San Rafael planners release final mall redevelopment EIR

San Rafael officials have released the final environmental impact report on the massive housing plan for the Northgate mall.

The hefty, 1,480-page report examines the potential effects of the proposal for 1,422 homes mixed with shops and restaurants at the 45-acre site in Terra Linda.

Despite revised plans being submitted late in the game, the report says the changes “do not add significant new information” and “would not substantially change the construction and operational impacts.”

The report is consistent with a draft assessment released in January stating that greenhouse gas emissions and noise generated by the project would be “significant and unavoidable.”

Like the draft report, the final EIR, or FEIR, examines three other project alternatives, including a “no-project” option. In conclusion, the report says the “reduced residential alternative” — which proposes 63 fewer homes than what developers are seeking — would be the “environmentally superior alternative.”

The option would “slightly reduce” the effects on air quality, emissions, energy, noise and vehicle trip generation, the report says.

However, the report maintains that a list of required construction and mitigation measures would need to be followed to minimize disruptions.

The report says the reduced residential alternative would meet the stated project objectives just with 63 fewer homes.

April Talley, the city’s project director, said the Planning Commission is being asked to recommend certification of the document. Certification means the city finds the EIR has met requirements set by the California Environmental Quality Act, Talley said.

“It is independent of the decision whether to approve the project, and approving certification does not necessarily mean project approval,” Talley said.

“California law requires that before considering whether to approve a project, the city must complete the environmental review process,” Talley said. “Certification of the EIR allows the city to proceed with review and consideration of the project.”

The Planning Commission is set to consider the EIR when it meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall. An endorsement would be sent to the City Council for certification.

“Every aspect of the plan has been carefully evaluated to transform Northgate from a declining suburban mall into a dynamic, mixed-use town center,” said Ross Guehring, spokesperson for mall owner and developer Merlone Geier Partners.

“We are eager to move forward to the final review phase, bringing us one step closer to creating a vibrant new gathering place for San Rafael,” he said.

Merlone Geier Partners bought the mall in 2017. The company is proposing to begin phase one construction in 2025, followed by phase two in 2040.

The project would include six residential parcels with a mix of townhomes and apartments. Buildings would range from two to seven stories.

The proposal has become the poster child for the push of high-density housing in Marin, as municipalities are working to meet daunting state housing requirements.

Some residents are for it, but the vocal majority lining up at City Hall to state their views say the project is too big for the quiet residential neighborhood.

One group that has consistently raised concerns is the nonprofit Responsible Growth in Marin.

In an email, Grace Geraghty, executive director of the group, said it appreciates the staff for holding workshops and welcoming public comments, but said “we are disheartened by the dismissive tone of the FEIR.”

The report includes staff and consultant responses to public letters and in-person comments. Critics raised concerns about traffic, noise, emissions, emergency access and evacuations. They also say police and fire departments, schools and other agencies could be overburdened.

Geraghty said the staff and consultant responses in the report are “misleading, at times deceptive, and disregard the legitimate and real concerns … of the existing community whose lives will be negatively impacted for years to come.”

“These lingering concerns of the community deserve sincere engagement and resolution rather than a whitewash,” Geraghty said.

Members of the Marin Organizing Committee, an advocacy group, have a different perspective. Linda Haumann, a volunteer with the organization, said there is a housing crisis and the mall is declining. Haumann said the developer has been responsive to community concerns by making revisions along the way.

For example, Haumann said, the developers are planning to spread 143 designated affordable apartments and homes throughout the site rather than group a majority of the lower-income dwellings in one complex. That change was in response to concerns that a standalone complex for low-income households would segregate the community.

Some of those affordable homes will be for sale, while others would be rentals. Expanding the homeownership opportunities at affordable levels was another response to public comments, Haumann said.

Additionally, the centerpiece “town square” feature was expanded to be 57,000 square feet after critics said there wasn’t enough recreation space.

“We need to move forward, to build more housing for our workforce and those in Marin who need a place to call home,” Haumann said. “The bottom line is, if we want our teachers, our EMTs, our health care workers to live closer to where they work, we need more housing.”

More project information is at cityofsanrafael.org/northgate-town-square-rev/.