0
1 10/07/2024 1 0
1 09/05/2024 1 0
1 12/12/2024 1 0
1 05/07/2024 1 0
1 03/20/2024 1 0
1 06/06/2024 1 0
Affordability by Household Incomes - Building Permits Affordability by Household Incomes - Certificates of Occupancy
7 10
Note: "+" indicates an optional field
Housing with Financial Assistance
and/or Deed Restrictions
Housing without
Financial Assistance or
Deed Restrictions
Term of
Affordability or
Deed Restriction
Notes
17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Deed Restriction
Type
(may select
multiple - see
instructions)
For units affordable
without financial
assistance or deed
restrictions, explain how
the locality determined the
units were affordable
(see instructions)
Term of Affordability
or Deed Restriction
(years) (if affordable
in perpetuity enter
1000)+
Number of
Demolished/Destro
yed Units
Demolished
or Destroyed
Units
Demolished/
Destroyed
Units
Owner or
Renter
Total Density Bonus
Applied to the Project
(Percentage Increase in
Total Allowable Units or
Total Maximum Allowable
Residential Gross Floor
Area)
Number of Other
Incentives,
Concessions,
Waivers, or Other
Modifications Given
to the Project
(Excluding Parking
Waivers or Parking
Reductions)
List the
incentives,
concessions,
waivers, and
modifications
(Excluding
Parking Waivers
or Parking
Modifications)
Did the project
receive a reduction or
waiver of parking
standards? (Y/N)
Notes+
0
0
DB Senior 0 20.0%
12
Development
Standards Modification No
INC
Density BonusHousing with Financial Assistance
and/or Deed Restrictions Demolished/Destroyed Units
Jurisdiction San Rafael ANNUAL ELEMENT PROGRESS REPORT
Reporting Year 2024 (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31)Housing Element Implementation
Planning Period 6th Cycle 01/31/2023 - 01/31/2031
1
Projection
Period 3 4
RHNA Allocation
by Income Level
Projection
Period -
06/30/2022-
01/30/2023
2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Total Units to
Date (all
years)
Total Remaining
RHNA by
Income Level
Deed Restricted - 40 - - - - - - - -
Non-Deed Restricted - - - - - - - - - -
Deed Restricted 1 - - - - - - - - -
Non-Deed Restricted 14 13 12 - - - - - - -
Deed Restricted - - - - - - - - - -
Non-Deed Restricted - - - - - - - - - -
Above Moderate 1,350 14 56 26 - - - - - - - 96 1,254
3,220
29 109 38 - - - - - - - 176 3,044
5 6 7
Extremely low-
Income Need 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 Total Units to
Date
Total Units
Remaining
429 40 - - - - - - - - 40 389
VLI Deed Restricted
VLI Non Deed Restricted
LI Deed Restricted
LI Non Deed Restricted
MI Deed Restricted
MI Non Deed Restricted
Above Mod Income
452
Please note: For the last year of the 5th cycle, Table B will only include units that were permitted during the portion of the year that was in the 5th cycle. For the first year of the 6th cycle, Table B will only include units that
were permitted since the start of the planning period. Projection Period units are in a separate column.
Total RHNA
Total Units
Income Level
Very Low
Low
Extremely Low-Income Units*
Note: units serving extremely low-income households are included in the very low-income RHNA progress and must be reported as very low-income units in section 7 of Table A2. They must also be reported in the extremely low-income category (section 13) in Table A2 to
be counted as progress toward meeting the extremely low-income housing need determined pursuant to Government Code 65583(a)(1).
*Extremely low-income housing need determined pursuant to Government Code 65583(a)(1). Value in Section 5 is default value, assumed to be half of the very low-income RHNA. May be overwritten.
Progress toward extremely low-income housing need, as determined pursuant to Government Code 65583(a)(1).
Please Note: Table B does not currently contain data from Table F or Table F2 for prior years. You may login to the APR system to see Table B that contains this data.
Please note: The APR form can only display data for one planning period. To view progress for a different planning period, you may login to HCD's online APR system, or contact HCD staff at apr@hcd.ca.gov.
