Sausalito seeks public collaboration on housing projects

Sausalito has launched new public communications efforts to shape two city-led affordable housing projects.

“The essence of what is being proposed … is appropriate, significant, meaningful public engagement from the people who have spoken out and made suggestions on how they would like to see that happen,” Mayor Steven Woodside at the City Council meeting on Jan. 6.

The two-pronged effort will influence the requests for proposals to develop a 50-apartment complex at the edge of Martin Luther King Jr. Park and a 31-residence project at the city corporation yard.

The locations were among a dozen parcels rezoned by voters in November. The MLK site, the focus of Measure K, generated opposition from neighbors. The complex would replace a city-owned building that has artist studios.

The first outreach effort came last month after two City Council members, Joan Cox and Melissa Blaustein, created a committee to oversee the affordable housing projects. They asked proponents and opponents of the MLK Park project, and appointees from city advisory boards, panels to join them, according to Blaustein.

“There were a number of suggestions and recommendations, specifically with regards to transparency in the process of deciding what does and does not go into the RFP,” Blaustein told the council, referring to the request for proposals. “And the direction for the type of development that we want to see.”

The city’s ownership of the land gives it more authority to shape the developments. But it still faces state-imposed deadlines.

The project’s next deadline is issuing a “notice of availability” or a request for proposals to developers by March. The committee plans to meet biweekly and monitor the projects, starting with weighing in on the RFP guidelines, Cox said.

At the council meeting, Blaustein presented a plan from the Friends of MLK Park, which opposed the project, to collaborate with city planning staff. The group proposed holding two public workshops managed by city planners — not councilmembers.

The first workshop would be held this month, and city staff would assess the options. A session in February would refine them.

During the public comment period of the meeting, residents weighed in on both housing proposals.

“This approach does respect mandated timelines while giving residents a real voice,” said Michella Mokalla, who has opposed the MLK project.

“That should help us get to a better solution that can hopefully involve many of the concerns that we’ve heard,” said Aaron Nathan, another critic.

Addressing the corporation yard site on Nevada Street, John Gavin suggested the city look at manufactured housing, or homes partly assembled offsite.

“There’s been a great stride in the technology,” he said. “Modular housing can really help move the needle on scale and affordability.”

During staff presentations, it became clear the city was more likely to find a development partner if it offered both parcels in one RFP.

During followup questions and discussion, Councilmember Jill Hoffman asked where a third parcel designated by the city for affordable housing — a lot at MLK Park owned by the Sausalito Marin City School District — fit into the planning and public engagement efforts.

Brendan Phipps, the planning director, and Sergio Rudin, the city attorney, said the municipality’s input is limited because it does not own the land.

Phipps said if the school district doesn’t develop the site, the city would have to find another site to satisfy the state’s housing quota.

The discussion concluded with the council unanimously supporting the public process suggested by Friends of MLK Park.