Fairfax City Council
July 16, 2025

FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING

STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM #5
MEETING DATE July 16, 2025
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Jeffrey Beiswenger, AICP, Planning & Building Services Director Andrew Hill, Dyett & Bhatia
SUBJECT Adopt a Resolution to Amend the Land Use, Town Center and Safety Elements of the General Plan
CEQA Addendum to the 2023-31 Housing Element Environmental Impact Report

RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Town Council conduct a public hearing, hear public comments and adopt a resolution to amend the Land Use, Town Center and Safety elements of the General Plan.

Environmental Clearance: An Addendum to the 2023-31 Housing Element EIR has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to demonstrate that no additional environmental impacts will occur as a result of the proposed General Plan amendments that have not been previously addressed by the Housing Element EIR.

DISCUSSION
Updates to the General Plan have been prepared, primarily to comply with new State laws related to public safety and housing. Updates are proposed to the land use, town center and safety elements. Staff recommends that the Town Council adopt a resolution to approve the updates.

The Town of Fairfax 2010 to 2030 General Plan was adopted in 2012. This was the last comprehensive update to the General Plan. Some targeted updates are now required for the Safety, Land Use, Town Center elements, triggered by adoption of the Housing Element in December of 2023. The General Plan was most recently amended in December of 2023 with the adoption of the 2023-31 Housing Element, which was certified by HCD in April of 2024.

State law requires that the General Plan is internally consistent, and with the amendments to the Housing Element, some amendments are needed to resolve some inconsistencies with other elements of the General Plan. Additionally, since 2012 new requirements for the Safety Element have come into force and amendments are needed to comply with State law, specifically related to fire safety and evacuation.

The Planning Commission conducted a series of meetings to discuss the updates as follows:
has agendized the updates for public comments on the following dates:
• On October 17, 2024, the Town of Fairfax held a study session to introduce the proposed updates.
2 • February 20, 2025, a study session was scheduled.
• April 17, 2025, public hearing was scheduled but due to light attendance by the public, the Commission requested a special study session. • May 29, 2025, study session to allow for public input and discussion by the Planning Commission.
• June 26, 2025, public hearing was held and the Planning Commission voted to forward a recommendation of approval to the Town Council.

The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) requested a consultation on the general plan amendments under California SB-18. When requested, consultations must occur prior to any public hearing on proposed amendments. At the request of FIGR representatives, a consultation meeting was held on October 7, 2024, and no additional meetings were requested after that. Town staff has kept FIGR representatives apprised of progress on the general plan updates and has invited comments. The consultation process was closed in April, 2025.

ANALYSIS
Safety Element
Local governments have the responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of their citizens. Two documents required by state and federal law advance resilience planning in a community: the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) and the Safety Element of a General Plan. Both plans set goals for the Town’s emergency planning efforts and describe emergency response protocols such as evacuation routes.

A town’s LHMP is used to identify and address hazards within their communities. Adoption of a plan is required to be eligible to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for certain projects as well as other funding opportunities. Due to the similarities between municipalities in Marin County, a Multi-Jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJLHMP) with sections specific to jurisdictions within the County was adopted in 2024.

Information in this plan guides and coordinates mitigation activities and decisions for local land use policy. Proactive mitigation planning reduces the cost of disaster response and recovery to communities and their residents by protecting critical community facilities, reducing liability exposure, and minimizing overall community impacts and disruptions.

The Safety Element addresses protection of people from unreasonable risks associated with disasters, including earthquakes, floods, fires, and landslides. Other relevant safety issues, such as airport land use, emergency response, and hazardous materials spills may also be included. New state laws also require safety elements to address climate change resilience.

The 2012 Safety Element is organized around four goals and a framework of policies and programs that address the legal requirements applicable at the time. Maps documenting the extent of natural hazard risk areas in the community are included together with narrative discussion of local conditions. Fire protection services, including protection from structural fires and wildfires, are addressed under Goal 3. The Element does not discuss police protection services in the context of public safety, although the Police Department is 3 identified as having responsibility for implementation of programs. The Element acknowledges climate change but does not incorporate policies or programs specifically targeted to address its impacts.
2012 Safety Element Goals:
• Goal S-1: Minimize risks due to geologic hazards.
• Goal S-2: Minimize risks due to flood hazards.
• Goal S-3: Minimize risk due to fire hazards.
• Goal S-4: Community preparedness.

Reviewing the 2012 Safety Element against the requirements of Government Code 65302 and the General Plan Guidelines prepared by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR), the following revisions are recommended:

Element Organization
Goals S-1 through S-3 of the 2012 Element focus on geologic, flood, and fire hazards respectively. While a hazard-specific focus for the goals is a reasonable approach that reflects priorities for Fairfax, structuring the policy framework in this way leads to some unnecessarily repetition of substantially similar policies in three different places within the Element. For example:
• Policy S-1.1.1: Development and land use decisions will be made using the best available geotechnical information.
• Policy S-2.1.1: Development and land use decisions will be made using the best available hydrological and flood hazard information.
• Policy S-3.1.1: Development and land use decisions will be made using the best available fire hazard information.

Revisions:
• To streamline the policy framework, Goals S-1 through S-3 have been combined into a single new goal that seeks to provide protection from loss and damage due to natural and human-made hazards, with policies and programs under this goal grouped under topical headings. General policies and programs applicable to all hazards come first, with specific policies and programs related to flooding, seismic hazards, wildfire and other relevant topics presented under related headings. • To clearly address the new legal requirement for climate adaptation and resiliency strategies in the Safety Element, a new goal around building resilience to climate change has been added, supported by new policies and programs that address local risks identified in the newly adopted Town of Fairfax Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) part of the countywide MJLHMP, which includes a climate vulnerability assessment. To the extent that existing Safety Element policies and programs would fit well under this new goal, they have been relocated here.

Additionally, cross-references to climate related policies and programs in the Conservation Element has been added.
• Goal S-4 Community Preparedness and its supporting policies and programs has been retained, with some edits and additions based on the results of an evaluation 4 analysis prepared using an analysis tool developed by Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority.
• A new goal regarding responsive police and fire protection services has also been added. While not specifically required in State law, many general plans do incorporate goal, policies and programs related to public safety services given that local jurisdictions make important investments in these areas. This approach also provides an opportunity to articulate priorities for the Fairfax Police Department in the General Plan.
• The Fairfax Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, Fairfax Annex, will be included as an appendix to the document along with hyperlinks which will direct to the web site.

Data and Mapping
Updated and new maps have been included and CalFIRE-delineated Fire Hazard Severity Zones, liquefaction susceptibility, and emergency evacuation routes have been incorporated. • Figure S-1 Geology Soil Type
• Figure S-2 Areas Susceptible to Earthquake Shaking
• Figure S-3 Areas Susceptible to Landslides
• Figure S-4 Floodplains
• Figure S-5 Wildland Urban Interface Zones
Revisions:
• Narratives discussing historical natural disasters and existing conditions were updated for consistency with the recently adopted MJLHMP • Information on climate vulnerabilities from the MJLHMP was summarized and the MJLHMP is incorporated by reference into the Safety Element to efficiently incorporate the data and information required under State law. • Relevant mapping and data from the evacuation capacity analysis has been incorporated to provide the context necessary for related policies and programs addressing the requirements of Gov. Code Section 65302.(g)(5) and 65302.15.