521
40
This table is auto-populated once you enter your jurisdiction name and current
year data. Past year information comes from previous APRs.
- Moderate
857
492
521
Please contact HCD if your data is different than the material supplied here
40
2
Table B
Regional Housing Needs Allocation Progress
Permitted Units Issued by Affordability
817
Jurisdiction San Rafael
Reporting Year 2024 (Jan. 1 - Dec. 31)
1 2 3 4
Name of Program Objective Timeframe in H.E Status of Program Implementation
1: Housing and
Homelessness Division
Create a Housing and Homelessness
Division within the Community
Development Department.
2023
In 2023, the City established a Housing and Homelessness Division within the
Community Development Department and hired two additional staff members for
the division, bringing the total staffing to three people. In 2024, the City
Manager's Office (CMO) transferred the division director and analyst position to
a newly formed Community Services Division within the CMO. The Division is
dedicated to enhancing quality of life for all residents, with a special focus on
disadvantaged, historically underserved, and vulnerable populations. For the
foreseeable future, the focus of their work will be on homelessness response.
The analyst position continues to work cross-divisionally on housing and
homelessness. The Community Development Department hired an Assistant
Director overseeing Housing and Economic Development, and Housing and
Economic Development staff collaborate on housing development projects.
2: Extremely Low-Income
Housing Resources
Expand housing resources and
supportive services for extremely low
income households.
Ongoing
In 2024, construction continued on the conversion of an office building at 3301
Kerner Blvd into 40 units of permanent supportive housing, a project that
received both City and County funding. The project will be completed in the first
half of 2025.
3: Funding and Resources
to Prevent and Reduce
Homelessness
Continue to actively seek funding for
strategies that prevent homelessness
and help San Rafael residents
experiencing homelessness in securing
a place to live and access to the
services they require.
Ongoing
In 2024, the City, in partnership with Marin County, was awarded a $5,999,241
Encampment Resolution Funding Round 3 (ERF-3) grant. These funds will
support improved living conditions and housing services for individuals residing
in the Mahon Creek Area encampment, including interim shelter, housing-based
case management, sanitation, and supportive services. Additionally, the City
received a $1,000,000 grant from a combination of state and local funds, which
has facilitated the development of a Sanctioned Camping Area (SCA) along a
portion of the Mahon Creek Path. The SCA currently serves 50 participants, with
an additional 15 individuals—totaling 65—receiving housing-based case
management, outreach, and other services to help secure permanent housing
through June 2027.
4: Emergency Shelter
Capacity
Provide emergency shelter capacity
sufficient to meet local needs.Ongoing
The 2024 PIT Count for San Rafael showed 264 unsheltered individuals in the
city. Staff have been collaborating with the County and consultants to identify
opportunities and funding to increase shelter capacity. In 2024, City and Marin
County staff initiated regular partnership meetings to identify a potential location
for a housing-focused, interim shelter site, which would be developed using
partial ERF-3 grant funding.
5: Public Information and
Engagement
Expand awareness of housing laws,
programs, and resources provided by
the City and by other agencies and
organizations through a comprehensive,
multi-lingual community outreach and
engagement initiative.
Annually
In 2024, staff launched a series of housing workshops for Spanish-speaking
tenants. Workshop topics include the types of below market rate housing that
exist in Marin and who is eligible, fair housing law, code enforcement, and tenant
protection policies. The workshops will continue through Spring 2025 and are
helping to inform additional community outreach materials and strategies.
6: Fair Housing Program
Administration
As part of the Cooperative Agreement
with the County on CDBG funding,
direct a portion of the City’s allocation
to a local fair housing assistance
program.
Ongoing In May, City Council approved continued countywide CDBG funding for Fair
Housing Advocates of Northern California.
7: Affirmative Marketing of
Housing Opportunities
Affirmatively market local affordable
housing opportunities to include groups
that have historically been
disadvantaged in the local housing
market.
Ongoing
The City requires affordable housing developers requesting funding from the
Affordable Housing Trust Fund to provide an affirmative marketing plan for
review as part of their application.
