1515 4th Street Will Provide Walkable, Affordable Housing
This is the type of project that San Rafael and Marin County needs to solve its housing crisis and to reduce car dependency and greenhouse emissions. It will provide 162 housing units to local workers who are currently forced to commute long distances, and it is in a walkable area near transit. This project will make an important contribution to Downtown San Rafael’s vitality.
The proposed height and density of this project are important environmental benefits. The smaller footprint on land uses less water and energy than a lower density design. This project will have just a fraction of the environmental impact than 162 single-family homes would.
The project is consistent with the Downtown Precise plan including the development standards and massing and facade articulation in the form-based code. The Downtown Precise Plan was developed and adopted specifically to encourage higher density mixed use development. The architecture is attractive and will be a visual asset to Downtown.
We are particularly pleased that this project includes 13 apartments affordable to very low-income households. Very low-income households the most difficult to provide with affordable housing. The developer is getting significant benefit from the Downtown Precise Plan, the Housing Accountability Act and SB35, all of which we support. We encourage Monahan Pacific to offer three more units at affordable rents to meet the 10% inclusionary requirement.