Downtown Precise Plan

For decades, Downtown San Rafael has been the focus of planning studies and actions including Our Vision of Downtown San Rafael (1993); Downtown (SMART) Station Area Plan (2012); “Good Design Guidelines” (2017); and Downtown Parking & Wayfinding Study (2018).  All of these efforts share the common goal of maintaining Downtown as the City’s center.   

During the early phases of the Draft General Plan 2040 update process, the City of San Rafael pursued and secured grant funding to prepare a more detailed plan for our Downtown area.  This decision was based on many factors, including Downtown’s role as the commercial, employment, and transit center for San Rafael and Marin County, and the opportunity for community growth and much-needed housing. The Downtown Plan afforded the opportunity to incorporate all of the prior plans and studies above into one, comprehensive plan.   

Under the umbrella of the citywide Draft General Plan 2040, the Draft Downtown Precise Plan sets forth a vision for a 20-year period (2020-2040) for Downtown, but at a more granular level than General Plan 2040. The preparation of the Draft Plan was community-driven. As discussed in Chapter 1, the community engagement process in the Draft Plan preparation included a series of community workshops, a three-day charrette, and a vetting the Draft Plan components by the 24-member General Plan 2040 Steering Committee and a smaller working group of this Committee.      

The Draft Downtown Precise Plan (Draft Plan) is comprehensive and lengthy. Much of the Draft Plan includes critical (and mandatory) background information that supports the vision and recommendations of the Draft Plan, including existing conditions, demographics, and housing policies.  Keep in mind that unlike the greater, overarching Draft General Plan 2040 which is solely a policy document, the Draft Precise Plan also includes regulations. 

 The Draft Downtown Precise Plan:  

  • serves as a policy document to guide a 20-year vision for Downtown.  
  • serves as a regulatory document for reviewing and permitting future development and changes to existing buildings. Essentially, it incorporates a zoning code that is unique to Downtown which replaces many regulations and provisions of the San Rafael Municipal Code Title 14 – Zoning (see text below on the “Form-Based Code”).  
  • incorporates design guidelines that are typically a separate document and an advisory guidance tool. 
  • incorporates specific recommendations for planning and improvements to public space.   
  • creates a predictable development review process to facilitate project streamlining.   
  • is supported by technical studies, which are included in the appendices.  The technical studies include: a transportation analysis; an updated historic resources survey and inventory; and affordable housing and anti-displacement strategy; and a financial feasibility analysis.  

The key regulatory component of the Draft Plan is the “form-based code” (Chapter 9). The code serves as the zoning regulations for Downtown and will replace many existing regulations and provisions. Unlike conventional zoning that describe regulations and requirements in text, a form-based code explains and describes regulations using graphics. It combines zoning regulations with desired design approaches that are typically found in advisory design guidelines.  The intent is to provide visual direction on what the City wants and expects in building form, size and design. This significantly reduces the potential for inconsistent interpretation of regulations, and reduces the uncertainty in the outcome of design through the development review process.      

 As the “form-based code” approach to zoning is new to San Rafael a series of informational videos were developed to explain how this type of code works and is implemented.  These informational videos can be accessed here.  An additional video will be posted in January 2021 to explain and walk through Downtown San Rafael’s proposed Code.  The City’s consultant will be testing the new Code on a number of projects and will present this information at the January 26, 2021 Planning Commission meeting. 

DOWNLOAD THE PLAN 

Adopted Document

Archived Documents

The links below are provided for archival purposes only.  Only the "Adopted Document" above should be used for matters related to Downtown planning.

Downtown Precise Plan, August 2, 2021 Draft for City Council adoption

Click on the links below to download and review the August 2 Draft of the Downtown Precise Plan.  This includes "tracked change" revisions in response to comments made following release of the June 2021 Draft.  Links to the Addendum listing the changes made in July, and a link to the Form-Based Code, are also included below:

  1. Full Document, Part One
  2. Full Document, Part Two
  3. Addendum listing changes to June 2021 Draft
  4. Form-Based Code (this document is also included in "Full Document, Part Two" above)

June 2021 Draft for City Council Consideration

Click on the links below to download and review the June 2021 Draft of the Downtown Precise Plan.  This incorporates revisions to the December 2020 Draft made as a result of public hearings and comments received over the last six months. 

  1. Full Document, Part One
  2. Full Document, Part Two

Individual Chapters (excluding changes made in July 2021)

  1. Introduction and Community Engagement 
  2. Existing Conditions 
  3. Design Principles and Guiding Policies 
  4. Design Vision 
  5. Historic Resources 
  6. Transportation and Parking 
  7. Affordable Housing and Anti-Displacement 
  8. Implementation 
  9.  Downtown Form Based Code  

 

DOWNLOAD THE PLAN (DECEMBER 2020 Public Review Draft)

 Click on the links below to download and review the Downtown Precise Plan.   This is the version of the document published in December 2020, and some of the content has changed as a result of public comment.  The links below are provided for archival purposes only.

  1. Introduction and Community Engagement 
  2. Existing Conditions 
  3. Design Principles and Guiding Policies 
  4. Design Vision 
  5. Historic Resources 
  6. Transportation and Parking 
  7. Affordable Housing and Anti-Displacement 
  8. Implementation 
  9.  Downtown Form Based Code  

 

Comments and Responses

PUBLIC HEARINGS 

 The San Rafael Planning Commission held public hearings on the Downtown Precise Plan (via Zoom) at 7 PM on January 12,  January 26, and February 9, 2021, and a hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Report on March 9, 2021.  Additional hearings were held in May and June, 2021.

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