Policies and Programs
While review of the Safety Element by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CALFIRE) is not required as there are no Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones within the Town limit, CALFIRE’s General Plan Safety Element Assessment Guidelines and Office of Planning and Research’s “Fire Hazard Planning, General Plan Technical Advice Series" was referenced in preparing policies and programs for the Safety Element to ensure that best practices are incorporated.

Revisions:
• A number of programs in the 2012 Safety Element commit the Town to actions that are in the purview of other agencies to undertake. These programs were edited to reflect the Town's role in coordinating, advocating, or facilitating implementation as appropriate.
5 • Former Land Use Element Goal LU-4 and related policies and programs regarding wildfires, natural catastrophes, and post-disaster reconstruction has been integrated into the Safety Element.
• New policies and programs regarding climate adaptation and resiliency were added under the new resilience goal, reflecting the priorities identified in Table 15 of the MJLHMP. These policies and programs complement the measures in the MJLHMP and provide a long-term framework to guide related actions by the Town and the community.
• The MJLHMP identifies 14 hazard mitigation projects specific to Fairfax. The Safety Element reflects these projects and policies and programs have been crafted to support implementation and avoid duplication, synching the Safety Element Update and the MJLHMP. Examples include ensuring road surfaces on designated evacuation routes can withstand extreme weather conditions and are maintained to accommodate increased traffic (S-3.5), provide information on and build community awareness of major evacuation routes and notification systems for emergency alerts to residents and businesses (S-3.8), and use countywide alert and early warning systems (S-3.9).
• Based on a review of the 2012 Safety Element by Town of Fairfax Planning and Public Works staff, the following programs that have been completed and/or are no longer needed have been deleted: Program S-1.1.2.2; Program S-1.1.6.4; Program S-2.1.2.1; Program S-3.1.4.3; Program S-3.1.5.7; Program S-3.1.5.8; Program S-4.1.1.10.

Land Use Element
Reviewing the 2012 Land Use Element against the requirements of Government Code 65302 and the General Plan Guidelines prepared by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR), the following revisions are recommended:

Planning Area Definition
The Land Use Element refers to the Fairfax Planning Area (FPA) and the Urban Service boundary, and Figure LU-3 shows the Town's Sphere of Influence (SOI), but the General Plan does not define these terms. Additionally, while policies in the 2012 land use element refer to annexation, the General Plan does not describe the role of the Marin County Local Formation Commission (LAFCo) in establishing and amending jurisdictional limits.

Revision: update the Land Use Element to define the Planning Area consistent with Government Code 65300 and update Figure LU-4 to show the Town limits, the SOI, Priority Conservation Areas, and designated open space.

Density and Intensity Standards
Government Code 65302 requires that the Land Use Element include a statement of the standards of population density and building intensity recommended for various districts within the jurisdiction. This is typically done with land use designations that describe the desired mix of uses and activities and establish standards for residential density and nonresidential building intensity. The Land Use designations also provide a basis for establishing consistency between the General Plan and the Zoning Code, as required for General Law 6 cities in California. While Figures LU-1 and LU-3 identify various land use designations, there are no accompanying descriptions of the permitted uses and only residential densities are established for some designations, with no intensity standards for non-residential land uses.

Revision: craft a set of land use designations that describe the desired land uses in each of the designations shown on Map LU-1, including standards for density and building intensity.

Element Organization
The 2012 Land Use Element is organized around the following nine goals that seek to preserve and enhance Fairfax's village-like quality and the features that contribute to it:
• Goal LU-1: Preserve scenic and natural resources.
• Goal LU-2: Preserve open space.
• Goal LU-3: Restore natural habitats in Fairfax, including creeks and watercourses.
• Goal LU-4: Minimize potential for wildfires and impacts from other natural catastrophes.
• Goal LU-5: Manage future growth while preserving the area’s natural resources. • Goal LU-6: Annex developed and undeveloped lands where advantageous to the Town.
• Goal LU-7: Preserve human-centered scale and sense of community. • Goal LU-8: Preserve community diversity through affordable housing opportunities primarily along transit corridors.
• Goal LU-9: Preserve and restore local historic buildings, features, and sites.

These goals could be re-ordered and consolidated to streamline the plan and clarify policy direction. For example:
• Goals LU-2 and LU-3 address open space and natural habitats but there are no supporting policies included in the Land Use Element; instead, these goals refer to policies in the Open Space and Conservation Elements respectively. The purpose of Goals LU-1 through LU-3 and LU-5 is to highlight the importance of natural resources, open space and scenic views as defining features of Fairfax and important contributors to local character. Therefore, these four goals could be combined into a new goal articulating that priority and supporting it with policies that identify specific actions needed to implement the goal and manage growth.
• Goal LU-4 addresses wildfire, which is a statutory requirement for the Safety Element. As such, it should be relocated to that element to better correspond to the requirements of General Plan law and to ensure that all goals and policies related to natural and humanmade hazards are consolidated in one element. • Goal LU-6 is phrased as a policy because it describes an action the Town will take on an ongoing basis, whereas goals describe a desired outcome. It could become a policy under the new growth management and resource protection goal.
• Goal LU-7 is about form and land use in the Town Center and in residential neighborhoods. It could be moved up earlier in the element and the new land use classifications which help define form and use could be presented under this goal. Policies related to neighborhood design and character would remain 7 under this goal but could be updated to clarify that ADUs and JADUs are desired in the neighborhoods.

Revision: Retain the fundamental themes and language of the goals but streamline the Land Use Element by consolidating and re-ordering goals.

Consistency with Other Elements and State Law
Some revisions to policies in the Land Use Element will be needed to ensure consistency with the Housing Element and with other aspects of State law. Some examples are provided below. Overall, policies could be reframed in the positive to emphasize what is desired, rather than what is to be discouraged or prohibited.

Revisions:
• Update Policies LU-1.2.2 and LU-1.2.3 to recognize the low impact clustered residential standards newly adopted. These two policies are also overlapping and repetitive and could be combined into a single policy about minimizing visual impacts and protecting ridgelines and scenic views. (See new policy LU1.2). • Revise Policy LU-5.1.2 to emphasize infill and a compact growth footprint as a priority. As written, it's unclear how development would be discouraged while respecting legal property rights and Housing Element law. (See new policy LU2.2). • Delete policies under Goal LU-8 that are out of date or have already been completed or replaced by programs in the Housing Element. Maintain Goal LU-8 as an important community priority but refresh with new policies, consistent with the Housing Element. (Captured in LU-2 policies such as LU-2.3 and LU2.4).

Historic Preservation
Goal LU-9 in the 2012 Land Use Element lays out an important local priority and the associated policies and programs identify actions the Town will take to inventory and document historic resources. However, the existing historic preservation policies and programs do not identify any actions to protect or preserve existing resources or undesignated but age-eligible structures. Additionally, these policies could be streamlined and consolidated to eliminate duplication and repetition.

Revision: Summarize pertinent historical details in the narrative section of the Element and add policies/programs to provide direction for new implementation-oriented actions that present a framework for historic preservation in Fairfax.

