Court Finds Bay Area County Met Obligation In Lawsuit Filed By Local Housing Policy Critic

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The Marin County Superior Court ruled Wednesday that the County of Marin has met its obligation in correcting changes made to the countywide plan to comply with a state housing mandate that a local man claimed violated state law.

The lawsuit filed by Bruce Corcoran, of Strawberry, claimed Marin County changed the housing element of its countywide plan to significantly increase housing development in its unincorporated areas, with a target of 3,569 new residences between 2022 and 2030. This goal represented a more than 17-fold increase compared to the 185 units assigned for the 2015-2022 period.

In response to the lawsuit of Corcoran vs. County of Marin, the County amended language in its housing plan concerning differing positions. On March 4, the Marin County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution that clarified language after working with Corcoran.

Unless Corcoran appeals, the Wednesday ruling will conclude the case.

The lawsuit stated that state law “requires that the countywide plan and elements and parts thereof comprise an integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies for the county of Marin.”

The countywide plan's original amendments enabled individual unincorporated communities to express their preferences regarding land use and development regulations, according to the lawsuit.

“Where there are differences in the level of specificity between a policy in the Community Plan and a policy in the Countywide Plan, the document with the more specific provision shall prevail,” the lawsuit stated.