Marin IJ
August 6, 2007

After 6 years and 100 meetings, Loch Lomond project OK'd
by Tad Whitaker

Developers won unanimous approval Monday night for a proposal to redevelop San Rafael's Loch Lomond Marina.

The City Council approved zoning changes and other requirements needed by Sausalito's Thompson Dorfman Partners, which has worked for six years to win permission for the project. About 35 people attended the meeting, far fewer than past sessions that drew capacity crowds at City Hall.

"We're going to have a project that will serve our community," Mayor Al Boro said.

No opponents of the project spoke during the hearing, although several gathered outside to commiserate after to the vote.

Loch Lomond resident Paul Clark said there was never any doubt the council would approve the project, no matter how hard residents fought it. He pointed out that the council had to rezone the entire property and amend the city's 20-year plan for the project to be legal.

"This was a public giveaway," he said.

The Village at Loch Lomond Marina will include 81 residential units, 22,250 square feet of commercial space, a new full-service grocery store and a shoreline park. The boat marina would remain.

Details of the plan also include 16 dry-dock boat parking spaces that could be eliminated later if parking is tight, a provision to add a second entrance to the development if one is needed later, modifications to the facade of second-story townhouses so they will have notched corners, and a designated area for fishermen to clean their catch.

Most of Monday's meeting centered on the design of townhouses in the development's entrance and the trigger for discussing the possible second entrance is needed.

Council members Gary Phillips and Paul Cohen supported installing the second vehicle entrance immediately because so many people in the area asked for it. But there wasn't enough support from the other three members.

Cohen said he is content with the result because, upon the project's completion, there will be a four-year window in which the council has authority to hold public meetings on the second entrance if the need is there.

"The council has the option to call for a discussion at any time," he said.

David Israel, the principal in charge of the project for BAR Architects, said the firm has already planned for the construction costs should the second entrance be required.

"The funds are already set aside," he said.

All five council members praised developers for reducing the visual density of a pair of townhouses immediately inside the development to prevent a "canyon-like" corridor.

"It's very good," Councilwoman Barbara Heller said.

Afterward, a visibly relieved Israel said it felt good to finally receive approval after 28 public hearings and 100 community meetings.

He said there is no time frame yet as to when construction would begin because designers have been so focused on changing the project to win approval.

"It was quite a process," Israel said.