Remote Surveillance Trailer in San Rafael, CA

A San Francisco developer is proposing a seven-story, 285-apartment building in downtown San Rafael.

The pre-application submitted this month proposes to raze the United Markets grocery store at 515 Third St. and replace it. The site is east of Highway 101 and about a block away from the approved 17-story, 200-apartment tower at 700 Irwin St.

“San Rafael’s downtown is already one of the most dynamic, walkable places in Marin, with the restaurants, transit access and culture that make a great neighborhood,” said developer Bryce Holman of Bayspring Real Estate Partners. “This site gives us the chance to bring much-needed housing to the heart of that momentum.”

Holman said the United Markets grocery store will remain open while the city reviews the application. He said the development team did consider including a replacement grocery store as part of its plan.

“Ultimately, integrating a grocery footprint into the building created too many challenges around vehicular circulation and parking,” he said. “Our focus is on delivering a high-quality residential community with a strong mix of tenant amenities.”

When asked whether the team expects criticism about the loss of the grocery store, Holman said, “We can’t speak to other projects, but this particular area actually has more grocery options than you normally see.”

Both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have stores within blocks of the site, and the area also has specialty ethnic markets. A separate plan to demolish the Safeway at 700 B St. and replace it with an eight-story, 331-apartment structure has been revised to include a grocery store.

United Markets was founded 70 years ago and has stores in San Rafael and San Anselmo that employ 100 people. The company was acquired by Mollie Stone’s in June.

When that deal was announced, Mike Stone, the owner of Mollie Stone’s Markets, said, “We want to preserve what customers love about United. The objective is to build on that foundation.”

Contacted this week, Stone said the long-term plan for the San Rafael store is unclear.

“The developer has filed an early-stage proposal for a future housing project at the site,” Stone said. “There are many steps that need to happen as part of that process and we don’t have concrete plans to share at this time. In the meantime, United Market will continue to operate and we expect the store to remain open for at least the next couple of years.”

Amy Likover, president of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods, said she has concerns.

“The residents of this neighborhood must be listened to,” Likover said. “I understand there are Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods adjacent, but they are already almost operating at capacity. They are very, very busy stores.”

Traffic circulation and safety is another concern, Likover said, noting that the site is near highway ramps and in the middle of a complex set of busy intersections.

The proposal includes a two-story parking garage with 387 parking stalls, including 285 electric vehicle-ready stalls and 72 bike stalls.

The third through seventh floors will include 56 studio apartments, 125 one-bedroom apartments, 75 two-bedroom apartments and 29 three-bedroom apartments. Twenty-four apartments will be offered as affordable to low-income households.

Bayspring Real Estate Partners is the same development team behind a proposal in Sausalito to construct a six-story building with 294 apartments. The site is at 1 Harbor Drive, an office building across from the Mollie Stone’s Market.

“We’re excited to add two quality multi-family developments to the local housing supply in the coming years,” Holman said.

Greg Minor, the city’s assistant director of community and economic development, said the pre-application was filed under Senate Bill 330. The law vests the project under the rules in place at the time of the application. The project then becomes exempt from any subsequent changes to local ordinances, policies or standards.

The law requires developers to follow up with a formal application within 180 days. Otherwise, they lose their vested rights.

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History

Eric Lucan told Patch why they should be elected to the California State Assembly.

Eric Lucan is vying for a seat representing the 12th District on the California State Assembly.

As county elections officials begin mailing ballots, voters will prepare to decide between candidates running for several offices and Patch has put together local voter guides and candidate profiles.

Learn more about Eric Lucan:

Age: 45

What is your educational background?

Master’s of Business Administration (MBA), 2005; Bachelor’s of Ministerial Studies, 2003

What is your professional background?

20-Year career in business/marketing; Last professional role - Chief Marketing Officer, Mike’s Bikes (2014-2022), managed marketing team of 20+; Small business owners since 2017 (boutique fitness studio in SF, 12 part-time employees)

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?

19 years: 2007-2011 - City of Novato Parks & Recreation Commissioner; 2011-2022 - Novato City Councilmember and Mayor (2014, 2019, 2022); 2022-Present - Marin County Supervisor, District 5 (currently Board President)

What are the top three issues facing your district/constituents right now?

Affordability & Cost of Living Whether we are talking about housing, energy, food costs, childcare, health care, or basic services, we are facing an affordability crisis which is disproportionately impacting children & families, older adults, and our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities. Resilience & Climate Change More than just setting target goals, I will continue to prioritize tangible resiliency projects and programs to protect residents and infrastructure from fires, floods, sea level rise, and drought. Local Economy & Opportunity As a small business owner,I know firsthand the impact small businesses have on our local economy, from economic opportunity to revenue generation to support municipal services. 99% of businesses in California are small businesses and are critical in supporting our local economy and job creation.

What is one specific policy you would implement in your first 100 days?