Town Center Element
The 2012 Town Center Element is organized around four goals:
• Goal TC-1: Develop a vision for the Town Center area of Fairfax. 8 • Goal TC-2: Maintain and enhance the historic qualities of the Town Center. • Goal TC-3: Define and implement a plan for the Town Center area. • Goal TC-4: Actively seek out and review all available funding sources that might be used to implement the Town Center Element improvement program.

The Town Center Element incorporates goals and policies to guide the preparation of a future Town Center Plan and to articulate desired land uses and urban design features for the area.

Program 1-A in the Housing Element also calls for adoption of a Town Center Plan to promote residential and mixed-use development, support the vitality of existing commercial retail and service uses, and reinforce the role of Downtown Fairfax in the life of the community. Additionally, several policies and programs in the Land Use Element provide direction for land use and urban design in the Town Center Area (Policy LU-7.1.1; Program LU-7.1.1.1; Policy LU-7.1.2; Policy LU-7.1.3; Policy LU-7.1.4; Policy LU-9.1.4). Given the overlap between the two Elements, there is a potential opportunity to merge the two, creating a new goal in the Land Use Element and consolidating and updating policies from the Town Center Element under it to support implementation.

Revisions:
• Merge the Land Use and Town Center Elements and provide clear direction for the preparation of a Town Center Plan, consistent with Program 1-A in the Housing Element.
• Use Goals TC-1 through TC-4 as the basis for policies to guide preparation and implementation of a Town Center Plan and incorporate them into the Land Use Element under a new goal regarding the Town Center. These 2012 goals are phrased as policies because they describe specific actions the Town will take for implementation, rather than desired outcomes for the Town Center, as goals typically do.
• Numerous other policies and programs identify goals and objectives for a future Town Center Plan. These could be consolidated in a single program that defines the scope of the Town Center Plan, which should be synchronized with Housing Element Program 1-A. (See Program LU-3.3.1)
• Several existing policies and programs establish height and use restrictions that conflict with the Housing Element and State law, including TC-2.1.1.3, which calls for an ordinance limiting building heights to no more than existing; TC-2.1.2, which appears to limit building heights to two stories and not to permit ground floor residential uses; and TC-2.1.2.1, which limits building heights to 28.5 feet or two stories throughout the Town Center Area. These inconsistencies should be reconciled with Housing Element programs and the requirements of State law.
• Remove any and all references to the closure of Bolinas Road (in compliance with Resolution 17-41 adopted by the Town Council in 2017).

POLICY DISPOSITION MATRIX
A Policy Disposition Matrix was prepared to illustrate how goals, policies and programs from the 2010-2030 General Plan Safety, Land Use, and Town Center Elements have been carried forward, modified or deleted in updating the Elements. The Disposition Matrix is provided for reference as Attachment B to this staff report. Additionally, within the Draft Safety and Land 9 Use Elements, text in [square brackets] has been added at the end of each policy and program to indicate if it has been newly added or carried forward from the 2010 General Plan.

PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The Commission conducted a public hearing at the June 26, 2025 meeting and voted 5-2 to advance a recommendation of approval to the Town Council. The Planning Commission requested certain changes to the elements prepared by staff as summarized in Attachment C to this staff report. These recommended changes are primarily clarifications to the Draft elements, however, the following substantive changes were also recommended:
• It was recommended that the new policy added in the Draft Safety Element regarding “postfire” recovery be broadened to “post-disaster” recovery. • It was recommended that a new program involving an evaluation of potential funding mechanisms to facilitate the undergrounding of utilities be added to the Safety Element. • It was recommended that specific references to establishing Neighborhood Watch Programs be removed from Policy S-4.7.
• It was recommended that that identification of supplemental sources of emergency water supply (for fire suppression) be maintained as policy or program in the Safety Element. • It was recommended that a comprehensive parking management program be specified as a component of the future Town Center Area Plan in Program LU-3.1.1 in the Land Use Element.

CEQA
An Addendum to the 2023-31 Housing Element EIR has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act to demonstrate that no additional environmental impacts will occur as a result of the proposed General Plan amendments that have not been previously addressed by the Housing Element EIR.

ATTACHMENTS
A. Resolution 2025-08
• Exhibit 1. Safety Element – Public Hearing Draft
• Exhibit 2. Land Use Element – Public Hearing Draft
• Exhibit 3. Addendum to the General Plan EIR
B. Policy Disposition Matrix
C. Memorandum: Summary of Revisions to the Draft Safety and Land Use Elements Made in Response to Planning Commission Comments

ATTACHMENT A
RESOLUTION NO. 25-

A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX

ADOPTING A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT TO UPDATE THE SAFETY ELEMENT, THE

LAND USE ELEMENT AND THE TOWN CENTER ELEMENT IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW
WHEREAS, the Town of Fairfax has initiated an amendment to the Safety, Land Use and Town Center Elements of the General Plan in order to comply with the requirements of the adopted and certified 6th Cycle Housing Element as well as the Government Code Section 65302; and WHEREAS, the Town of Fairfax adopted Housing Element Update 2023-2031 (“Housing Element”) in compliance with State Housing Element Law on December 13, 2023; and WHEREAS, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was completed in support of Housing Element Update project and the Town Council certified the EIR on December 13, 2023; and
WHEREAS, as provided in Government Code Sections 65352 – 65352.5, the Town of Fairfax referred the General Plan Amendments to all California Native American tribes on the contact list provided by the Native American Heritage Commission and to other entities and consulted with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council of Fairfax adopted the 2024 Marin County MJHMP and the Town of Fairfax Annex, collectively, the “Local Hazard Mitigation Plan” by Resolution 24-44 on June 5, 2024:
and
WHEREAS, passed in 2006, Assembly Bill (AB) 2140 allows California jurisdictions to adopt their current LHMP into the Safety Element of the General Plan to be eligible for part or all of the localshare costs on eligible Public Assistance funding to be provided by the state though the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA); and
WHEREAS, pursuant to California Government Code Section 65302(g) and AB 747 (2019) the adoption of a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and adoption and certification of the 6th Cycle Housing Element of the General Plan requires an amendment to the Safety Element of the General Plan to address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies as well as to identify evacuation routes and the routes capacity, safety, and viability; and
WHEREAS, adoption and certification of the 6th Cycle Housing Element of the General Plan requires amendments to the Land Use Element and the Town Center Element of the General Plan in order to accommodate the required residential housing sites and meet the Goals and Objectives outlined in the 6th Cycle Housing Element; and
WHEREAS, on April 17, 2025, the Planning Commission conducted a duly and properly noticed public hearing and held a second public hearing on June 26, 2026, reviewed the General Plan amendments, the staff report and all attachments, and oral and written public comments; recommended adoption of the amendments to the Town Council consistent with State law; and 2 WHEREAS, on July 16, 2025, the Town Council conducted a duly and properly noticed public hearing, reviewed the General Plan amendments, the staff report and all attachments, and oral and written public comments.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF FAIRFAX DOES RESOLVE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. That the above recitations are true and correct and are incorporated by reference into this action.

