FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
April Talley, Project Director
April.Talley@cityofsanrafael.org
415-485-3050
Northgate Mall Redevelopment Draft Environmental Impact Report Released
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jan. 5, 2024 – The City of San Rafael today released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Northgate Mall Redevelopment Project, marking an important milestone in the City’s review and consideration of the proposed project. Required for certain development projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) serves as informational document which identifies and analyses the potential environmental impacts of a proposed project and the mitigation measures, if any, that are needed to address those impacts.
Members of the public may review and provide comments and questions on the DEIR during a 45-day public review period which begins on January 5, 2024, and ends on February 19, 2024 extended to March 5, 2024 at 5:00pm. Following this period, the City will prepare a Final EIR which will include responses to all substantive comments received on the Draft EIR. The Draft EIR and Final EIR will be considered by the Planning Commission and City Council in making the decision to certify the EIR and approve or deny the project.
Members of the public are encouraged to visit www.cityofsanrafael.org/northgate-town-square to access the DEIR and accompanying materials, as well as to learn more about the proposed project and public review process.
About the Public Comment Period
When:
- January 5 to
February 19, 2024extended to March 5, 2024 at 5:00 p.m.
Where:
- A copy of the DEIR is available at cityofsanrafael.org/northgate-town-square
- Physical Copies are available to review in person at:
- City Hall, Community Development Department—3rd Floor, 1400 Fifth Street
- Downtown Public Library, 1100 E Street
- Northgate Library, 5800 Northgate Drive, Suite 083
How: Members of the public can submit comments on the DEIR via:
- Email to: April.Talley@cityofsanrafael.org
- Mail to: City of San Rafael, Community Development Department—3rd Floor, 1400 Fifth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
- In-Person: February 13, 2024, Planning Commission Meeting – 7:00 p.m at San Rafael City Hall
About the Northgate Mall Redevelopment Project
The proposed project would result in the redevelopment of the existing mall through demolition, renovation, and new construction with a mix of commercial and residential land uses. The proposed project would be developed in two phases. Phase 1 (also referred to as the 2025 Master Plan) would generally include the demolition of the RH Outlet building, the HomeGoods building, and the Mall Shops East, which is approximately 144,432 square feet of the main building, and construction of approximately 44,380 square feet of new commercial space and up to 922 residential units. Phase 2 (also referred to as the 2040 Vision Plan) would generally include the demolition of the 254,015-square foot Macy’s building and 79,051-square-foot Kohl’s building, and the construction of up to 55,440 square feet of new commercial space and up to 500 additional residential units.
At full build out, the project would include a total of up to approximately 217,520 square feet of commercial space and up to 1,422 residential units in six areas of the project site (1,746,936 square feet of residential area), 147 of which would be affordable units. A total of 648,807 square feet of existing building space would be demolished, and the total commercial area would be reduced by a total of 548,987 square feet. Building heights across the project site would vary, with a maximum of approximately 78 feet. The first phase of the proposed project would include the construction of a Town Square near the center of the project site; additional common open space and landscaped areas would be provided in both the first and second phases. New internal roadways would be built within the project site that would provide access to each of the new buildings and surface parking lots.
Discretionary actions by the City that would be necessary for development of the proposed project include environmental review, rezoning, an Environmental and Design Review Permit, a Development Agreement, a tentative subdivision map, and a Master Sign Program. The project sponsor is also requesting to use the density bonus to modify the development standards for height on the project site.