Resources for the Community
A Property Owner’s Guide to Working with the County This article has been updated by Community Development Agency Senior Planner, Curtis Havel.
• The project exceeds a maximum building height in excess of 30 feet. • The project is proposed on a vacant lot and is located within a Stream Conservation Area. The CDA Planning Division has a detailed list of submittal requirements for various discretionary permit applications that can be obtained at the CDA Planning Division office or online at http://www.marincounty.org/~/media/files/ departments/cd/planning/currentplanning/publications/ planning-applications/planning-division-application-sub- mittal-checklist-booklet-version-241317.pdf. In general, plans do not have to contain the level of detail or specific- ity that the Building & Safety Division requires for work- ing drawings. If a property has a “planned” zoning district designa- tion, such as RSP, RMP or ARP, all but the most minor and incidental work is subject to Design Review or other type of discretionary permit approval by the County. The level of discretionary review usually corresponds to the size and complexity of the project. Typically, discretionary per- mits for a single-family residential or small-scale commer- cial project take between three and six months to process and provide for public notification to all property owners within 300 feet of a project location. For larger lots, the notices are sent to property owners within 600 feet. The CDA staff encourages and places considerable importance on neighborhood input, so please advise your neighbors of your plans and attempt to resolve your differ- ences early in the process. In addition, the Sustainability team is responsible for administering green building, green business, energy effi- ciency, solar energy, and climate protection programs, and can provide you with technical assistance for “greening” your project. Go to: www.marinsustainability.org. Please contact Kellen Dammann at (415) 473-2698 for more information. Furthermore, the Affordable Housing Strategist works to remove barriers to the retention and creation of new affordable housing and can assist you in that regard. For more information, log onto www.marincounty.org/depts/ cd/divisions/housing. Environmental Health Among their other duties, the Environmental Health Services Division ensures that you and the public at large are not harmed by overloaded and failing septic systems. You are required by law to contact them before doing any repairs on your septic system. They will not allow addi- tional bedrooms (or, in some cases, any additional square footage, regardless of use) on a property unless the septic
The purpose of this outline is to provide Valley residents with information on how to legally improve private prop- erty and survive the Marin County building and land use permit process. Remodeling Projects For interior improvements with no area added to the house, go directly to the Building & Safety Division coun- ter and apply for a permit. You will need to have three sets of plans (homeowner drawn is fine so long as the plans are accurate and internally consistent) and your checkbook. The plan-checkers and building inspectors are primarily concerned with structural and fire safety, so include all the relevant construction details on your plans. Be prepared to wait three to eight weeks before hearing back on this “plan-check.” The plan-checker may contact you for more information. Contact the Building & Safety Division for more details. For additions, new buildings, or to try to legalize existing unpermitted living units or structures, you should first contact the Planning and Environmental Health Divisions and the Public Works Department. This will save you many hours/ days of wasted work if what you contemplate simply cannot be allowed by one or the other of these departments. Planning The Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) Planning Division reviews all development applica- tions in the San Geronimo Valley. The Valley is predomi- nantly zoned R-1:B-2 and R-1:B-3, which are considered “conventional” single-family zoning districts that have established height, size, and setback requirements. Usu- ally, if a project complies with the established standards no discretionary permit approval is required and the property owner may apply for a building permit. If a project involves a deviation from the established standards (e.g., setback encroachment), then a discretion- ary permit approval, such as a Variance, Use Permit, or Design Review may be required before a building permit is issued. Design Review is also required in conventional zon- ing districts in the following instances: • The project is for a new single-family residence on a vacant, substandard sized lot that contains less than 50% of the required minimum lot area pursuant to the zoning district or the lot-slope ordinance. • The project is for a residence that exceeds a total floor area of 3,500 square feet. • The project involves the development of a “paper street.”
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