Planning Commission Assesses New City Offices, Council Takes Up Housing

Two intriguing civic meetings are on tap Monday night just a few steps from each other.

The Novato Planning Commission will take up the subject of the new city administrative offices planned for the corner of Cain Lane and Machin Avenue, and, in a special session, the Novato City Council will tackle the latest housing mandates handed down by regional authorities.

The council the development of new city offices last year after some heated public debate. Several architectural options have been discussed in public meetings for the structure that would take up much of the current parking lot on Machin across from the .

The Planning Commission will consider providing fresh feedback to the City Council to see if it is consistent with the city's general plan. The commission already took up the subject last year and as recently as March 5, but city staff advised the commission that the topic would return after more detailed building plans were developed.

The 1996 Novato general plan provides a framework of all major components of Novato's physical development over a 20-year period, according to the city staff report. City planners have decided the city office project is consistent with the general plan, but the decision is ultimately up to the City Council.

The Planning Commission meets at 7:30 p.m. at .

At 6:30 p.m., the City Council will convene in the police department training room to assess the target numbers for housing growth provided by the region and state. The council plans to discuss the latest Sustainable Communities Strategy Preferred Alternative and a scenario that looks at the number of jobs expected to be created over the next 30 years.

City staff is recommending that the council submit a letter to the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission pertaining to the housing Novato would need to accommodate new workers through the next few decades.