773, 775, & 777 San Marin Drive - Residential Redevelopment

Description

In January 2024, the Novato City Council amended the land use designation and zoning applicable to the former Fireman’s Fund office campus to support residential redevelopment of the property. As a result, the property is now governed by the 773, 775, & 777 San Marin Master Plan & Precise Development Plan (collectively “Master Plan”). The Master Plan addresses the type and intensity of residential uses, provides development standards (e.g., setbacks, maximum height, etc.), and details the review process applicable to new housing projects. The Master Plan acknowledges the development of 44-acres of the 65-acre property with 1,000 to 1,300 primary dwellings (detached single-family and multi-family residences), as well as accessory dwelling units and junior accessory dwelling units. New residential buildings would range in height from two- and three-stories for single-family dwellings and up to five-stories for multi-family dwellings. The Master Plan includes a variety of on-site amenities including common outdoor use areas, greenbelts, and a pedestrian connection to the San Marin SMART station.

Location

773, 775, & 777 San Marin Drive;

Assessor’s Parcel Nos. 125-202-03, -04, -05

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Design Review & Building Permits

The Master Plan requires design review approval for future housing projects at the property. The design review process in this instance would be used to confirm whether a given housing project complies with applicable standards of the Master Plan. Detached single-family housing projects are expected to require subdivision maps to further subdivide portions of the property. Once design review and subdivision approvals have been granted for a housing project, then the project can progress to the building permit phase and then on to the construction of new dwellings. Notably, the design review and building permit processes are subject to complying with all applicable provisions of State housing law. The timing of applications for these permitting actions is at the discretion of the developer.

Environmental Review

Redevelopment of the property for residential use was considered in an addendum (“Addendum”) to the Certified Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) for Novato General Plan 2035. The Addendum confirmed that redevelopment of the property with up to 1,300 dwellings will not result in new significant environmental effects or substantially increase the severity of previously identified impacts addressed in the EIR. Similarly, the Addendum confirmed all previously adopted mitigation measures recommended in the EIR remain feasible. Based on these findings, future housing projects at the property are subject to complying with a variety of mitigation measures, including those addressing dust control, construction equipment exhaust emissions, biological resources, tribal cultural resources, construction noise control, and level of service (traffic). Accordingly, future housing proposals are not anticipated to require any further environmental review.

Status

Current Status as of September 5, 2025

The property owner intends to initiate demolition of the former Fireman’s Fund office campus on or shortly after September 8, 2025. The expected start of demolition is tentative and subject to change. The demolition process will include removing the existing office buildings, parking lots, on-site utilities, man-made pond, landscaping, and other constructed improvements within the area bounded by East Campus Drive, West Campus Drive, and San Marin Drive.

Demolition activities are allowed between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and are prohibited on Sundays and federal holidays, unless authorized by the Community Development Director. The property owner intends to have its contractor conduct demolition work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Monday through Friday.

The approved demolition plan includes dust, noise, and traffic control measures. In particular, the demolition staging area will be located at the east end of property, away from nearby residential neighborhoods. Additionally, debris trucks will enter and exit the property at East Campus Drive. Traffic management (e.g., signs, flaggers, etc.) will be provided as necessary to ensure the safety of motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians moving through the area. The demolition process is anticipated to take 4-months to complete but could take longer due to weather conditions and/or other unexpected delays.

If there are concerns about noise, dust control, construction traffic, or other issues during demolition, please contact the Site Safety Officer listed below. The Site Safety Officer should be contacted first to direct immediate corrective action, as necessary. If a concern remains unresolved, then it is appropriate to contact the Novato Code Enforcement Division as listed below.

Site Safety Officer Blake Whitmer, R&B Equipment, Inc. (Demolition Contractor) - (925) 699-0173

Novato Code Enforcement Division – (415) 899-8989; codeenforcement@novato.gov