Passage of Coast Guard bill clears way for new affordable housing in Point Reyes Station

February 02, 2016

Passage of a bill in the House of Representatives has paved the way for the U.S. Coast Guard to sell surplus quarters in Point Reyes Station to the county of Marin at fair market value for use as affordable housing.

The Coast Guard Authorization Act, which will now go to President Barack Obama for his signature, requires that the Coast Guard offer to sell its 30-acre Point Reyes Station housing site to Marin County at fair market value for use as permanent affordable housing. The housing site includes 36 homes, picnic areas, trails, a dining hall, tennis courts and other facilities.

“It gives the county and the community and our housing advocates everything they need to move forward with this golden opportunity,” said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who helped secure House passage of the bill Monday. “Housing can be a contentious issue in Marin County but in this solution we’ve found an opportunity to do it in a consensus manner to meet a genuine need for workforce and affordable housing.”

A Coast Guard representative told the county in August that an environmental assessment and financial appraisal of the property would be needed before negotiations could commence. The Community Land Trust Association of West Marin is conducting a feasibility study for project development at the site.

The market value of the Coast Guard site has not yet been determined, but the property’s cost may not be prohibitively expensive for the county. The property lacks sewer service and is not zoned for commercial or residential use.


Source: by Richard Halstead