Strawberry Development In Line For Planning Commission Review In Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, CA — A major proposed development on Marin County’s Strawberry peninsula is moving toward a review by the Marin County Planning Commission.

Preview materials for the planned renovation of the former Golden Gate Theological Seminary site are now available online. The project, including the final environmental impact report, will be addressed at two upcoming Planning Commission meetings.

A project overview, scheduled for March 2, will provide background on the multi-year development effort. On March 30, the Planning Commission is scheduled to consider making a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors regarding certification of the final EIR and project approval.

North Coast Land Holdings LLC proposes developing 101 acres of its 127-acre Seminary Drive property across nine parcels. This major project includes a new residential care facility with up to 100 independent and 50 assisted/memory care apartments, plus 336 new single- and multi-family residential units (replacing most existing housing), with 70 units designated as below-market-rate.

Both meetings will take place in Marin Center’s Showcase Theater, 20 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. The theater is the temporary location for many County meetings while audio-video upgrades are made to the Board of Supervisors’ chamber at the Civic Center.

The project comes as Marin and the state face a housing crisis, contributing to higher living costs and increased homelessness. Marin County demographics show one-third of the population will be age 65 or older within the next few years, and the county currently has one of the highest median resident ages in the state.

The applicant has submitted applications for a community plan amendment, a master plan, design review, a vesting tentative map, a master use permit, and a tree removal permit. Due to the number of affordable residential units proposed, the development qualifies for consideration under state housing laws.

North Coast Land Holdings purchased the land after the seminary relocated to Southern California in 2015. Residents unaffiliated with the college have been occupying housing constructed on the site since the 1980s.

The Marin County Community Development Agency prepared the staff report and recommendations for the Planning Commission meeting. A final review by the Board of Supervisors is expected sometime this summer.

The draft EIR, completed in July 2024, found that the Strawberry development would have significant, unavoidable impacts regarding greenhouse gas emissions, temporary construction noise, and vehicle miles traveled.

As an unincorporated area, the project requires a state-mandated environmental review, as well as public hearings before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, rather than ministerial approval.