Legislative policy development has a fairly formal process that takes time and coalition building. As one of 80 legislators in the State Assembly, there isn’t a policy that I can implement on my own in the first hundred days. The State Assembly is the most direct form of representation residents have in state government, and I have been on a listening tour over the past 16 months of the campaign. With an open-door policy and proactive communication, I will continue to engage with residents, stakeholders, and elected leaders in Marin and Sonoma to develop and introduce a legislative package that best represents the needs of the North Bay. My priorities and focus are clear. As has been my priority throughout my career, I will focus on making day-to-day basics more affordable for everyday working people. Over the last 15 years in office, that focus has resulted in, among many other things, raising wages for in-home care providers and raising the minimum wage, supporting affordable childcare options, and making public transportation more accessible through initiatives like FREE fares for youth and older adults on the SMART Train. My focus will be on bringing down costs—especially for basic needs—and providing support for our communities.

What is your plan to reduce homelessness, and how would you measure success after one year?

Starting at the second part first, success is getting residents housed with the services they need to successfully remain housed. Part of the reason I personally participate in the annual “Point-in-Time” counts is to better understand the needs on the ground and make sure we are meeting them. We can measure success through our “Point-in-Time” counts and by ensuring that those who have been housed remain housed. Targeted approaches for certain segments of our unhoused population have also proven successful. In Marin, through coordinated efforts, we have effectively ended veteran homelessness. Similar approaches should be adapted for families, transitional-age youth, and older adults experiencing homelessness. It is estimated that nearly 50% of foster youth experience homelessness as adults. To address that, I partnered with the Marin Foster Care Association to acquire permanent housing units for transitional-age foster youth so we can reverse that statistic. Specifically, in Marin, where I serve as Supervisor, we have focused on a Housing First approach, which prioritizes developing the appropriate types of housing interventions. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) combines ongoing housing assistance with voluntary supportive services to move people from homelessness into housing. We offer a variety of programs to support a range of needs and meet people where they are. Since this program began, Marin has housed 900 people, and 94% of them are still housed.

What is one specific change you would make to improve public safety?

While I don’t believe mandating it would be the right approach, I very much support incentivizing more law enforcement agencies to deploy body-worn cameras. Locally, we have seen how body-worn cameras can increase accountability, improve training, and result in better evidence, fewer confrontations, and fewer use-of-force complaints.

How would you improve transparency or accountability in local government?

I can share how I have approached the role of public servant. I believe in integrity, honesty, accountability, and respect. It is the way I approach my job in general, the residents whom I serve, and my colleagues. While I realize that is not always the case, I’ve been really fortunate to share the dais with colleagues who also demonstrate those values—both on city councils and on the Board of Supervisors—and to work with community advocates across the region who do as well. I think it’s important to make community engagement as easy as possible, make policymaking processes transparent, and hold bad actors accountable.

Why are you a better choice than your opponents?

I appreciate that we share many of the same core values. Our difference comes down to having the experience to move the needle and get the work done. The state is facing budget challenges, substantially increased financial responsibilities, and some very serious, urgent real-world issues. Understanding how to bring the right people to the table—especially when there is disagreement, as is often the case—find common ground, and reach agreement on policies that benefit everyone is tough. It takes time, experience, and relationships—all of which I’ve spent the last 2 decades building. Through my experience and consensus-building approach, I am honored to be supported by five County Supervisors in Marin and Sonoma, 10 of the 15 mayors in the Assembly District, 50 current city and town council members, and many other college and school district trustees.

What changes, if any, would you support regarding the role of federal immigration enforcement agencies, including ICE, and how they interact with state and/or local governments?

What these policies are doing to our families and community members is unconscionable, inhumane, cruel, and unethical. Marin County recently filed an amicus brief to fight an ICE detention center further south—something I was proud to support in my role as Board President. As a father, I can’t even begin to fathom what it would be like to have my child ripped from my arms or how a toddler could be left alone to navigate a complex legal system from a holding cell. This is not what this country stands for and should not be allowed to continue. I will remain strongly committed to promoting and supporting policies that keep this behavior out of our communities, and I’m hoping that after the midterms, Washington will finally have the willpower to take this on at the federal level and put a stop to it. In the meantime, I strongly oppose ICE operating without oversight or accountability or conducting undercover operations. I support recent efforts by the state legislature to expand “safe zones” at hospitals, schools, and places of worship, and I will advocate to establish “safe zones” around workplaces as well. As a public servant, my role is always, first and foremost, to ensure the health, well-being, and safety of our residents—every resident, from every neighborhood, equally and with respect. It’s the standard I hold myself to personally, and the bar that, I believe, applies to everyone who serves our communities.

What role do you believe government should play in regulating or supporting the development and use of artificial intelligence?

We have the same responsibility with AI that we have in protecting our communities in every other way. The challenges with AI in particular have to do with the speed of the rollout and the unbelievable amount of money involved. The pace of AI has revolved around profit, and not people. I’m not sure we can put this genie back in the bottle, but we have a moral obligation and an unambiguous responsibility to keep our kids safe, protect workers, ensure environmental protections, preserve communities, and consider the implications of something so durable and impactful.