A large new construction project is being proposed for downtown Stinson Beach: the development of the Post Office property, bounded by Arenal/Calle del Mar on the east, Easkoot Creek on the south and west, and Highway One on the north.

Thompson Builders, the purchaser of the property, is proposing to demolish the existing post office and adjacent buildings and replace them with four, two-story 2&3-bedroom luxury condominiums. This proposal would eliminate the existing 30-space parking lot and turn the condominium development into a gated community. The owners of the new units would have exclusive use of the area currently occupied by the post office and its parking lot.

 A new Post Office would be built across the existing parking lot from the library with two, 1-bedroom affordable housing units on top.   

POST OFFICE

The only vehicle access to the new Post Office and the two apartments will be from Shoreline Highway.  The new Post Office will have five (5) public parking spaces across from the library and one parking space for each affordable housing unit. 

At this time there is no indication that the Postal Service has agreed to this change, although the Stinson Beach Village Association has asked Supervisor Dennis Rodoni to request a guarantee from the developer that a new lease with the USPS will be signed before demolition begins.

The current proposal has all demolition occurring at the same time, meaning the Stinson Post Office will be closed for an indeterminate amount of time during this demolition and construction period.  Thompson Builders says they will bring in temporary containers for the post office in the interim, but it’s not clear that this will be acceptable to the USPS. Residents of Stinson Beach would likely be forced to drive out of town to send and receive their mail.

TRAFFIC AND PARKING

This development will replace 30 Post Office parking spaces - spaces also commonly used for day parking by the public and some workers - with five post office parking spaces, directly across from the library's eight spaces. 

The current plans do not provide space in the parking lot for either the mail truck or the library truck to turn around. They will need to back out onto Highway One and interfere with its lines of traffic.  On high volume visitor days, residents attempting to enter or exit the parking lot will hold up traffic in both directions as they try to enter or exit Highway One.

Also affecting parking, the GGNRA, as part of its flood control on Easkoot Creek, is planning to eliminate approximately 60 parking spaces, forcing more visitors to park on the narrow streets of the Hill, creating conditions that can make it impossible for ambulances and fire trucks to access residences there.

ENVIRONMENTAL

All but 15% of the project is within the 50-foot stream/wetland buffer zone required by the County's local Planning Program. The developer is requesting a waiver of this requirement.

PROJECT STATUS

The developer’s application to Marin County has not yet been deemed complete and a number of aspects of the plan are being reviewed by the County.  It should be noted that new state housing laws have greatly reduced the power that both counties and local communities have to affect proposed developments. Recent court cases have also limited the powers of the California Coastal Commission in regulating development along the coast.

To date, the Stinson Beach Village Association’s (SBVA) Compliance Committee has met with the County Planning Department and Supervisor Rodoni. It also has hired a land use consultant and a biologist to assist the SBVA through this process.  The Committee will continue to address the above points with the County and the developer as the proposal progresses, and as new information arises will keep the community informed. If you would like to see the current project plans and associated documents, you can use this link: 108 Arenalfor the County's webpage on the project.

The Committee also has provided an enlarged set of project plans that you can examine at the library.

The SBVA is facing significant financial outlays associated with this issue. Tax deductible donations to offset the costs of consultants, legal fees, etc. may be made by clicking HERE. These will be restricted for the purposes of advocacy, public information and Community Plan stewardship on behalf of the village.

For more information, you can contact the SBVA Compliance Committee via email at: sbvacompliancecommittee@gmail.com.