Sausalito to seek master plan proposals for Marinship area
Sausalito has decided to seek proposals for the creation of a master plan after voting down a proposal for the development of the Marinship area.
The City Council voted 3-2 at a meeting on May 23 for the city to issue a request for proposals within the next four months. Councilmember Joan Cox and Mayor Melissa Blaustein dissented because they believed the development of a master plan should not be prioritized, given the city's limited budget for it.
The vote followed a presentation from Community Venture Partners, a nonprofit organization in Mill Valley, for a master plan project specific to the Marinship district.
Councilmember Ian Sobieski proposed a resolution to stake CVP with up to $25,000 to seek matching funds from the Marin Community Foundation and begin public outreach. Cox and Councilmembers Janelle Kellman and Jill Hoffman voted against the resolution.
The council decided to form a subcommittee to continue discussions with CVP.
The council had previously directed city staff to seek a request for information on the development of a master plan in July. A request for information is a preliminary action, while a request for proposal solicits specific plans in a bidding process.
The city received a proposal regarding the Marinship area from CVP. Some council members said was outside of the scope of the initial request.
Cox added that the Marinship proposal was already partially undertaken with the development of the general plan, which was approved in 2021, and the housing element, which was approved last month. She said the Marinship proposal could result in more housing in the area than outlined in the housing element.
Sobieski said the Marinship proposal could be a "Plan B" in case some affordable housing does not come to fruition.
"The carrot is we can have a revitalized working waterfront," he said. "It's a cheap way of learning a lot."
The CVP proposal divides the Marinship into four districts: the residential and commercial Marinship Village; a working waterfront; a maritime service center; and an ocean resources innovation sector.
"What we are doing is disruptive, in that it is a grand experiment," said Robert Silvestri, the president of CVP.
Sausalito's master plan will address development over the next 24 years related to business and commerce, public improvements, affordable housing, transportation and infrastructure. It will also track impacts of those improvements in social, economic and environmental sustainability spheres.
