Marin supervisor: Coast Guard to give county dibs on housing site

August 30, 2015

Federal officials are interested in giving the county first crack at acquiring surplus Coast Guard quarters in Point Reyes Station for low-income housing regardless of what happens with legislation requiring them to do so.

While a bill by Rep. Jared Huffman giving the county a leg up on buying the complex already has been approved by the House and is expected to get the blessing of the Senate, recent talks with federal officials indicate the county will be first in line in any event, Supervisor Steve Kinsey reported.

“While legislation is the only mechanism to ensure that Marin has exclusive rights to negotiate for a purchase ... federal representatives from both the Coast Guard and the General Services Administration ... expressed a willingness to act in that way” in light of an impressive amount of community encouragement to do so, Kinsey said.

Kinsey said he attended a meeting in which “the Coast Guard representative was clear that they would negotiate with the county.” Kinsey said the Coast Guard’s evaluation of environmental issues and an appraisal of fair market value are needed before negotiations begin.

“So, while Marin is in a strong position regarding acquisition, it is not on a fast track,” he added.

Huffman called the turn of events a good sign.

“We are hoping the United States Coast Guard sees the writing on the wall with our bill moving forward, and is now interested in working things out with the county directly, which would be great,” Huffman said. “Either way, the bill is well positioned and I’m optimistic we can get it to the president’s desk in one form or another this year or early next year at the latest.”

Monica Pech, a General Services Administration project manager, declined comment. A Coast Guard spokesman with knowledge of the agency’s property plan could not be reached.

In a program that has wide support from the community, Huffman’s legislation would allow the county to acquire the 30-acre site near downtown Point Reyes Station at fair market value.

Huffman has said his legislation would allow working families to stay in the region in existing housing “without impacting the existing landscape.” The plan could lead to rehabilitation of 36 residences.

The complex includes a dormitory, commercial kitchen, meeting room, dining hall, administrative offices and outdoor recreation facilities. It features picnic areas, a playground, pool, tennis courts, trails and creek access as well as a path leading to West Marin School.

The Coast Guard initially wanted to auction the surplus property to the highest bidder. Under the legislation, an appraisal would set a fair value for the parcel, which lacks sewer service, requiring waste to be hauled out.

No detailed estimate of what the facility might cost the county or what a funding package would involve has been made public.

The Point Reyes community has rallied around the idea of converting the facility into an affordable family complex. The proposal has been championed by CLAM, the Community Land Trust Association of West Marin, which has worked on it for several years.

“CLAM, West Marin’s housing trust, deserves credit for building widespread support,” Kinsey said. “I’m especially proud and grateful that West Marin residents recognize the intrinsic value of having a broad spectrum of housing choices that meet the needs of the community.”

Kinsey said Marin’s housing situation is in a “crisis state for most renters, regardless of their income,” and that while no single project will resolve the problem, “this unique opportunity will contribute enormously.”

Affordable housing opportunities in West Marin have vanished amid skyrocketing prices, restrictive zoning, a web of regulations and speculators who snap up homes as vacation rentals.


Source: By Nels Johnson