North Redwood Boulevard's Future to Be Discussed at Public Workshops

Do Novato residents want housing that is separate from retail or do they think retail on the ground floor and housing above is a better way to go?

And what kind of stores do they want to see in a shopping center near Trader Joe's?

These are just some of the questions city planners will be asking at two upcoming community meetings this September as Novato revives plans to develop the North Redwood Boulevard corridor, the last vacant property of a significant size in town.

The workshops are scheduled for September 14 and September 28 and are designed to collect input, then come up with a suggested design to present to Planning Commission and the City Council.

“With the economy rebounding, this thing is ripe for development,” said Robert Brown, director of community development for Novato, referring to the 24 acre parcel owned by several developers, the Golden Gate Bridge District and the North Marin Water District.

City officials are hopeful the development will help Novato address revenue lost when residents shop outside city limits, something called "retail leakage" and estimated at $170 million a year.

Along with retail, the plan for North Redwood Boulevard includes two sites for affordable housing, totaling 120 units. That has been a point of contention in the past, as residents protested that the affordable housing—required by federal law—would lower property values.

Because of the public outcry and because the city wants to get this development right, Novato declared a moratorium on developing the shopping center. It also wanted to make sure developers would work together to create one cohesive “lifestyle center” were residents could buy groceries, shop for clothes, work out and have entertainment options when they want to go out instead of strip malls.

Now that the city has updated the housing portion of its General Plan, it says it's ready to give the project another go.

At the workshops, each held on a Saturday from 9am to 2pm, residents will be able to walk the property, speak with real estate experts as well as sound off on how to best incorporate affordable housing into the mix.

A part of the plan includes revamping Redwood Boulevard to add bicycle lanes and a pedestrian walkway down the middle, while reducing lane width in an attempt to slow traffic.

After the community meetings, volunteer architects will draw up plans that will be presented to the Design Review Commission, Planning Commission and City Council, hopefully by the end of the year.

What’s your vision for North Redwood Corridor? What kind of stores does Novato need?