Section 2. Environmental Clearance: An Addendum to the 2023-31 Housing Element EIR has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Exhibit 3) to demonstrate that no additional environmental impacts will occur as a result of the proposed General Plan amendments that have not been previously addressed by the Housing Element EIR.

Section 3. General Plan Amendment: The Safety Element , Land Use Element and Town Center Element are hereby replaced with the attached Safety Element (Exhibit 1) and Land Use Element (Exhibit 2).

DULY AND REGULARLY ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Fairfax Town Council on this 16th day of July, 2025 by the following vote:

AYES:

NOES:

ABSENT:

ABSTAIN:
______________________________
Lisel Blash, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Christine Foster, Deputy Town Clerk
Exhibits:

Exhibit 1 – Safety Element
Exhibit 2 – Land Use Element
Exhibit 3 – Addendum to the Housing Element EIR

SAFETY ELEMENT
Fairfax is located in the Upper Ross Valley, set amid scenic hills that rise dramatically from the valley floor. The town is also at the head of the Ross Valley watershed and lies at the confluence of San Anselmo Creek and Fairfax Creek. These natural resources help define the community but also hold the potential for natural hazards that pose risk to human health and property, including earthquakes, landslides, flooding, and wildfire hazards. These risks are compounded by the warming of the climate, which is projected to bring increased rainfall intensity, hotter average daily temperatures, and more extreme weather events. Urban development in the area has also brought the potential for human-made disasters. The Safety Element identifies natural and human-made hazards in Fairfax as well as measures to promote public safety and effective emergency response and recovery.

Natural and Humanmade Hazards
Like other communities in Central Marin County, Fairfax located in a seismically active region and much of the community is susceptible to ground shaking in the event of fault rupture.

Other related seismic and geologic hazards include the potential for landslides in steep terrain and liquefaction, a seismic phenomenon in which loose, saturated, granular soils behave similarly to a fluid when subject to high-intensity ground shaking. Landslide risk occurs mainly in the steep hills at the southern and western edges of the community, with small pockets of landslide risk also evident in the northern hills and eastern boundary. Liquefaction risk is highest on the valley floor surrounding Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and along the courses of Fairfax, Bothin, San Anselmo, and Deer Park Creeks. Flood hazard risk is also generally highest in these areas. With the exception of the Town Center area, most of Fairfax is within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), where human development transitions to undeveloped wildlands and where risk of catastrophic wildfire is greater. Virtually the whole of the community is categorized as a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) because of the town’s steep slopes, which increases wildfire susceptibility and may hinder firefighting efforts. Figures S-1 through S6 characterize the risk of natural hazards in the Planning Area.

In response to the risk of natural hazards in Marin, a range of public agencies and organizations have established an inter-jurisdictional framework for coordinated hazard planning and mitigation. The Town is party to the Marin County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan 2023 (MJHMP), a regional effort that articulates a plan for reducing and/or eliminating risk from natural and humanmade hazards. The MJHMP includes a local Town of Fairfax

EXHIBIT A
Safety Element
2 annex assessing risks associated with debris flows, drought, earthquake, flooding, land subsidence/sinkholes, severe weather, and wildfire, and it identifies mitigation goals, objectives, and projects to reduce those risks. The MJHMP and the Town of Fairfax local annex are incorporated by reference into the Safety Element of the General Plan. The Town is also a party to the Marin County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), which provides a sciencebased assessment of wildfire hazards and threats to homes in the WUI of Marin County. Originally adopted in 2016 and updated in the wake of North Bay fires of 2017, which included five of the top twenty most destructive WUI fires in history, the purpose of the CWPP is to provide fire agencies, land managers, and other stakeholders in Marin County with guidance and strategies to reduce fire hazard and the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the WUI, while promoting the protection and enhancement of the county’s economic assets and ecological resources.

The North Bay fires heightened awareness of fire hazards in Marin and potential vulnerabilities. In 2018, the Marin County Board of Supervisors published a report that discussed the lessons learned from the North Bay fires, and the following year, the Marin Civil Grand Jury published a report entitled Wildfire Preparedness: A New Approach, that outlined a more proactive and consistent approach to public education, wildfire preparedness, and vegetation management. The Grand Jury report led to tax Measure C, a bond measure passed by voters in 2020 to fund wildland fire hazard mitigation efforts throughout the county. Funds raised through Measure C are managed by the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA), a joint power agency formed following the passage of Measure C to develop and implement a comprehensive wildfire prevention and emergency preparedness plan for most of Marin County.

The MWPA consists of seventeen-member agencies, including the Town of Fairfax, and leads the development of fire adapted communities using sound scientific, financial, programmatic, ecological practices, vegetation management, community education, and evacuation and warning systems with the support of its member and partner agencies. MWPA works in close collaboration with Fire Safe Marin, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a safe, fireadapted communities. The organization offers a wide range of programs and resources, which promote wildfire safety preparedness, reduce fuel loads and fire hazards, build community cooperation, and encourage environmentally sound fire mitigation practices. Fire Safe Marin is the official outreach arm of the MWPA.

Established in 1953, the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District works to reduce the risk of flooding for the protection of life and property while utilizing sustainable practices. The District leads the Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Program, a regional effort initiated following the 2005 flooding that caused nearly $95 million in damages in the communities of Fairfax, San Anselmo, Ross, Kentfield and Larkspur. The objective of the initiative is to substantially reduce the frequency and severity of flooding throughout the Ross Valley Watershed in an economically viable manner while prioritizing public safety and minimizing environmental impacts.

Locally, the Town of Fairfax Municipal Code also incorporates development standards and hazard risk mitigation protocols that address natural and humanmade hazards in the community. Safety Element policies provide a framework to guide Town planning and decisionmaking related to natural and humanmade hazards.

Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd

FAIRFAX SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
SLEEPY
HOLLOW
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteous Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Frustuck Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Fru struck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri el Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
ScenicTrl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
Seismic_Shaking
1 - Least Ground Shaking Amplification
2 - Some Ground Shaking Amplification
3 - Greater Ground Shaking Amplification
4 - Greatest Ground Shaking Amplification
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: Marin County Open GIS Data, 2023; MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2022; Dyett & Bhatia, 2022 Figure S-1 Seismic Shaking
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd

FAIRFAX SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
SLEEPY
HOLLOW
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteous Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Frustuck Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Fru struck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri el Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
ScenicTrl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
Most Landslides
Few Landslides
Surficial Deposits
Water
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: United States Geological Survey, 1997; MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2023; Dyett & Bhatia, 2024 Figure S-2 Landslide Hazard
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd

FAIRFAX SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
SLEEPY
HOLLOW
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteou s Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Frustuck Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Frustruck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri e l Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
Scenic Trl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
Fairfax Cre ek
Fairfax Creek
Bothin Creek
Bothin Creek
San Anselmo Creek
San Ansel mo Creek
Cascade Creek
Deer Park Creek
Liquefaction Susceptibility
High
Moderate
Very Low
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2022; Dyett & Bhatia, 2022 Figure S-3 Liquefaction Risk
Cascade Canyon
Loma Alta
Bald
Hill
Phoenix Lake
Watershed
White
Hill
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd

