This blog post breaks down a new regional strategy that’s making the rounds among Marin County planners. They’re looking at forming a housing subregion to tackle California’s next mandate, instead of leaving all 11 municipalities scrambling solo.
The state wants Marin County and its incorporated towns to plan for more than 14,000 new homes—affordable at various income levels—by 2031. Right now, none of the jurisdictions are on track.
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By 2028, officials hope to decide whether to create a Marin-wide subregion (or maybe a smaller, contiguous group). This could let them tailor the allocation plan locally, maybe save some money, and hang onto a bit more local control.
Why Marin towns are considering a regional housing subregion
The push for a subregion shows both hope and worry among Marin’s cities, towns, and County Supervisors. Working together could make planning easier, match development with climate goals, and cut down on those massive consultant bills—Marin has spent about $10 million on outside experts this cycle.
But there’s a catch. If local leaders can’t agree on where to put over 14,000 new homes, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) might just step in and decide for them, which would mean less local say. The rules also block southern Marin “hot spots” from shuffling all growth north; instead, places can deprioritize sites at risk from sea level rise or wildfire, as long as everyone still meets the regional requirement.
How the proposed subregion would operate
At its core, the subregion concept lets Marin’s towns share a single, locally crafted allocation methodology. The plan might include all of Marin or just a few neighboring communities.
They’d set up a governance structure for joint decision-making, but each town would still keep real local control. The main goal? Coordinate redevelopment in underperforming commercial districts, cross-border parcels, and neighborhoods that need reinvestment.
No more scattershot approaches to housing, parking, and transit. Officials in towns like San Rafael, Novato, and Fairfax are already brainstorming practical steps.
This sort of regional framework could unlock new synergies in infill development. It might even streamline environmental review and help bring in state or regional grants for projects that benefit several towns at once.
But, as always, this is Marin. Top priorities include aligning growth with sea level rise projections in Tamalpais-age hillside zones and keeping an eye on vulnerable corridors around Sausalito and Tiburon.
- Key potential benefits
- Lower long-term planning costs by sharing staff and consultants. That’s real economies of scale for Marin’s 11 towns.
- More power to redevelop stagnant commercial sites and attract investment—think downtown Novato, San Rafael’s Canal area, and Larkspur’s town center.
- Consistent standards for affordability, environmental review, and infrastructure timing across Marin’s coastline and inland hillsides.
- Key concerns and challenges
- How do you keep local control and avoid a cookie-cutter plan that ignores Marin’s unique spots, from Belvedere’s shoreline to Fairfax’s hillsides?
- State oversight could get tricky if towns can’t agree, possibly delaying grants or approvals.
- Finding the right balance between climate resilience and housing goals isn’t easy. Towns need to deprioritize wildfire-prone or sea-level-rise-threatened sites but still hit regional quotas.
Local examples are already shaping the conversation. Backyard infill, a proposed 1,300-home project on the old Fireman’s Fund campus in Novato, and some controversial apartment developments in San Rafael and Fairfax are all on people’s minds.
Advocates say that growth tied to Marin’s climate and conservation priorities could make for stronger communities and better public facilities. Towns that plan well and work together seem more likely to win state and regional grants, which makes this subregion idea pretty appealing for those chasing both funding and resilience.
A subcommittee of mayors and councilmembers might take up the issue soon. Fairfax Mayor Stephanie Hellman says the council of mayors will revisit the recommendation at a future meeting.
If Marin finds a shared path, towns from Belvedere to San Anselmo and Mill Valley to Corte Madera could write a new chapter in regional growth. Maybe they’ll protect waterfronts, keep open space, and still let each town decide how housing reshapes Marin’s coastline and hillside neighborhoods.
Here is the source article for this story: Marin governments urged to consider housing alliance
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