8: Latinx Community
Capacity Building and
Engagement
Undertake a capacity-building and
educational program designed to
increase understanding of the housing
system by the City’s Latinx community.
2024
In 2024, staff launched a series of housing workshops for Spanish-speaking
tenants. Workshop topics include the types of below market rate housing that
exist in Marin and who is eligible, fair housing law, code enforcement, and tenant
protection policies. The workshops will continue through Spring 2025 and are
helping to inform additional community outreach materials and strategies.
ANNUAL ELEMENT PROGRESS REPORT
Housing Element Implementation
Housing Programs Progress Report
Describe progress of all programs including local efforts to remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing
as identified in the housing element.
Table D
Program Implementation Status pursuant to GC Section 65583
9: Interjurisdictional
Housing Activities
Collaborate with Marin County, cities
and towns to address regional planning
and housing issues. Remain open to
alignment on programs to increase
housing supply and further fair housing.
Ongoing
San Rafael, the County of Marin, and other Marin jurisdictions expanded the
Napa-Sonoma ADU Center's services into Marin through a multi-jurisdictional
services agreement. The Center provides additional support and resources for
homeowners interested in constructing ADUs. Based on a cooperative
agreement with the County of Marin, the City continues to participate in a single
joint countywide program for CDBG and HOME allocations on an annual basis.
For the first time in 2025, the City plans to include its Notice of Funding
Availability for its Affordable Housing Trust Fund with the County's
"SuperNOFA," creating a more streamlined experience for applicants who wish
to apply for City and County funding sources. In July 2024, updated commercial
linkage fees went into effect, which were based on a joint study commissioned
by multiple Marin County jurisdictions. Together with San Rafael and other Marin
jurisdictions, the County of Marin is developing a scope for the Infill Builders
Association to organize a developer forum. The purpose is to share promising
Housing Element sites, gain a better understanding of what questions
developers have about Marin jurisdictions’ zoning, entitlement processes, etc.,
and what would be helpful for developers who are interested in developing in
Marin. The Infill Builders Assn will produce a report for the public and local
decisionmakers with findings from the discussion and recommendations to
address barriers to housing development, specifically on infill sites in Marin
County.
10: Just Cause for Eviction
Maintain and monitor effectiveness of
local just cause for eviction regulations.
Require rental property owners to
provide relocation assistance to low-
income tenants in no-fault evictions.
Ongoing
Staff regularly respond to tenant and landlord inquiries and provide education
and information regarding the City's Cause for Eviction policy. Staff enforce
relocation assistance requirements by reviewing permit applications for
renovation/remodel that could displace tenants. In April 2024, the City adopted
an urgency ordinance that applies to the Canal Opportunity Zone and is in effect
through December 2026. The policy requires landlords to offer tenants the right
to return to their unit after substantial repairs requiring temporary relocation are
completed. If the tenant wants to return to the unit after repairs are completed,
the tenant must continue to pay rent while the unit is being repaired to maintain
the existing lease. While the unit is being repaired, the landlord must either pay
the tenant a daily amount to cover the cost of temporary lodging, or provide a
comparable unit on the property or another property in San Rafael.
11: Tenant Protection
Measures
Evaluate existing and additional
measures to protect tenants from
eviction or the loss of housing due to
economic or other factors. Implement
new measures based on their viability
and community feedback.
2025
In 2024, in addition to gathering feedback through tenant workshops, San Rafael
participated in a multi-jurisidictional anti-displacement education and outreach
initiative called Rooted in Marin (www.rootedinmarin.org). From August to
November 2024, the project team heard from communities across Marin about
their experiences and housing concerns through a countywide survey,
community workshop, and focus groups. An Advisory Committee of
representatives from key community stakeholder groups provided strategic
guidance throughout the project. The project team researched and analyzed anti-
displacement policies identified during the community engagement process and
compiled a draft report outlining the community engagement process, feedback
received, and information on relevant policies, including feasibility analysis and
case studies from other jurisdictions. San Rafael staff plan to use the information
gathered through Rooted in Marin in combination with City-specific data,
feedback gathered through tenant housing workshops, and an evaluation of
existing City policies. The report will be finalized in Spring 2025. Additionally in
2024, staff began assembling and analyzing data on existing City policies
including Just Cause for Eviction, Mandatory Mediation, and Relocation
Assistance, and will bring forward an evaluation to City Council in 2025.
