Massive Seminary Housing Development Plan Nears Final Stages

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The final environmental review for a proposed development that would bring hundreds of housing units to the former Golden Gate Theological Seminary property is now available to the public, Marin County officials announced Monday.

The proposal for the site on the county’s unincorporated Strawberry peninsula is available for public viewing and open for feedback through Jan. 26.

The old seminary site renovation would be the county’s largest private development project in many years. The 127-acre property off Seminary Drive is owned by North Coast Land Holdings LLC, which purchased the land after the seminary moved in 2015.

The proposal includes construction of a new residential care facility with up to 100 independent and 50 assisted living and memory care apartments for older adults, and 337 single- and multi-family residential units that would replace a majority of the existing housing. Seventy of the proposed residential units would be reserved as below-market-rate housing.

Additionally, 70 percent of the project site area would consist of open space, trails and opportunities for recreation such as playing fields and playgrounds.

The developer is also seeking approval for a daycare and fitness center that would be open to the public.

The final environmental impact report released for review includes responses to about 160 public comment letters, including oral testimony at a public hearing, on issues such as land use, project alternatives, geotechnical concerns, storm drain systems, and traffic and transportation impacts, according to the county.

The initial draft report for the property showed that the proposed project would result in significant and unavoidable impacts related to greenhouse gas emissions, temporary construction noise and vehicle miles traveled, according to the county.

After additional study and analysis, which included consideration of public comments, the final report identified no new impacts, and none of the conclusions in the draft report significantly changed, according to the county.

Marin County Community Development Agency staff will bring recommendations regarding the certification of the final report and approval of the project to the County Planning Commission in March. The commission will then make a recommendation for a Board of Supervisors decision. A final review by the Board of Supervisors is expected by late spring.

To view the final report, visit www.marincounty.gov/departments/cda/planning/environmental-planning/current-ceqa-projects/north-coast-land-holdings-llc-environmental-impact-report.