The Belvedere City Council has approved a nine-month extension in the mapping process for the Mallard Pointe housing development.
The 40-residence project at 1-22 Mallard Road has been in the works for several years. The plan is to demolish 22 residences to construct a range of houses, duplexes, accessory dwelling units and apartments.
“The project is an important part of the city’s site inventory and the recently approved housing element,” said Rebecca Markwick, planning and building director.
The developers received approval from the Planning Commission in February for a couple of extensions and design changes. The developers returned to the city on June 8 to ask for a three-year extension for the tentative mapping, a conceptual design of how to split the property into new residences, in an effort to have a final map approved.
“While we do not anticipate needing three years to complete the Final Map process, we believed it was prudent to request the maximum available extension period in order to avoid the need for additional extension requests while continuing to navigate the ongoing permitting, utility coordination, tenant noticing requirements, and sequencing issues associated with the Project,” the developers wrote in their application.
Bruce Dorfman, the manager of the development company, cited delays stemming from coordination issues with other agencies, including some that Dorfman said were affected by the government shutdown.
City staff said the developers had met about 85% of demolition permit requirements and that the final map was nearly complete. The developers plan to start demolition in August.
“If you’re planning on demo-ing in the next two months and the final map is 90% complete, again, the question is why would you need three years for this tentative map extension?” asked Councilmember Jane Cooper.
Dorfman said that with agency requirements, the developers could not adequately anticipate how long delays could take, but emphasized that they could take multiple years.
Riley Hurd, an attorney for the developers, noted that higher interest rates, increased construction costs and lack of a local workers have caused delays in projects around Marin County.
Some Belvedere residents have expressed concern over the developers demolishing residences without an adequate guarantee the project will be built.
“The applicant has already had two years to complete their applications,” resident Susan Cluff said during the public comment comment period of the council meeting. “If current tenants there are being displaced this summer but there is no clear timeline or certainty, the project will be built as approved, that just feels wrong to me.”
The council asked Dorfman about the possibility of the land sitting empty.
“Our objective is to get it done as quickly as possible,” Dorfman said. “This is a $150 million to $200 million project once it’s fully built. Consequently, between my partners, lenders and just general economics, this isn’t going to sit fallow, provided we can get this going.”
Staff recommended granting an extension of two years, but the council unanimously agreed on a nine-month period, saying it would help keep the developers on schedule and keep the council updated on the project. The extension aligns the tentative map deadline with the design review approval expiration date.
“I very much agree that a shorter timeline is a better timeline,” said Vice Mayor Kevin Burke. “It just keeps the pressure on.”