Proposed Novato Development To Go Before County Commission

NOVATO, CA — A proposed 80-unit Novato affordable housing development will go before a county commission next week without the blessings of county staff that reviewed the project.

A Marin County Airport Land Use Commission staff report released ahead of the Oct. 25 meeting described the proposed Habitat Redwood Boulevard project. The ALUC is made up of the Planning Commission plus two aviation representatives.

Habitat for Humanity wants to build 80 affordable units on the 13-acre property in northern Novato at 8161 Redwood Blvd., near a Days Inn hotel, the Buck Institute for Researching on Aging and a Birkenstock warehouse.

But the project in the estimation of county staff is inconsistent with the Airport Land Use Plan, according to the staff report.

The report said the entirety of the development is located within a designated Traffic Zone where no new residential development should be allowed.

The proposed development does not meet the standards for two exemptions to the plan, according to the staff report.

“The entire property (8161 Redwood Boulevard) and the proposed project are entirely located within the Traffic Zone. Therefore, it is not possible to develop the property outside of the Traffic Zone,” the staff report said.

Should the commission reject the proposal, the Novato City Council could override the county agency’s ruling.

The commission doesn’t have the authority to approve or deny such applications, the staff report said.