Novato approves 130-home development near Buck center

The Novato City Council has unanimously approved a 130-home development north of San Marin Drive.

The council voted on the Valley Oaks North project at its meeting on Jan. 9. Campus Property Group LLC, a developer based in Sonoma County, plans to build the homes on a 38-acre site along Redwood Boulevard.

“Tremendous progress. It’s been a long labor of love for you both,” Mayor Mark Milberg said to the firm’s principals, Michael Hooper and Robert Upton.

The development will include 61 single-family residences — 49 with junior accessory dwelling units — and 20 townhomes, said Brett Walker, a city planner.

Forty-nine detached homes will range from 2,500 to 3,000 square feet. Twelve attached single-family homes will be 1,900 feet. The townhomes will be between 1,800 and 2,100 square feet. The junior accessory dwelling units will be between 150 and 500 square feet.

The project includes eight residences for low-income households and 12 classified as moderate-income dwellings in condominiums and detached homes, in accordance with the city’s affordable housing requirements.

Councilmember Susan Wernick said the combination of affordable residences and outdoor recreational opportunities would benefit underserved residents in the city.

“Kids love to run and throw a ball and jump and roll, and that’s really what they need,” she said. “I don’t want to do anything that could slow this down and slow down the production of affordable units in the community.”

The developers plan walking paths, picnic tables, seating areas, bocce, a shade structure, outdoor exercise equipment, bicycle racks, and a pedestrian bridge.

The council paid particular attention to the community amenities that the development would include, particularly the preservation of about 20 acres of open space featuring steep slopes, oak woodlands, and wetlands.

Councilmember Pat Eklund said the proximity of the outdoor resources is important to maintaining safety for youths. She said she advocated for cleared space and grass in Valley Oak South.

“If I lived here I would not want my kids to walk that far, especially if they are 8 or 9 or 10, 11,” she said.

Upton said the property posed development challenges such as underground PG&E lines, wetlands, trees, and other impediments.

“This is a beautiful property, but it comes with a lot of constraints and complexity,” he said.

The environmental review found that the project impacts could involve biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, noise, tribal cultural resources, and wildfires. The town’s mitigation plan intends to reduce the impact to less-than-significant levels.

Community members previously voiced concerns about the proximity of the development to the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, which is in an area prone to landslides.

The project is considered a pipeline project or one that was under development while the city’s housing element was being prepared. The state has mandated that Novato facilitate the creation of 2,090 new homes between 2023 and 2031 while also “affirmatively furthering fair housing.” The city’s housing element has projected 2,423 total dwellings during the period.

The Marin County Airport Land Use Commission said the project will comply with federal regulations governing residential projects near airports. The project site is about a mile from the Marin County Airport, also known as Gnoss Field, across Highway 101.

The Planning Commission recommended the adoption of the project on Nov. 13.

Construction is tentatively set to begin this year.