Another Plan to Limit Housing

 

 

by Elissa Giambastiani, President

San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Editorial in their newsletter of 1-01-01

 

On November 30 of last year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service held a public meeting at the Hamilton Officers Club in Novato to receive comments on a proposal to create a 17,600 acre Marin Baylands National Wildlife Refuge.

 

According to a Marin Independent Journal article, approximately 100 people attended the meeting. Unfortunately, most of the people in attendance were members of environmental groups. None of the other community organizations had been notified about the meeting. The presenters did not hear from business or housing representatives. Nor did they hear from many of the property owners who were unaware of the meeting.

 

The proposed refuge area takes in huge portions of Novato and the entire St. Vincent’s and Silveria’s properties as well as the Marin Airport and Canalways properties in San Rafael and sections of Corte Madera and Mill Valley.

 

The City of San Rafael and the County of Marin recently concluded an 18 month joint planning process for the St. Vincent’s/Silveira properties. The task force recommendations include preservation of all environmentally sensitive areas and development of the property west of the railroad tracks for a compact mixed-used community. Approximately 70% of the land will be preserved.

 

The Chamber has been very supportive of the development, because it is our best chance to create a significant amount of workforce housing. The City of San Rafael is required by the State to build approximately 2,000 housing units during the next six years. The St. Vincent’s/Silveira properties offer our best opportunity for new housing.

 

We sent a protest letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife regarding their poor public notification process for the meeting and asked for a second public meeting so that other community groups could register their opinions. I received a call from Cathy Osugi, a wildlife biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service who is responsible for coordinating comments regarding the proposed refuge. I asked her whether or not the boundaries for the refuge had been delineated by Marin County environmental groups, and she responded affirmatively.

 

Although the properties cannot be “taken” by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, setting up a wildlife refuge does several things. It makes it easier for groups to get grants to purchase the land, and it sets up a false impression that the public will acquire the lands in the future. More importantly, it devalues the land, because prospective buyers of the property will know that they will face environmental lawsuits immediately.

 

The Chamber is supportive of wetlands preservation. However, it does not support the inclusion of non-wetlands areas that have been designated for development in a wildlife refuge. If you share our opinion, please phone, fax or email your comments to:

    

Cathie Osugi, Wildlife Biologist

     U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

     Division of Refuge Planning

     911 N.E. 11th Avenue

     Portland, OR 97232   Phone: (800) 662-8933; Fax: (503) 231-6161;

email: HYPERLINK mailto:fw1planningcomments@fws.gov

 

You should also send your comments to Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey at Fax: (202) 225-5163 or email:  HYPERLINK mailto:lynn.woolsey@mail.house.gov lynn.woolsey@mail.house.gov.

 

Our shortage of workforce housing is critical. We cannot allow housing opportunity sites to be taken away from us. Please send your comments to U.S. Fish and Wildlife today.

 

Postscript:

Due to a number of complaints about the lack of notification for the November hearing, U.S. Fish and Wildlife has agreed to hold another public hearing in late April or early May.