Homeless shelter could open in San Anselmo

The San Anselmo Town Council approved a housing element plan last night allowing a possible homeless shelter to exist in areas along Greenfield Avenue, San Anselmo Avenue, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard by the Hub, or at Isabel Cook.

Despite concerns raised at its previous meeting by residents and business owners in the Greenfield Avenue and Lincoln Park areas, the council had little choice but to comply with a new state law.

Read about previous concerns raised by residents.

The council is not proposing a shelter, nor is it likely one would ever be built. But the town (like all towns in the state) must comply with SB2 – a new state law requiring towns to designate an area where a homeless shelter would be allowed. San Anselmo's required share is to allow 17 beds for homeless individuals.

"I want to vote for this in good conscience," said Councilman Jeff Kroot, who expressed concerns people's worries about a possible shelter had not been addressed.

Residents previously raised concerns a homeless shelter would decrease business and property values. There were also worries homeless individuals who were addicts or mentally ill would present a danger to residents and their children.

"In every neighborhood in Marin there's people living with those problems in homes, but in a program there is trained staff to deal with it," said Bob Puett, the former deputy director for Homeward Bound. Diane Henderson, building and planning director, asked Puett to speak to the council about how different homeless shelter operators deal with concerns like mentally ill individuals and alcohol addictions.

Puett said any homeless shelter program operator would work with neighbors and the town to develop rules and allay any fears.

"If an operator doesn't [establish rules], then they shouldn't be an operator," he said.

Previously, the housing element solely designated Greenfield Avenue as the area where a change in zoning would allow a possible homeless shelter. Last night the council considered two changes: either designating Isabel Cook as the sole place where 17 beds for homeless individuals could be placed or designating multiple areas where no more than 10 beds in any one location could be built.

Councilman Ford Greene wanted to know if there was a way "to have our cake and eat it too" – a way to limit the number of beds to 10 at any one location and spread the possibility of a shelter out over a wider area, but also allow for the possibility that one larger, 17-bed shelter could be built in the basement of Isabel Cook.

Town Attorney Rob Epstein said the council could always change the zoning later if an opportunity arose where someone wanted to build a larger shelter at Isabel Cook.

The council voted to approve the housing element with a larger area (all C3 commercial and Public Facilities areas) where a homeless shelter could be built. The council will consider rules and regulations around that change later.

All commercial areas along southern San Anselmo Avenue, Greenfield Avenue, Red Hill Avenue, Sir Francis Drake near the Hub and the public facilities buildings that are close to public transit – namely Isabel Cook – would be rezoned to allow the possibility of a homeless shelter.

The housing element also included provisions for affordable housing, something a number of people argued was a necessity in the community, and to amend the second unit ordinance to allow amnesty for some illegal second units.

"Most people who work in our town can't afford what's out there," said Whitney Merchant.

The council-approved plan also imposes in lieu fees on all projects two-units or larger, with the fees increasing for larger projects. These fees would go to help develop affordable housing. With the seminary looking to sell a number of its apartment buildings, the town could help a developer re-vamp those into affordable housing, Merchant said.

"They don't live here because they can't afford to live here and they want to live here," said Councilman Tom McInerney.

The approved housing element now goes to the state's department of Housing and Community Development for review and comment before being sent back to the council for amendments and changes. The council can make changes again before finalizing the plan.