FAIRFAX SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
SLEEPY
HOLLOW
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteou s Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Frustuck Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Frustruck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri e l Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
Scenic Trl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
Cascade Creek
Fairfax Creek
Bothin Creek
Fairfax Cre ek
Bothin Creek
San Ansel mo Creek
San Anselmo Creek
Floodway
100-Year Floodzone
500-Year Floodzone
Creek
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, 2022; MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2022; Dyett & Bhatia, 2022 Figure S-4 Flood Hazard Areas
Deer Park Creek
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd

FAIRFAX SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
SLEEPY
HOLLOW
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteou s Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Frustuck Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Fru struck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri e l Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
ScenicTrl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timb er Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
LRA
LRA
LRA
LRA
LRA
SRA
SRA
SRA
SRA
Fire Hazard Severity Zones in LRA (February, 2025)
High
Moderate
NonWildland
Fire Hazard Severity Zones in SRA (Adopted 2024)
Very High
High
Moderate
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: Calfire GIS Data, 2025; MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2022; Dyett & Bhatia, 2022 Figure S-5 Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd

FAIRFAX SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
SLEEPY
HOLLOW
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteous Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Frustuck Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Fru struck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri el Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
ScenicTrl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
Wildland Urban Interface
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: MarinWildfire, 2023; MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2022; Dyett & Bhatia, 2022 Figure S-6Wildland Urban Interface
Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
9 GOAL S-1 Protect life and property from natural and humanmade hazards.

Seismic and Geologic Hazards
S-1.1 Require that new development be designed and sited to minimize risks from seismic events, including ground shaking, liquefaction, and landslides. [NEW] S-1.1.1 Provide educational materials to homeowners about geologic and seismic risks in the community, grants available to assist with retrofits, and techniques to mitigate liquefaction risk on their property. [Program S1.1.4.1 modified] S-1.2 For new development within seismic and geologic hazard zones, including existing landslide areas, areas of high and moderate liquefaction risk, and areas of greater ground shaking amplification, require that project proponents submit geotechnical investigation reports prepared by qualified professionals and demonstration that the project conforms to all mitigation measures recommended by the reports prior to approval. [Program S-1.1.1.1 modified]
S-1.3 Require geotechnical studies for new development in areas where sewers are not available to ensure that the surrounding soil can support alternative wastewater disposal systems. [NEW]
S-1.4 Ensure that structures intended for human occupancy are designed and constructed to retain their structural integrity when subjected to seismic activity, in accordance with the California Building Code. [NEW]
S-1.4.1 Use the resale inspection program to perform basic assessments of earthquake hazards in existing residential buildings, especially buildings with unreinforced masonry (URM), and make recommendations as appropriate for follow-up inspections by a structural engineer. [Program S-1.1.3.2 modified] S-1.4.2 Explore measures to encourage building owners to upgrade and retrofit structures to render them seismically safe, which may include the use of variances, tax rebates, fee waivers, credits, or public recognition. [Program S-1.1.4.1 and Program S-1.1.4.2 combined and modified] S-1.5 Continue to regulate development on hillsides where average slope is greater than 15 percent and limit the removal of natural vegetation in hillside areas when retaining natural habitat does not pose threats to public safety. [Objective LU-1.2 modified]
S-1.6 Require project applicants to minimize grading in hillside areas and mitigate erosion risk by revegetation or other acceptable methods. Permit grading operations only in areas scheduled for immediate construction or paving. [NEW] Safety Element
10 Flooding Hazards
S-1.7 Coordinate with the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to address storm drainage and flood control on a sub-regional basis within the Ross Valley Watershed in order to optimize the use of existing and planned conveyance facilities. [Policy S-2.1.7, Program S-2.1.7.1, Program S-2.1.7.2 combined and modified] S-1.7.1 Periodically review the risk of increased flooding hazards due to climate change and develop strategies to adapt to changing flood hazard conditions, including those related to monitoring, emergency preparedness, vegetation management, and development policies, and ensure that the Town’s hazard information is up-to-date regarding climate trends. [NEW]
S-1.8 Design, construct, and maintain street and storm drain flood control systems to accommodate storm flows and prevent water pollution, employing "green infrastructure" techniques as feasible and appropriate. [Policy S-2.1.5 modified] S-1.8.1 Pursue funding individually and in collaboration with the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation to finance improvements to storm drainage and flood control facilities in Fairfax. [NEW] S-1.8.2 Map the location of Town-owned storm drain infrastructure in key locations and inventory pipe size and other parameters. [Program S2.1.5.2 and Program S-2.1.5.4 modified] S-1.8.3 Clear debris from the creeks and culverts on an annual basis, with assistance from the North Bay Conservation Corps, other contractors, or volunteers. [Program S-2.1.5.6 modified] S-1.9 Continue participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Community Rating System to ensure that property owners in Fairfax can obtain flood insurance and to improve flood preparedness. [Program S-2.1.2.2 modified] S-1.10 Require new development in the 100-year and 500-year flood hazard zones to comply with applicable provisions for flood hazard control in the Town Code. [Policy S2.1.2 and Program S-2.1.2.1 modified] S-1.11 Review all development applications for areas within a 100-year flood hazard zone for consistency with FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) standards to mitigate flood hazard potential. [NEW]
S-1.12 Through development agreements and compliance with existing environmental regulations, require new development and redevelopment to provide necessary storm drainage improvements - including through low impact development (LID) Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
11 design strategies - and ensure that upstream stormwater generators fully address stormwater needs on their property. [Program S-2.1.3.2 modified] S-1.12.1 Work with creekside property owners to reduce and mitigate flood hazards, such as opening up box culverts when beneficial for flood control.

Promote the use of green infrastructure to convey stormwater and reduce flooding. [Policy S-2.1.6, Program S-2.1.6.1, Program S-2.1.6.2 modified]
Wildfire Hazards
S-1.13 Continue to participate in regional wildfire prevention initiatives and work to prevent wildland fire and to protect lives, property, and watersheds from fire dangers. [NEW]
S-1.13.1 Use Measure C funding from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority to reduce wildfire hazards and achieve measurable fuel reduction in Fairfax. [NEW] S-1.14 Maintain regulations and standards designed to achieve the greatest practical level of built-in fire protection to confine fires, including requirements for compliance with applicable provisions of the California Building Code and the California Fire Code. [Program S-3.1.5.3 modified]
S-1.15 Jointly with State, County, local and other agencies, inform property owners of wildfire risks and measures to reduce those risks, including by: [NEW] • Maintaining and making publicly available an up-to-date map of high and very high fire hazard areas consistent with CAL FIRE designations; and • Disseminating information on fire weather watches and fire risks via the Town's website and encouraging all Fairfax residents to engage in risk reduction and fire preparedness activities.

