It is probably better late than
never, but the Corte Madera Town Council is holding public meetings to explain
mistakes made in its approval of a much-criticized 180-unit apartment complex
on the old WinCup site.
The meetings follow a Marin
County Civil Grand Jury report that takes the town to task for approving the
large development in a planning process that diverted from traditional planning
and, therefore, minimized public involvement in its approval.
Council members had said the
size and design of the development was a mistake, and even a surprise to some.
They also say that the council was forced into approving the development out of
fear of a budget-crushing lawsuit, unrealistic housing quotas that were later
deemed inaccurate and misleading advice from key town staff.
“A separate WinCup EIR would
have placed WinCup in the public domain for a more comprehensive environmental
analysis, a key process for citizen review and input,” the report says. “So,
the WinCup owner saved money and avoided greater exposure and scrutiny by the
public.”
Today, as construction of the
Tam Ridge Residences apartments reaches completion, the Town Council is looking
back and inviting “scrutiny by the public” as to what went wrong — or right.
The standing-room-only crowd at
Wednesday’s meeting was a sign of the public’s interest, interest that might
have been helpful if encouraged and heard before the development was approved.
The complex certainly has been
scrutinized since construction started. It has become the poster child of
anti-housing advocates. People have complained about its size and mass being
out of scale with Marin.
Its contribution to helping
Marin with its affordable housing needs is nominal given the project’s size.
There are worries that traffic
generated by Tamalpais Ridge will snarl Tamal Vista Boulevard, which is already
jammed when combined with traffic going to or leaving Redwood High School.
The Town Council is taking the
grand jury’s recommendations seriously and is going the extra mile in inviting
public discussion on this much-talked-about addition to Marin’s landscape.
Its public meetings are a step
in the right direction, though too late for this development. But the review is
not too late to make sure Town Hall sees the errors of its decision to deviate
from a tried and true planning process on which the public has relied.
Town Council members are
civic-spirited and well-meaning, but the process was a mistake — a big one, and
one that is permanent.
Maybe time will mellow its
impact on the landscape.
The council,
in response to the grand jury and public comment, should adopt strong policies
that make public review and involvement a priority and a requirement, and steer
clear of short cuts that minimize community participation.
September 5, 2015
Marin
Independent Journal
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