12: Periodic Housing
Inspection Program
Continue and strengthen the Periodic
Housing Inspection Program to ensure
the safety and habitability of the rental
housing stock.
Ongoing
The Code Enforcement Division continued to inspect rental housing properties
with three or more units and issue notices to property owners regarding code
violations requiring correction. In 2024, the Code Enforcement Division
inspected 1364 units at 54 properties.
13: Code Enforcement
Program
Provide effective code enforcement
efforts in all neighborhoods to abate
unsafe or unsanitary conditions.
Organize service delivery around
principles of equity and inclusion.
Ongoing The Code Enforcement Division continued to respond to inspection requests
from tenants throughout the City.
14: Residential Building
Record (RBR) Program
Continue residential building
inspections at the time of sale to ensure
the safety and habitability of units.
Ongoing In 2024, Code Enforcement's RBR program processed 508 transactions.
15: Increasing Equity in
Home Maintenance
Support lower income households in
maintaining their homes and increase
their ability to participate in and reap the
benefits of housing sustainability
initiatives.
Ongoing
In May, the City Council approved allocation of CDBG funding for the Residential
Rehabilitation Loan Program, which provides low-interest loans and technical
assistance to qualified very low-income homeowners to make basic repairs,
correct substandard conditions, and eliminate hazards around the home.
16: Funding for Affordable
Housing
Increase funding for affordable housing
through the City’s Affordable Housing
Trust Fund and other sources.
Ongoing
In 2024, the San Rafael City Council approved the implementation of a rolling
application process for acquisitions. The amount available through the rolling
application process is capped at $250,000 per year, unless the City Council
authorizes additional funding, and is dependent on sufficient funds being
available. Through this process, San Rafael awarded $250,000 for the acquisition
and preservation of a 9-unit apartment building at 1400 Lincoln Ave.
17: Affordable Housing
Requirements for
Residential and
Commercial Development
Maintain affordable housing
requirements for market-rate residential
and commercial developments. Monitor
the effectiveness of the City’s affordable
housing policy and periodically revise to
reflect changing housing market
conditions.
Ongoing
Updated commercial linkage fees went into effect on July 1, 2024. The City began
working with consultants to evaluate its current inclusionary housing
requirement, which was adopted in 2021. Staff anticipates bringing forward an
evaluation and recommendation to the City Council in 2025.
18: Pro-Housing City
Designation
Apply for designation as a “Pro-Housing
City” by the State of California.2023
Staff completed an initial assessment of the City's eligibility and competitiveness
for the Pro-Housing City Designation. Due to limited staff capacity, the target
date for applying has been moved to 2026.
19: Air Rights Strategic
Plan
Develop an official City process for
developing housing in air rights on
municipally-owned sites, including
Downtown municipal parking lots. The
process should support and promote
public-private partnership opportunities
that result in new housing on these
sites.
2027
In December 2023, the City issued a Request for Proposals for development of
affordable housing on a City-owned property at 519 4th St. Through that process,
the City Council adopted Resolution 15286 to declare the property as surplus
land in compliance with the California Surplus Lands Act and selected Abode
Housing Development (Abode) as a development partner. The City and Abode
entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement in September 2024. Abode
proposes to construct 56 affordable apartments, with 28 units (50%) set aside for
permanent supportive housing and people experiencing homelessness. Abode is
seeking funds necessary to develop a complete planning package to secure
entitlements in 2025/2026.
Staff have applied for funding for preliminary evaluation of other publicly owned
sites and is waiting to hear back regarding the application status.
20: Precise Plan for North
San Rafael
Prepare a Precise Plan (or equivalent
planning document) for the North San
Rafael Priority Development Area (PDA).
