ISSUES:

Marin County's DRAFT Housing Element (a state mandated document that plans to meet the existing and projected housing needs of Unincorporated Marin) promotes excessive high-density housing by planning for over 200% more housing units than required by law and by including programs geared to housing developments that could:

- Greatly increase density by changing the definition of a "unit", such as calculating studios and one-bedroom apartments as fractions of units;

- Dramatically raise height limits - up to 45 feet (similar to the WinCup Apartments);

- Cluster housing units at 30 units per acre even in single family neighborhoods;

- Reduce onsite parking and force residents to park on crowded streets or in public parking areas that are meant for other purposes;

- Promote streamlined or ministerial "over-the-counter" permit review; thereby significantly limiting public input and thorough review; and

- Allow the number of units in traffic impact areas to exceed pre-established housing unit CAPs.

CONSEQUENCES:

The Housing Element promotes an excessive number of high-density housing developments with even greater potential density, height, and size than currently allowed. Such densification and the ensuing population growth would increase the risk of adverse impacts on the environment, public health and safety, traffic congestion, infrastructure, utilites (water supply), public services (schools), views, sunlight, privacy, and neighborhood character. Streamlined and ministerial "over-the-counter" permit review of housing projects would hinder thorough and accurate review, constrain valuable public input on planning decisions, and reduce transparency, thereby diminishing the quality and safety of the developments.

TAKE ACTION:

Please sign this petition to urge the Marin County Board of Supervisors to act now to revise the 2015 to 2023 DRAFT Marin County Housing Element and:

1. Reduce the number of sites and housing units identified in the Housing Element's Site Inventory; and

2. Eliminate the above-referenced detrimental Housing Element programs.