San Rafael eyes Terra Linda property for purchase
San Rafael is in negotiations to purchase a 2.3-acre parcel where 45 condominiums had been planned in Terra Linda.
City Manager Cristine Alilovich, Assistant City Manager John Stefanski and Community Services Director Daniel Cooperman participated in a closed session negotiation on March 17 with representatives of the property owners. The site is at 350 Merrydale Road/3833 Redwood Highway.
Neither Mayor Kate Colin nor city officials would comment on the city’s reason for seeking the property.
“The city and the mayor’s statement is that there was a noticed closed session regarding the property address,” Alilovich said. “Under the Brown Act, the city is forbidden from disclosing any information about what was discussed during the closed session, because there was no reportable action under the act.”
The condo plan fizzled, Stefanski said, because “there were both financial and design concerns which led them to not pursue the project.”
He declined to elaborate, and the developer, Michael Hooper, could not be reached for comment.
The property is south of the Northgate mall, and its eastern border abuts Highway 101. The neighborhood includes a mixture of houses, apartments and commercial properties, with a SMART train station and several bus stops nearby.
The developer, Campus Property Group, gained approval in 2020 to demolish three one-story buildings on the property and construct nine three-story buildings. The plan included 41 three-story townhouses and four two-story condominiums. Each of the homes was to be offered for sale.
The plan was to offer 20% of the homes at below-market rates. Five were to be sold at rates affordable to low-income households and four at moderate-income rates. At the time, it was expected that construction would be completed by summer 2022.
The city has been looking for property to continue its efforts to find housing for homeless people.
The city jointly applied with Marin County and the Bolinas Community Land Trust for $18 million from the state Encampment Resolution Funding Program. The funds were awarded last March, and San Rafael received nearly $6 million to address the camp along Mahon Creek.
“In addition to taking the steps to implementing the city’s camping regulations and sanctioned camping program, we are working to identify a location for the second phase of the Encampment Resolution Funding Program Grant,” the city’s website says. “This second phase will fund the creation of an interim shelter solution that may take the form of a tiny home village similar to what has been implemented in other jurisdictions.”
City officials would not confirm whether the property is being considered for such use.