2027
Staff drafted a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant team to prepare the
neighborhood plan for the PDA. The goal is to finalize the RFP for issuance in
mid March 2025 and award the contract in May, with project kick-off in Summer
2025.
21: Precise Plan for
Southeast San Rafael
Prepare a Precise Plan (or an equivalent
planning document) for the Southeast
San Rafael Priority Development Area
(PDA).
2027
Staff drafted a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant team to prepare the
neighborhood plan for the PDA. The goal is to finalize the RFP for issuance in
mid March 2025 and award the contract in May, with project kick-off in Summer
2025.
22: Accountability
Reporting
Provide periodic updates on progress
toward Housing Element implementation
and other City Council and community
housing priorities.
Annually
In March 2024, the City provided an update to the City Council on Housing
Element implementation progress, construction of ADUs, implementation of
state laws such as SB9 and SB 35, and other housing policy priorities previously
identified by the community and City Council.
23: Monitoring and
Marketing of Housing
Opportunity Sites
Maintain capacity to meet the RHNA at
all times during the 2023-2031 planning
period and add new sites as
opportunities arise. Make the list of
housing opportunity sites (Appendix B)
available to prospective developers and
the public.
Ongoing
The housing opportunity sites were adopted as part of the Housing Element in
May 2023 and certified by the state in June 2023. Since then, City staff have met
with a number of developers to discuss potential sites. The City continues to
maintain capacity to meet the RHNA. The Housing Element is available on the
City's website at sanrafaelhousing.org.
24: By Right Development
Along Commercial
Corridors
Develop a list of sites located along
commercial corridors that could be
prime for by right development under
Assembly Bill 2011 (AB 2011).
2025 No Action
25: Objective Design
Standards for Multi-Family
Housing
Adopt objective design and
development standards (ODDS) to
expedite project approvals for all “by
right” multifamily housing projects.
2023
The City Council adopted preliminary ODDS in Spring 2024. Staff continues to
evaluate and plans to bring forward a refined version of the ODDS for City
Council consideration.
26: Accessory Dwelling
Units (ADUs)
Expand resources and reduce barriers
for the construction of ADUs and Junior
ADUs (JADUs) in San Rafael
neighborhoods.
Ongoing
San Rafael, the County of Marin and other Marin jurisdictions have expanded the
Napa-Sonoma ADU Center services into Marin to provide additional support and
resources for homeowners interested in constructing ADUs. The ADU Center’s
program launched for residents in Marin County on April 1, 2024. Marin
homeowners are eligible for one-on-one feasibility consultations and have
access to informational webinars and a list of recommended vendors.
27: Lot Splits and
Duplexes
Implement Senate Bill 9 (SB 9)
regulations and update the City’s
website with information to support
property owners pursuing lot splits and
duplexes on qualifying single-family
lots.
2024
Lot Splits and Duplexes has been implemented. Staff developed a checklist for
SB 9 Development Submittal Requirements that is publicly available online and
continues to track data on the number of SB 9 applications and the number of
units created through these applications.
28: Housing on
Institutional and Religious
Properties
Support housing development on
institutional and religious properties.2031 City staff met with religious community leaders for preliminary conversations
regarding possible housing development opportunities.
29: Conversion of
Residential and Non-
Residential
Discourage conversion of residential
units to non-residential uses, and limit
loss of rental housing stock. Encourage
conversion from commercial/office
space to residential use.
2026
Staff enforced the City's existing condominium conversion regulations that
prohibit the loss of rental housing stock when the vacancy rate is below 5.0
percent.
Construction continued at 3301 Kerner to convert an office building into
permanent supportive housing. The project will be completed by Spring 2025.
30: Preservation of At-Risk
Housing
Protect affordable housing options,
including affordable housing units in
subsidized projects that are at risk of
reverting to market rate rents during the
planning period.
Ongoing
The City maintained existing rent stabilization for mobile home parks.
The City awarded funds for the acquisition of a 9-unit apartment building at 1400
Lincoln for preservation as deed-restricted affordable housing.
