SAN GERONIMO VALLEY COMMUNITY PLAN Adopted by the Marin County Board of Supervisors on December 2, 1997 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................I-1 A. PURPOSE AND LEGAL BASIS FOR THE COMMUNITY PLAN .................. I-1 B. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANS............................................................ I-1 C. COMMUNITY GOALS .................................................................................. I-2 D. DEFINITION OF THE PLANNING AREAS AND SUBAREAS ...................... I-3 E. NATURAL SETTING..................................................................................... I-3 F. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES.......................................................................... I-3 G. DEMOGRAPHICS ........................................................................................ I-4 1. Population........................................................................................... I-4 2. Housing............................................................................................... I-4 II. HISTORY ................................................................................................................ II-1 III. ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES........................................................................ III-1 A. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... III-1 B. VEGETATION ............................................................................................. III-1 1. The Valley Floor................................................................................ III-2 2. The South-facing Slopes................................................................... III-2 3. The North-facing Slopes ................................................................... III-4 4. Ridgelines ......................................................................................... III-4 C. RIPARIAN SYSTEM AND WATER QUALITY............................................. III-5 1. Watersheds....................................................................................... III-5 2. Creek Issues and Water Quality ....................................................... III-5 3. Aquatic Life ....................................................................................... III-6 4. Sediment Reduction Programs ......................................................... III-7 D. NATURAL RESOURCES FOR PRESERVATION ...................................... III-8 E. ENERGY CONSERVATION ..................................................................... III-13 F. NOISE ....................................................................................................... III-13 G. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS......... III-15 IV. RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT .................................................IV-1 A. INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................IV-1 B. COMMUNITY-WIDE LAND USE.................................................................IV-1 1. Land Use ..........................................................................................IV-1 2. Community Design............................................................................IV-2 3. Housing.............................................................................................IV-3 4. Commercial Services........................................................................IV-6 C. VILLAGE LAND USE ...................................................................................IV-7 1. Woodacre .........................................................................................IV-7 2. San Geronimo...................................................................................IV-8 3. Forest Knolls.....................................................................................IV-9 4. Lagunitas ........................................................................................IV-10 5. Outside Village Areas .....................................................................IV-10 i D. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS ..........IV-15 V. CIRCULATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND TRAILS..............................................V-1 A. ROADWAYS ................................................................................................V-1 1. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard ..............................................................V-1 2. County-Maintained Roads .................................................................V-1 3. Non-County Maintained Roads..........................................................V-2 4. Fire Roads .........................................................................................V-2 5. Roadway Standards...........................................................................V-2 6. Traffic Patterns and Problems ...........................................................V-3 B. TRANSIT......................................................................................................V-3 C. BIKEWAYS ..................................................................................................V-3 D. TRAILS ........................................................................................................V-5 1. Trail Acquisition..................................................................................V-5 2. Trail Maintenance ..............................................................................V-5 E. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS ............V-7 VI. COMMUNITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES ........................................................VI-1 A. FIRE AND PARAMEDIC SERVICES ..........................................................VI-1 B. SHERIFF.....................................................................................................VI-1 C. DISASTER PREPAREDNESS....................................................................VI-1 D. SCHOOLS ..................................................................................................VI-2 1. Day Care...........................................................................................VI-2 2. Elementary........................................................................................VI-2 3. High School ......................................................................................VI-3 E. RECREATION.............................................................................................VI-3 F. POSTAL SERVICES ...................................................................................VI-4 G. UTILITIES...................................................................................................VI-4 H. WASTE TREATMENT ................................................................................VI-4 I. CULTURAL CENTER...................................................................................VI-6 J. LIBRARY .....................................................................................................VI-6 K. PLACES OF WORSHIP..............................................................................VI-7 1. Saint Cecilia's Church.......................................................................VI-7 2. San Geronimo Valley Community Presbyterian Church ...................VI-7 3. Jewish Congregation of the San Geronimo Valley............................VI-7 4. Spirit Rock Meditation Center ...........................................................VI-7 L. RECYCLING................................................................................................VI-7 M. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS...........VI-8 VII. NATURAL HAZARDS .........................................................................................VII-1 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION.........................................................................VII-1 B. GEOLOGIC, SEISMIC AND SOILS HAZARDS .........................................VII-1 1. Slope Stability ..................................................................................VII-1 2. Earthquakes.....................................................................................VII-2 3. Ground Failure.................................................................................VII-2 4. Landslides........................................................................................VII-3 ii C. FLOODING ................................................................................................VII-3 D. FIRE HAZARDS.........................................................................................VII-4 E. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES, AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS ..........VII-5 VIII. AGRICULTURE .................................................................................................VIII-1 A. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................VIII-1 B. SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES............................................................VIII-1 C. PRESERVATION OF AGRICULTURE .....................................................VIII-2 D. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS ..........VIII-5 IX. ECONOMIC ELEMENT .........................................................................................IX-1 A. OBJECTIVES, POLICIES AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS ............IX-1 iii List of Figures 1. Location Map..........................................................................................................vii-3