San Rafael apartment plan switches to seniors’ housing
A controversial plan for an 80-foot-tall, 162-apartment building in downtown San Rafael has been swapped for a seniors’ complex of the same size, but with more rooms.
Monahan Pacific, a San Rafael development firm, won approval for the apartment project last year amid complaints from community members — including an appeal to the City Council — that the complex was too big and out of character for the West End neighborhood.
The San Rafael Planning Commission voted 4-0 on July 23 to approve a use permit, with several conditions, enabling the development team to make the switch to a seniors’ complex instead.
The new project at 1515 Fourth St., between E and Shaver streets, will provide 155 independent and assisted living dwellings, plus 28 secured memory care rooms.
Part of the reason for the change of plans came down to financing, said Tom Monahan, president of Monahan Pacific.
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Interest rates spiked, and it became a difficult project to underwrite, he said. Because the seniors housing model provides both residences and care, the developer was able to pencil out the finances.
“The other direction is to try to make the project bigger and to change the economics that way,” he said, whereas a seniors’ complex allowed the developer to keep the project the same size. “We felt that this was the best solution to bring, you know, much needed senior housing to the community.”
“Really, the reason boils down to demographics,” said Andy Gerber, a vice president of Belmont Village, the management company that will run the complex.
Gerber said there are approximately 27,000 Marin residents who are 75 or older, the age group that the complex is designed for.
“Over the next few years we anticipate that population to grow by approximately 4,000 senior citizens over the age of 75,” said Gerber, whose company is based in San Diego. “Within the same area there are fewer than 2,000 licensed residential care units to serve that population and not a whole lot coming on in the pipeline.”
“So there is a great need for it,” he said.
The previously approved apartment project included plans for an 8,900-square-foot commercial space, a gallery space, a reception area, club rooms, an outdoor pool and a courtyard on the ground floor. The plans included a two-level garage with 179 parking spaces and a bicycle storage room. A lounge room and two roof decks are also part of the plan.
The prior project also included 13 apartments that would have been designated for very-low-income households.
While the footprint remains the same in the new plan, there are several changes. The number of dwellings increased to 188 because the change of use enabled some of the rooms to be smaller. There are no designated affordable dwellings as part of the new plan.
The new plan does not include a commercial space. A dining room for residents and guests will be on the ground floor. Parking has been reduced to 135 spaces. A “town hall” space that would be open for public use is also part of the plan.
The garbage collection dock was moved from Shaver Street to the other side of the building on E Street. This is expected to alleviate some concerns raised about the original plans around traffic on the narrow Shaver Street, staff said.
Overall, the change of use is also expected to reduce the average number of daily trips by about 50% or more.
Despite the changes, the project plans drew a lot of the same criticism as the original plan. The project is billed as a “gateway” to downtown from the West End, which has irked several neighbors.
“This thing is a hulking box and it’s really an embarrassment, and I’m sorry to be a neighbor,” said resident Brad Sears.
Sears also had concerns about the number of units that qualify as residences, a distinction that allows some rooms to qualify toward density bonuses applied to the entirety of the project.
Others said senior housing would be better suited elsewhere. Some said senior housing was fine there, but the project is still too big.
The project had many supporters, too. Several people who said they work in senior services said more care units are needed and testified that Belmont Villages offers quality campuses and services. Others who are part of the San Rafael business community also turned out to back the proposal.
“Statistics show that senior housing is needed,” said Haden Ongaro, a commercial real estate professional and chair of the Marin Economic Forum. “I would argue that this is a very good site for housing. It allows seniors to avail themselves to great restaurants, to help revive downtown San Rafael.”
Some of the conditions imposed on the project included a revised traffic mitigation fee equal to $165,595. The fee is meant to help the city offset potential traffic impacts.
Developers also have to pay a commercial linkage fee of $2.59 million. The fee is paid into the city’s affordable housing fund, which is used to support the creation and retention of affordable housing.
Planning commissioners overall were enthused by the change of use.
“I think it’s a compassionate use of space,” said Jon Previtali, a member of the commission.
Commissioner Samina Saude said there are a lot of seniors living alone in single-family homes. Providing more options for the older community will help free up houses for families, she said.
Commissioner Jill Rodby agreed.
“I think as a city that we have an obligation to be able to provide all sorts of housing, and there are going to be people that don’t want to move into low-income housing,” Rodby said.
Originally Published: July 29, 2024 at 10:43 a.m.