A walk through the Coast Guard
Redesigning all the little details of an existing neighborhood to comply with current code is challenging! At first glance, the Coast Guard neighborhood looks like it's ready for use. But as we take a closer look, we see that almost every aspect requires upgrades.
Let’s take a walk through the neighborhood
Let's take a mental walk in the neighborhood together and I'll point out a few things. We're on the sidewalk outside of a townhome that is being converted to be ADA accessible. The slope is too great for a wheelchair, so we need to redesign the sidewalk to allow for people with mobility adaptations. And a neighbor with a wheelchair will need an accessible parking space with a clear path of travel. We would also like to add some EV car charging stations so we can be prepared for a changing, more sustainable future.
Next, we approach a townhome. I'd like to show you the upstairs units, but the existing stairs are too narrow and do not offer handrails. I point out that shear wall and insulation need to be added to improve the building’s stability and energy efficiency. That means wrapping the outside of the buildings in upgraded materials.
Inside the townhome, there's some mold that needs to be remedied. We want these homes to be energy efficient, so, in the kitchen, we need to convert all the propane appliances to electric and connect that to the new rooftop solar systems.
In the bathroom, the fixtures look pretty good. But there is no wastewater system on the property. To solve this, we have contracted with Sherwood Design Engineers to design a wastewater system that will serve all 51 homes plus the other bathrooms in the neighborhood.
These things are just some of the details that our amazing design team of architects and engineers is working on.
Pushing the project forward
All of the details above, and more, will be compiled into a set of project plans. CLAM and our partner Eden Housing will submit our planning application to Marin County in July 2022. The County’s review process will take approximately one year, culminating in the granting of coastal permits, use permits, and completed environmental review. Following that, our design team will prepare even more detailed construction documents which will be submitted to the County for building permit approval. During this time, we will also begin seeking financing for the housing portion of the project. Given this timeline, we intend to begin actual construction at the site in 2025 and welcome new residents to the property in 2026.
If you’re interested in hearing more, Stacey Laumann (CLAM) and Jeremy Hoffman (Eden Housing) will be giving a brief update to the Point Reyes Station Village Association on Thursday night at 6:30pm. Here’s information on how to join that meeting!
New name for a neighborhood and street
Let's have some fun with this thing! We have been calling this neighborhood “the Coast Guard” for far too long. It’s time to choose a new name for this neighborhood! We’d also like to rename the road that runs through the property, currently known as Commodore Webster Drive.
We have invited a small task force of volunteers to take us to the next step by defining the criteria and process to select a neighborhood name.
Stay tuned to CLAMbites to hear how you can be involved in refreshing this neighborhood, and the street that runs through it, with a new name and new life!