S-1.15.1 Promote the availability of Wildfire Risk Home Evaluations from the Ross Valley Fire Department and home hardening and defensible space grants from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority in Townwide email newsletters and at public contact events. [NEW]
S-1.15.2 Encourage the formation of Firewise community groups within Fairfax, where residents work together to prepare themselves, their homes and their properties against the threat of wildfire with guidance from Fire Safe Marin. [NEW]
S-1.15.3 Continue to promote the Curbside Chipper Day Program (also known as “Chipper Days”) that provides free curbside pickup and disposal of excess vegetation from residential properties in Fairfax. [NEW] Safety Element
12 S-1.16 Continue to collaborate with the Ross Valley Fire Department to require proactive weed abatement and, brush thinning, and removal services on new and existing development in areas of elevated wildfire risk in order to curb potential fire hazards. [Program S-4.4.2.7]
S-1.17 Cooperate with the CAL FIRE and the Ross Valley Fire Department to ensure that all portions of the Planning Area are served and accessible within an effective response time and to address regional wildfire threats. [Policy S-3.1.3, Program S-3.1.3.1, Program S-3.1.3.2, Program S-3.1.3.3, and Program S-3.1.3.4 combined and modified] S-1.18 Coordinate with the Marin Municipal Water District to ensure planning for an adequate and sustainable water supply to meet fire suppression needs within Fairfax over the long term. [Policy S-3.1.4, Program S-3.1.4.1, Program S-3.1.4.2, Program S-3.1.4.3 combined and modified]
S-1.19 Work with responsible agencies and nongovernmental organizations to plan for post-fire recovery in a manner that reduces further losses or damages from future fires. [Program S-4.1.1.13 modified]
Wind Hazards
S-1.20 Monitor issues related to damage from windstorms and undertake precautionary measures as needed, such as tree trimming in the public right-of-way. [NEW] S-1.21 To the extent feasible, ensure that housing, hospitals, care facilities, community centers, places of worship, and other facilities where people gather are set a minimum of 100 feet back from high voltage power lines or substations. [NEW] Humanmade Hazards
S-1.22 Continue to require remediation of hazardous material releases from previous land uses as part of any redevelopment activities. [NEW]
S-1.23 Regulate development on sites with known contamination of soil or groundwater to ensure that construction workers, future occupants, adjacent residents, and the environment are adequately protected from hazards associated with contamination. [NEW] S-1.24 Consistent with State regulations, require proper storage and disposal of hazardous materials to reduce the likelihood of leakage, explosions, or fire, and to properly contain potential spills from leaving the site. [NEW]
Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
13 Community Resilience
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather patterns, including temperature and precipitation. Over the course of the Earth’s history, climate shifts have occurred naturally, but since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Burning fossil fuels generates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures. As climate change progresses, it will continue to increase the frequency and severity of flooding and rain events, landslides, droughts, wildfires, and extreme heat events, that will both individually and collectively have increasing impacts on vulnerable populations, critical services, and infrastructure in Fairfax. While comprehensive, coordinated actions to reduce GHG emissions can help mitigate the extent of these impacts over the long term, additional actions must be taken to address the people, places, and infrastructure most at risk and to leverage other opportunities to effectively build community resilience to natural hazards and the effects of climate change.

Rising temperatures and changes in precipitation projected with climate change will exacerbate the risk of loss and damage from natural hazards in Fairfax, leading to more frequent and more intense wildfires and storm events, as well as increased risk of severe landslides.

The MJHMP includes a climate vulnerability assessment that identifies risks to homes, businesses, infrastructure, utilities, transportation systems, and critical facilities. In Fairfax, critical community facilities such as Town Hall, Fire Station 21, and the Fairfax Women's Club are located in areas of flood and liquefaction risk. Additionally, older bridges in town are in need of retrofit and repair, while roadways and retaining walls in steeper terrain need reinforcement and stabilization. Safety Element policies address these priorities.

Equally important is a focus on actions to increase public awareness of risks and build community response capacity. The Town has established a Community Emergency Preparedness Committee (CEPC) to support and help coordinate town-wide efforts to prepare residents to respond to emergencies of all kinds. CPEC focuses on tangible, practical, cost-effective actions regarding emergency preparedness that can be implemented at the local level. Additionally, the Town Code provides for a Citizen’s Disaster Council (CDC) consisting of the current mayor, vice mayor, emergency responders (fire/police) and other key groups that meets on an as-needed basis to develop emergency plans and related recommendations. In 2019, the CDC updated the Town's Emergency Operations Plan and created first of its kind communityfriendly evacuation maps for distribution to residents. Fairfax also boasts eight Firewise communities of neighbors helping neighbors take actions to prepare themselves, their homes and their properties against the threat of wildfire. Through the Firewise program, Fire Safe Marin provides residents who organize as Firewise communities with resources and support for personal preparedness, alerts and warning, and strategies to make their community more fire-resistant. Membership in Central Marin Neighborhood Response Groups also continues to grow in Fairfax, bringing together volunteers who help connect with and support their neighbors before, during, and after disasters of all kinds. RVFD also provides free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training that teaches residents how to take care of themselves, their family, and community until first responders can assist.

Safety Element
14 GOAL S-2 Build community resilience to natural disasters and the effects of climate change.

Resilient Infrastructure
S-2.1 Consider climate impacts, risk, and uncertainty in designing and evaluating capital improvement projects and adjust infrastructure design standards and project locations to address asset- and site-specific vulnerabilities. [NEW] S-2.1.1 Complete the bridge repair and roadway stabilization projects identified in the Capital Improvement Program, pursuing grant funding as needed to support project completion. Program S-1.1.5.1 and Program S-2.1.5.1 combined and modified
S-2.1.2 Prepare a prioritized list of roadway and retaining wall stabilization projects to inform planning for the Capital Improvement Program. Prioritization should consider factors such as roadway classification, traffic volume, and importance of the role in evacuation, as well as maintenance conditions, structural integrity, and magnitude of risk in the event of failure. [NEW]
S-2.2 Explore opportunities to increase the resiliency of Town-owned facilities and infrastructure to severe weather events and support homeowners and business owners in increasing the resilience of their buildings and properties, through retrofits, weatherization, and other improvements. [Program S-1.1.3.1 modified] S-2.2.1 Seek grant funding for seismic retrofit and renovation of the Town Pavilion and Fairfax Women's Club. [NEW] S-2.3 Plan for the continuity of operations for critical facilities following a disaster to help prevent interruption of emergency response related to life, property, and environment preservation. Evaluate options for ensuring emergency power at critical facilities, including microgrids, solar capture and storage, distributed energy, and backup generators. Consider the ability to reduce utility costs and carbon emissions in the assessment. [NEW]
S-2.4 Partner with utility providers, regional agencies, and neighboring jurisdictions to assess the vulnerability of energy infrastructure and identify improvements that increase resilience of local energy infrastructure. [NEW] S-2.5 Require new development to underground utility lines wherever feasible and continue to coordinate with electricity and telecommunications providers to underground existing overhead lines throughout Fairfax. [NEW] Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
15 Community Preparedness
S-2.6 Enhance collaboration with neighboring communities and agencies responsible for public safety in the region to closely coordinate and implement disaster-related plans, exercises, and training. [Program S-4.3.2.1 modified] S-2.6.1 Through the Marin Emergency Radio Authority (MERA) continue to collaborate with regional public safety partners to maintain and periodically upgrade a fully functional, interoperable radio and communication system. [NEW]
S-2.7 Promote community awareness and understanding of threat hazards, disaster response, and steps that can be taken to reduce personal risk by:
• Disseminating information in multiple formats to reach all segments of the community;
• Providing emergency preparedness and emergency alert information through social media, traditional media, community fairs, and direct information to neighborhood groups, residents, service clubs, and other community organizations; and • Conducting educational seminars or evacuation practice events to enhance preparedness and response.

