San Rafael concerns persist over Marin Transit bus yard plan

Marin Transit is poised to clear an environmental hurdle to convert a former car sales lot in San Rafael into an electric bus yard, but city officials maintain the plan lacks a “clear or tangible direct benefit to the surrounding community.”

Responding to an environmental study that supports the plan, San Rafael officials sent letters to Marin Transit in December renewing their position that a bus yard does not conform with the property’s designation for commercial use. The 3.5-acre project site is at 1075 Francisco Blvd. East in the Canal neighborhood.

In addition to the land-use inconsistencies, officials said the Canal neighborhood includes some of the most historically underserved residents in San Rafael. The city’s general plan, a document meant to guide growth and development, calls for advancing community needs, enhancing neighborhood character and strengthening pedestrian and transit connections, San Rafael Mayor Kate Colin said in one letter.

“To date, neither the project proposal nor Marin Transit’s outreach efforts have aligned with these expectations, and the City has not seen sufficient robust, meaningful engagement with residents, businesses, or community-based organizations to identify or incorporate community benefits,” Colin wrote.

In a response to the city, Marin Transit said the draft version of the environmental report explains that state law exempts the district from San Rafael’s building and zoning ordinances and the general plan.

“As to the comment about the vision for the Canal neighborhood, at least one community group wrote a letter in support of the proposed project,” the response said. “The District received no comments opposing the proposed project from any commercial or residential member of the Canal neighborhood.”

The community group supporting the project is Canal Alliance, a nonprofit that provides immigration and community services for the Latino community. In the letter, Omar Carrera, the chief executive officer of the organization, calls the project “an important step toward sustainable transportation and reducing emissions in Marin County.”

“We value our ongoing partnership with Marin Transit in engaging Canal residents and ensuring that community voices are part of this process,” the letter said. “Together, we can make sure the benefits of this project, such as improved air quality and reduced traffic impacts, are shared equitably.”

Carrera thanked the agency for its leadership and encouraged officials to pay extra attention to workforce development opportunities for Canal residents, as well as proactive monitoring of noise and traffic impacts during construction.

About $2.2 million of a federal grant supporting the project is being dedicated to workforce development and child care. Those components would need to be accommodated offsite because of space constraints.

Nancy Whelan, general manager of Marin Transit, said comments and staff responses will be presented to the district board when it meets Monday. Staff recommend that the board adopt the environmental report, which is called an “initial study/mitigated negative declaration.” Its adoption would enable the agency to move forward with the plan, which envisions an operational bus yard by 2030.

The project has been years in the making. Marin Transit is under a state mandate to electrify its fleet by 2040. That means that 100% of new bus purchases must be zero-emission vehicles by 2029. In order to accommodate the transition, Marin Transit needs a home for its bus fleet. Agency officials had been looking for a site for more than 10 years.

In 2023, the Biden administration awarded the agency a $31.5 million grant to help it realize its goal. Marin Transit is providing a $15.1 million local match for a total investment of about $46.7 million in a new hub.

Marin Transit purchased the lot for $14 million last year, prompting complaints from San Rafael officials that the agency was pushing forward the bus yard plan without adequate input from the community.

City officials were concerned because the lot was slated to become a 184-room hotel, which would have been a major tax revenue generator for the city, but those plans fell through. The zoning also allows for up to 43 dwellings, so the prospect of housing was another consideration.

In response, Marin Transit agreed to a public engagement plan and pledged to explore the potential for housing, retail and other community-serving components in conjunction with the project.

Because the lot is visible from Interstate 580, San Rafael officials said they hope the new bus hub could serve as an entryway to the Canal neighborhood and the city.

Due to limited ground space on the lot, officials considered a multi-story complex, aiming to check off desired project components from a lengthy wish list.

However, the lot sits on bay mud, and building up would add costs and potential environmental impacts. The project team determined the site could meet the agency’s minimum requirements with a single-story design.

The latest iteration of the project proposes five bus maintenance bays, a bus wash, 49 bus parking and charging stalls and 57 employee parking spaces. It also includes office space, break rooms and storage.

The agency is considering some nontransit uses at the site to benefit the community, including an electric vehicle charging area, sidewalk and lighting improvements, an onsite food truck and some other offsite amenities.

The prospect of housing is economically infeasible given the site constraints and financial considerations, Marin Transit said.

The draft 148-page environmental report released in November concluded that potential environmental impacts of the project could be reduced to less than significant with proper planning and construction monitoring.

In a letter to Marin Transit, city staff flagged concerns about traffic, noise, air quality and the lack of hydrology and hydraulics study, among other considerations.

“By purchasing this property, Marin Transit overrode the city’s zoning for the site, and that decision carries significant responsibility,” Colin said this week. “Supporting climate and sustainability goals is important, but meaningful community benefits requires looking beyond simply using the site as an electric bus parking facility.

“As the board considers the CEQA findings, I hope they clearly acknowledge this reality and commit to expanding the project so it delivers direct, tangible benefits to the Canal, Baypoint and Spinnaker neighborhoods that will live the long-term impacts of this decision,” Colin said, referring to the California Environmental Quality Act.

The Marin Transit board is scheduled to meet at 9:30 a.m. Monday at 1600 Los Gamos Drive, Suite 335, in San Rafael. More information is at MarinTransit.org.