Summary
It's too early to tell exactly what the Trammell Crow development proposal will look like-and what resemblance it will have to the Monahan Pacific idea-but one thing is certain, according to [Peter Brandon]. "It will include a market." Brandon says that in addition, the new development proposal most probably will include a coffee shop. "That's a no-brainer." He also has an idea that may look good to the many artists who live in the area. Brandon says it may be possible to add artists' studios to the mix, offering something like the spaces artists use on the other side of the freeway on Smith Ranch Road. ([Alex Hinds] says the county will continue to encourage a mix of market-rate, affordable and workforce housing on the site, which is a county housing overlay zone.) Brandon says he's looking forward to meeting with his "neighbors and friends" to discuss the issues before going to the county to begin creating the new project.
[Frank Nelson] says he thinks the entrance of Trammell Crow sounds "very positive." But, he cautions, "The proof is in the pudding." Nelson adds that he and other development task force members, as well as the community as a whole, are ready "to be good listeners." The one item they are listening for most closely is the inclusion of a market in the final plans. But they also are keeping an eye on the number of housing units. At least some residents are concerned about the traffic the housing units will generate. "This project could become a poster child for a sustainability project," says Nelson, "but the [100-unit maximum housing element in the Countywide Plan] really exceeds the capacity of the site."To underscore the local connection, Trammell Crow has hired architect Bill Hansell to work on plans for the plaza. Hansell worked on the task force that helped create the original cooperative development concept. (He also serves on the Marinwood Community Services District.) Projects like Marinwood Plaza "often go sideways for a little while," says Hansell, referring to the stutter-start history of the Marinwood Plaza plan. "But [Brandon] coming on now with Trammell Crow is kind of like a regeneration of [the project]." The participation of local residents Brandon and Hansell, along with the innovative, cooperative approach that began from the start of the planning process, has a good chance to "bring something special to this project," says Hansell, who adds that plans for a renewed Marinwood Plaza should "create something unique to Marinwood. The concept for the ideas will develop right out of the site rather than have some cookie-cutter thing just plopped down [from outside the community]."See the full content of this document
Extract
This Little Plaza Went to Market
Prospects for a model mixed-use project in Marinwood got a big boost just before Christmas when the owner of a deteriorating strip mall signed a sales agreement with a huge real estate and investment firm.
The deal came as a surprise to many, even members of a local task force that has been working with the county and the property owner to transform Marinwood Plaza from a strip mall with vandalized and mostly empty buildings into a focal point for this neighborhood tucked into the valley between Terra Linda and Novato. For the last few years, ...See the full content of this document
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