S-2.8 Proactively engage community members in supporting and helping coordinate collaborative town-wide efforts to prepare residents to respond to emergencies of all kinds. [Policy S-4.1.1, Program S-4.1.1.1, Program S-4.1.1.2, Program S-4.1.1.3, Program S-4.1.1.4, Program S-4.1.1.5 combined and modified] S-2.8.1 Use the Community Emergency Preparedness Committee as a forum for discussion and identification of tangible, practical, cost-effective actions regarding emergency preparedness that can be implemented at the local level. [NEW] S-2.8.2 Coordinate with the Ross Valley Fire Department to promote and facilitate formation of Firewise community groups throughout Fairfax and for the establishment of Neighborhood Response Groups, targeting neighborhoods and areas that face the greatest evacuation challenges (Figures S-8 and S-9) as a priority. [NEW]
S-2.8.3 As a JPA member, support Ross Valley Fire Department efforts to recruit and retain Neighborhood Response Group Coordinator to facilitate neighborhood level emergency preparedness and response activities in Fairfax. [NEW]
S-2.8.4 Identify a network of resilience hubs, such as the library, the Pavilion, the Fairfax Women's Club, and other Town and County facilities throughout Fairfax, to serve as central points for gathering, sharing Safety Element
16 information, and accessing resources in the event of a natural or humanmade disaster. Resilience hubs should be situated away from areas at risk of hazard impacts to the extent possible, located in easily accessible locations, and equipped with backup power supplies. [NEW] S-2.8.5 Increase participation in the Community Emergency Response Team program administered by the Ross Valley Fire Department to train residents in the basic skills required to respond to their community’s immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster. [Program S-4.1.1.6 modified] Emergency Response
OEM has the authority to establish an emergency operations center to serve as the location from which centralized emergency management can be performed during a major emergency or disaster, facilitating a coordinated response by community, local, state, and federal agencies. OEM maintains the Marin County Emergency Portal, a website which houses the latest information on emergencies, and operates the countywide emergency alert systems: AlertMarin, the county's primary system to alert residents of emergencies in which the public may need to evacuate, shelter in place, or take some other protective action; and Nixle, which provides other, typically less urgent information including major traffic disruptions, drift smoke from a distant fire, and to let the public know about missing persons.

The Town of Fairfax also recognizes its inherent role in preserving life, property, and the environment through its emergency operations plan (EOP), developed to ensure the most effective and economical allocation of resources for the maximum benefit and protection of the community in time of emergency. The EOP establishes the emergency organization, assigns tasks, specifies policies and general procedures, outlines evacuation routes and provides for coordination of planning efforts of the various emergency staff and service elements utilizing the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). Updated periodically to as necessary to meet changing conditions, the EOP is an extension of the Marin Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan, allowing Fairfax to operate and communicate more effectively in multi-jurisdictional responses.

The primary emergency evacuation routes in Fairfax are shown on Figure S-7. Major and minor evacuation routes in Fairfax could face potential disruption from a wildfire, earthquake, or flood event, which may block roadways or damage the roadway surfaces. In the event of widespread disruption to local evacuation routes, major and minor routes may become more congested, slowing down evacuation of the community or specific neighborhoods.

This issue may be compounded since Sir Francis Drake Boulevard serves as the primary evacuation route for neighboring communities, and so potential disruptions may have regional effects.

An analysis of existing development patterns and roadway connectivity completed with the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) software indicates that some residential areas of the town have constrained emergency access. Shown on Figure S-8, these evacuation- Cascade Canyon
Loma Alta
Bald
Hill
Phoenix Lake
Watershed
White
Hill
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteous Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Fru struck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri e l Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
ScenicTrl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield
Rd
Cascade,
Bolinas Rd.

Bothin, Glen,
Oak Manor
Sleepy Hollow,
Brookside
Deer Park,
Manor Hill
Forest,
Yolansdale
Drake
Evacuation Routes
Major
Minor
Regional Mitigation Projects
Chipper Program
Shaded Fuelbreak
Greater RossValley Shaded Fuel Break (GRVSFB)
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence
0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: MarinWildfire, 2023; MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2022; Dyett & Bhatia, 2022 Figure S-7 Emergency Evacuation Routes
and RegionalWildfire Mitigation Projects
Cascade Canyon
Loma Alta
Bald
Hill
Phoenix Lake
Watershed
White
Hill
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteou s Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Frustuck Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Frustruck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri e l Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
Scenic Trl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
Evacuation Constrained Residential Parcels
Residential Areas
Major Evacuation Route
Minor Evacuation Route
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: MarinWildfire, 2023; : Calfire GIS Data, 2024 & 2007; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, 2022; MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2022; Dyett & Bhatia, 2022 Figure S-8 Evacuation Constrained
Residential Parcels
Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
19 constrained properties are all located in at least one hazard-prone area and may have access to only one emergency evacuation route, which can significantly impede the swift and orderly movement of residents to safer locations and can lead to congestion, delayed emergency response times, and heightened risk to life and property. Additionally, in the event of a natural hazard involving wildfire, earthquake, or flooding, relatively more difficult to evacuate areas of Fairfax are shown on Figure S-9. Difficulty was assessed in consideration of roadway conditions, communications difficulty, and presence of fire fuels using MWPA's scenario planning tool. Key factors that contribute to evacuation difficulty include heavy vegetation and steep elevations which increase burn probability, and roadway conditions such as slope, elevation, geometry, and lack of intersections, as well as distance to key infrastructure. The most difficult to evacuate areas are located in areas of steep topography and winding roads, including neighborhoods in the steep hillsides around San Gabriel Drive, Tailor Drive, and Ridgeway Avenue north of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, and around Frustuck Avenue, Hickory Road, Madrone Road, and Bolinas Road southwest of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Although not fully reflected in MWPA scenario planning tool, areas along Cascade Drive and the northern part of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard have limited cellphone coverage, which can make access to information difficult if the power is out following a natural hazard event.

Safety Element policies focus on vegetation management and fire fuel abatement as well as repairing and maintaining roadway infrastructure, particularly along evacuation routes.

Above all, ensuring that community members are prepared for emergency evacuation events and understand what to do is of critical importance.

GOAL S-3 Effective emergency response to disasters and emergencies.