In December, staff applied to be part of a statewide public sector learning cohort
focused on preservation of unsubsidized small to medium multifamily
properties.
31: Monitoring the Status
of BMR Units
Monitor the status of affordable units
created through local inclusionary
housing requirements to ensure that
they are occupied by qualifying
households and rented or sold at
affordable rates.
Ongoing The City continued its agreement with Marin Housing Authority for monitoring of
BMR ownership and rental units.
32: Housing Resources for
Older Adults
Begin to implement Age-Friendly San
Rafael Strategic Plan recommendations.2025 The Vivalon Healthy Aging Campus at 999 Third St officially opened in early
2024, providing 66 new units of affordable housing for older adults.
33: Adaptable and
Accessible Housing
Create additional housing resources for
persons with disabilities, including
developmental disabilities.
2026
City staff attended meetings of disability advocates and service providers to
learn more about what's needed to enhance accessibility in San Rafael's housing
and to open the door for future communication and collaboration.
34: Residential Care
Facilities and Non-
Licensed Group Homes
Facilitate the development of large and
small residential care facilities and non-
licensed group homes in San Rafael.
2027 No Action
35: Affordable Housing for
Large Families
Creative incentives that result in a larger
percentage of apartments that are three
bedrooms or more in affordable housing
developments.
2025 Provision of units for larger families continues to be a scoring consideration for
the City’s Notice of Funding Availability for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
36: Review of
Development Fees and
Waiver/Deferral Policies
Review and update the master fee
schedule periodically to reflect the costs
of delivering City services and to reduce
fee burdens for affordable housing
projects, where possible.
2025 No Action
38: Incentives for Lot
Consolidation
Develop tools to facilitate the
consolidation of small lots into larger,
more developable sites, especially in
Downtown San Rafael, including a
voluntary merger process that allows
two parcels to be combined into a single
parcel, consistent with the Subdivision
Map Act.
2027 No Action
39: Affordable Housing
Incentives
Implement State and local density bonus
programs, including allowances for
additional height and concessions and
waivers to development standards for
projects with affordable housing.
2024
Staff worked with consultants to collect feedback on the City's local density
bonus from developers who chose to use State density bonus rather than local
density bonus for their projects in San Rafael. This information will inform future
modifications to City policy.
40: Water and Sewer
Priority
Establish written procedures so that
projects with affordable housing units
are granted priority for water and sewer
connections in the event of future
service limitations.
2024
In staff conversations with affordable and market-rate developers, developers
often identify utilities as a key concern/obstacle. Staff has initiated
conversations with water and sewer service providers to better understand their
challenges and capacity and will use the information gathered to formulate
recommendations on this topic.
41: Streamlining of
Development Approval
Implement measures to streamline the
development approval process and
reduce the time required between
project proposal and project entitlement.
2027
The City created an Inter-department Review Committee to provide meaningful
feedback to development teams at the pre-proposal stage. In addition, the City
revised the municipal code to remove the Design Review Committee and re-
allocated the role of the Board to other bodies of decision.
42: Zoning Text and Map
Revisions
Complete strategic revisions to the San
Rafael Zoning Ordinance to better
achieve Housing Element objectives.
2026 The City will be initiating a comprehensive zoning code update in 2025.
43: Revisions to Parking
Standards
Complete an evaluation of residential off-
street parking standards to reduce
parking as a housing development
expense.
2023
The City complies with all state requirements related to parking standards and
continues to provide parking reductions for residential and mixed-use projects
that incorporate bicycle parking, e-bikes, and parking lifts.
44: Monitoring of
Approved Development
Projects
Convene regularly-scheduled meetings
with residential developers following
project entitlement to identify any issues
impacting project schedules and actions
the City can take to address regulatory
or permitting constraints.
Ongoing
The Community and Economic Development Director, planning and housing
staff continued to communicate with and outreach to residential developers to
help facilitate projects in the development pipeline. Some projects that stalled
post-entitlement are now making progress toward building permit issuance.
