County Second Community Meeting - Coast Guard w/a representative for Rep.. Jared Huffman & Supervisor Dennis Rodoni

From Marin County Community Development Agency

We are getting ready for Thursday’s public listening session on how to turn the closed U.S. Coast Guard property in Point Reyes Station into affordable homes. The session starts at 6:30 p.m. in West Marin School’s large gymnasium (11550 State Route 1). We’d like to share with you more about what we have in store before, during, and after this bilingual meeting.

We’ll have presentation materials in English and Spanish online at www.marincounty.org/coastguard. At the meeting, there will be remarks by Supervisor Dennis Rodoni and a representative of Congressman Jared Huffman followed by a panel discussion, all translated into Spanish. The meeting will be streamed live on YouTube and archived in its entirety for later viewing. If you’d like to follow this issue, subscribe to receive e-mailed updates about the Coast Guard property from the County of Marin.

Light snacks and child care will be provided at the large gym at the West Marin School during the session and starting at 6:00 p.m. We hope you’ll join us. We will be listening!

OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY INPUT  - County Coast Guard Second Community Meeting July 12, 2018 6:30 PM Large Gym, West Marin School
In response to feedback from the first community meeting on April 30, 2018, the Coast Guard Advisory Working Group and CDA will host a meeting dedicated primarily to listening to ideas and answering questions on the project. A short presentation addressing questions from the previous meeting will be included. Participation in both Spanish and English is encouraged, and interpretation services will be available.
Subscribe to the Coast Guard housing listserv to receive updates on this meeting.
Child care and light snacks will be provided but food and drink are not permitted inside the gym. Please arrive early to enjoy a hot tamale before the meeting begins.

From CLAM E.D. Kim Thompson

Dear CLAM members, Community Members, and Friends,

I’m writing to ask you to consider attending an important meeting next Thursday, July 12th, at 6:30 pm.

This will be the second meeting hosted by the County of Marin to gather the community’s input for the Coast Guard property, and will take place at the West Marin School in the large gym.

A lot of people were frustrated after the first meeting in April, so it might be easy to dismiss this second opportunity to give input. But that would be a mistake. The July 12th meeting is designed to be a listening session.

Please go – and encourage others to join you.

Voice your vision for this property and raise your questions.

After this meeting, the County will open a bidding process to affordable housing developers for the Coast Guard property.

There’s important reasons to stay engaged. Here’s some questions at stake:

What will be the community’s input in the County’s selection process for the developer?  

What criteria will be used to measure a developer’s relationship to this community, or a developer’s capacity to effectively engage West Marin toward the success of this project?

Many people think that CLAM’s eventual ownership is a foregone conclusion. But that is not the case! In fact, CLAM will likely be in competition with others. What role do you want your local community land trust to play in the Coast Guard neighborhood?

CLAM’s vision is for the community to own this neighborhood, and to ensure it benefits West Marin for generations to come. This is what a community land trust is all about! It's a community's way to acquire land and housing for the long-term benefit of the community.

In other words, CLAM is the community’s home-grown developer. For the Coast Guard project, CLAM will also have a development partner that brings depth of experience for properties of this size. As a community land trust, CLAM will create paths for the community to be involved in the Coast Guard property every step of the way.

Is this a part of your vision too?

Bring your thoughts to the County of Marin’s July 12th meeting, 6:30, West Marin School, large gym.

We can’t thank you enough for what, together, we have accomplished so far!

Kim Thompson

Executive Director

CLAM

Community Land Trust Association of West Marin

PS: Do you have questions? Please give me a call: 415-663-1005, Mon-Fri, 9:00am – 5:00pm.

PPS: You’ll see the CLAM staff and board team at the County’s meeting on Thursday. We won’t be talking; we’ll be listening. And we’ll back in touch with you before we submit a proposal to the County to invite your support!