The Corte Madera Town Council has called a 45-day “time out” to determine whether it needs to change zoning and building rules along Tamal Vista Boulevard.
The temporary moratorium will not affect the construction of the much-maligned apartment complex on the old WinCup property, but it does stall a proposal to tear down the Cinema theater, a local landmark, and build 30 homes on the property.
The furor generated by the construction of the apartment complex, which even the pro-business Marin Economic Forum calls “colossal,” has called into question the town’s building standards.
Neighbors of the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo took to the street this week to show their ire: They’re upset because they believe the seminary is not going to pay the town enough for drainage and other improvements as part of a major rebuilding project underway.
Martin has questioned the seminary’s estimate of the cost of the development project. The seminary estimates the cost at $15 million; but Martin believes it is closer to $20 million.
Martin said he found the $20 million estimate in a report that the Marin Economic Forum prepared for HartWest, the seminary’s construction consultant. Martin says projects of this kind are typically assessed 3 to 5 percent of the total construction cost to pay for frontage improvements. By that standard, Martin asserts the seminary should be assessed at least $600,000 to pay for frontage improvements.
The future of Novato-based Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., Marin’s fifth-largest employer, is in doubt following an announcement that one part of the company is being restructured and an earlier news report that the remainder of the company might be for sale.
Robert Eyler, head of the Marin Economic Forum and a professor at Sonoma State University, said it is difficult to say how the changes at Fireman’s Fund will affect Marin’s economy given the information available at this time.
“On the surface,” Eyler said, “it sounds like they may be reducing their local footprint or moving part of the footprint.”
But Eyler said sale of the personal lines businesses might not be a negative development for Marin if local companies were to acquire the business.
Nearly half the membership of Novato’s business improvement district voted to defund it last fall, and the controversy has prompted the question: Are such districts helping small businesses stay afloat?
Whether a BID can help small businesses stay alive depends on the situation, experts said.
“Generally speaking, BIDs are good things if merchants are struggling to market themselves,” said Robert Eyler, head of the Marin Economic Forum and a professor of economics at Sonoma State University.
“Novato and San Rafael (business improvement districts) are doing a good job,” Eyler said.
Marin leaders rejoiced at the news that the county was judged California’s best to live in, while remaining mindful that there is still room for improvement.
Rob Eyler, head of the Marin Economic Forum, offered a note of analysis in his response.
“I think it shows that Marin is not only attractive, but also a by-product of its location. There is likely wealth migrating in from San Francisco and the greater Bay Area looking for a more suburban existence,” Eyler said.
“This is where Marin’s housing market is very much related to the greater Bay Area as the most desirable place (weather, proximity to SF, amenities, schools) in a very desirable regional globally,” Eyler said.
We are so excited to announce the expansion of Working Solutions’ lending program in Marin County, in cooperation with the Marin Economic Forum!
With the generous help of partners Bank of Marin, First Bank, First Community Bank, Opus Bank, Presidio Bank, Redwood Credit Union and Wells Fargo, Working Solutions will draw on a $200,000 Marin-specific loan fund to aid individual Marin businesses and the economy at-large.
The launch was celebrated June 19th at First Bank’s offices, and featured speeches by Working Solutions clients Pure Earth Beauty and Maggiore Communications discussing their experiences.
Marin Economic Forum and Marin Business Forum are partnering to help each other reach more small businesses and provide more educational and networking opportunities throughout Marin County. The most recent Marin Business Forum event featured “Ultramarathonman” Dean Karnazes, and was reported in the North Bay Business Journal.
The next Marin Business Forum event is on April 3 – check back here for details.
The colossal apartment development set to finish early this year at the former WinCup plant might be the highest use of acreage that Corte Madera has seen. However, city officials say they were pressured to take action or face potential litigation from housing advocacy groups. They also say that the planner has given funds to the city to help for any traffic issues that may arise, although studies show that it will be no more congested than when WinCup was fully operational. The site will have 3,000 square feet of retail space and a half-acre private park, as well.
As 2014 begins, Marin Economic Forum continued working with the City of Novato to move forward a marketing effort for life-sciences businesses to grow and to come to Marin County. With commercial real estate rising in the Bay Area’s biotech centers, Marin County provides an attractive place to work and live for new and maturing businesses. The City of Novato, through their economic development office, has been the lead on an regional effort to look at this industry as a place of long-term business development and commercial real estate demand. Please contact MEF or the City of Novato for more information.
The State of California has certified the Marin Board of Supervisors’ latest housing plan, which outlines up to 30 units per acre of land along Highway 101. This key approval means the county can keep $3.7 million in transportation funds allocated to the unincorporated areas of the county, with more funds possible down the line. The housing density of 30 units per acre is a product of prior opposition from the state, declining approval for plans with less than 30 acres. Additionally, much of the land was already zoned for 30 units prior to this new density plan.
The colossal apartment development set to finish early this year at the former WinCup plant might be the highest use of acreage that Corte Madera has seen. However, city officials say they were pressured to take action or face potential litigation from housing advocacy groups. They also say that the planner has given funds to the city to help for any traffic issues that may arise, although studies show that it will be no more congested than when WinCup was fully operational. The site will have 3,000 square feet of retail space and a half-acre private park, as well.
The State of California has certified the Marin Board of Supervisors’ latest housing plan, which outlines up to 30 units per acre of land along Highway 101. This key approval means the county can keep $3.7 million in transportation funds allocated to the unincorporated areas of the county, with more funds possible down the line. The housing density of 30 units per acre is a product of prior opposition from the state, declining approval for plans with less than 30 acres. Additionally, much of the land was already zoned for 30 units prior to this new density plan.