S-3.1 Use the adopted Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and Emergency Operations Plan to guide actions and investments for emergency preparedness and response. [NEW] S-3.1.1 Periodically update the Emergency Operations Plan with technical assistance from the Marin County Office of Emergency Services. [NEW] S-3.2 Maintain mutual aid agreements and communication links with the County of Marin and other surrounding jurisdictions that allow for supplemental aid from other police and fire personnel in the event of emergencies. [NEW] S-3.3 To facilitate the orderly evacuation of residential areas, maintain minimum standards for roadway design, maintenance, and vegetation management. [NEW] S-3.3.1 Pursue funding to facilitate structural retrofits, roadway improvements, and abatement of vegetative hazards in existing residential neighborhoods without two points of emergency ingress/egress. [NEW] S-3.4 Require new residential subdivisions to have at least two ingress and egress routes that account for existing and proposed traffic evacuation volumes at buildout. [NEW]
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteous Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Frustuck Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregor y
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr Oak Manor Dr
Fru struck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri el Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
ScenicTrl
Redwood Rd
Iron Springs R d
Bolinas Rd
Meado w Club Rd
W Oak Knoll Dr
Stuyvesant D r
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
Combined Aggregate Difficulty Score
Minimal (1st Quartile)
Low (2nd Quartile)
Moderate (3rd Quartile)
High (4th Quartile)
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: Marin County Current Conditions Evacuation Risk Assessment, 2023; MarinMap, 2022; Marin County GIS, 2022;Town of Fairfax, 2022; Dyett & Bhatia, 2022 Figure S-9 Aggregate Evacuation
Difficulty
Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
21 S-3.5 Ensure road surfaces on designated evacuation routes can withstand extreme weather conditions and are maintained to accommodate increased traffic during evacuations. [NEW]
S-3.5.1 In future updates to the Capital Improvement Program, prioritize preventative maintenance and repair on roadway segments designated as evacuation routes. [NEW]
S-3.6 Work with telecommunications providers and improve cellphone coverage in areas with known deficiencies, including along Cascade Drive and the northern part of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. [NEW]
S-3.7 Continue to collaborate in regional emergency planning initiatives. [NEW] S-3.7.1 Partner with the Ross Valley Fire Department, the Marin County Office of Emergency Management, and neighboring jurisdictions on measures to protect critical evacuation routes such as Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Broadway, Center Boulevard, and Bolinas Road and to develop contingency plans for operations when these and other roads are inoperable due to flooding or wildfire. [NEW] S-3.7.2 Identify traffic management strategies to ensure efficient access from feeder streets onto critical evacuation routes during an emergency evacuation event in coordination with public safety partners and neighboring jurisdictions. Responsibility for implementation should be clearly identified and the strategies should be incorporated into the Emergency Operations Plan. [NEW]
S-3.7.3 Periodically conduct outreach to encourage residents with access and functional needs to register with the Office of Emergency Services to ensure that their needs are incorporated into all emergency response plans. [NEW]
S-3.8 Provide information on and build community awareness of major evacuation routes and notification systems used for emergency alerts to residents and businesses in Fairfax. [NEW] S-3.8.1 Study the feasibility of deploying dynamic message signs, roadway sensors, and other Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) tools to disseminate real-time traffic conditions, alternative routes, and delays to drivers, enhancing situational awareness and decision-making. [NEW] S-3.9 Use the countywide alert and early warning systems (Alert Marin and Nixle) to notify residents by phone, text, or email of extreme weather conditions and/or the need to evacuate in the event of emergency. The system should also be used to broadcast the location of evacuation centers, particularly for residents of vulnerable areas and neighborhoods with constrained emergency access. [NEW] Safety Element
22 S-3.9.1 Target efforts to increase registration to residential areas that face the greatest evacuation challenges (Figures S-8 and S-9) as a priority. [NEW]
Public Safety Services
Responsive public safety services are integral to maintaining and strengthening quality of life in Fairfax. Law enforcement and fire protection services rooted in community-based approaches help to ensure that neighborhoods remain safe, engaged, and ready to respond in the event of an emergency. It is critical that we make wise investments in public facilities and safety to provide for our community’s existing and future needs.

The Town operates the Fairfax Police Department (FPD) which is headquartered at the Fairfax Town Hall, at 144 Bolinas Road. The Ross Valley Fire Department (RVFD) is a separate Joint Powers Authority (JPA) consolidated department that services Ross, San Anselmo, Sleepy Hollow, and Fairfax. The department currently has four fire stations, with Station 21 located in the Town of Fairfax at 10 Park Road. RVDF participates in county-wide and State mutual aid systems, through which fire departments from different jurisdictions agree to assist one another during emergencies. Mutual aid is crucial in California, where large-scale disasters can quickly overwhelm local resources, necessitating a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional response.

Safety Element policies focus on ensuring that responsive police and fire services that achieve a high level of policy safety through proactive, preventative strategies and collaboration with partner agencies and the community.

GOAL S-4 Responsive police and fire services that ensure a high level of public safety.

S-4.1 Provide responsive, efficient, and effective police services that promote a high level of public safety. [NEW]
S-4.2 Provide for fire prevention and emergency response services that minimize fire risks and protect life and property, including fire prevention, fire-related law enforcement, and public education and information programs. [NEW] S-4.3 Locate and maintain police and fire equipment, facilities, and staffing at locations and levels that allow for effective service delivery. [NEW] S-4.4 Require that new development contribute funds to ensure the provision of adequate police and fire services. [NEW] S-4.5 Continue to engage the Police and Fire Departments in the development review process to ensure that projects are designed and operated in a manner that Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
23 minimizes the potential for criminal activity and fire hazards and maximizes the potential for responsive police and fire services. [NEW] S-4.6 Apply Crime Prevention through Environmental Design principles in the design of new development and encourage the provision of adequate public lighting; windows overlooking streets or parking lots; and paths to increase pedestrian activity within private development projects and public facilities in order to enhance public safety and reduce calls for service. [NEW]
S-4.7 Employ community-based policing strategies and encourage the establishment of neighborhood watch programs in partnerships with community groups. [Program S-4.1.1.7 modified]
1 Land Use Element
Historical development patterns in Fairfax have created a town with a distinct center and a compact form. The community grew up around the North Pacific Coast Railroad that linked San Francisco with Marin and Sonoma counties, which transported not only dairy and forest products but also vacationers and ultimately commuters. The historic alignment of the railway line ran along what is today Center Boulevard and Broadway, parallel to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, the main thoroughfare connecting communities in the Ross Valley. Today Fairfax retains a village-like quality, with a charming downtown, distinct neighborhoods, and large areas of surrounding visible open space.

The Land Use Element seeks to preserve these qualities by providing policies and programs to guide future development and conservation. The Land Use Element is the nexus of the General Plan, underpinning all other Elements.

PLANNING AREA
The planning area is defined as the land area addressed by the General Plan, including land within Town limits and the Sphere of Influence (SOI) outside Town limits as shown on Figure LU-1. The planning area comprises approximately 2,040 acres (3.19 square miles) of incorporated and unincorporated land. Of this, approximately 1,435 acres (2.24 square miles) is incorporated land within the legal jurisdiction of the Town of Fairfax. The existing uses within the Town limits include residential and commercial developments, as well as public facilities including parks, schools, and government offices. The SOI is an area outside of the Fairfax jurisdictional boundary, or Town limits, that designates the Town’s probable future boundary and service area. Fairfax’s SOI encompasses approximately 605 acres (0.95 square miles) of unincorporated land within the County of Marin.

The Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) has jurisdiction over defining Fairfax’s SOI and acts on annexations and the approval of service contracts outside Town limits. The purpose of the SOI is to coordinate and shape logical and orderly development while discouraging urban sprawl and the premature conversion of agricultural and open space lands by preventing overlapping jurisdictions and duplication of services. While individual jurisdictions establish their own planning goals, on a regional level, the LAFCo for each California county helps coordinate the efficient provision of services for the benefit of area residents and property owners.

The planning area boundary was determined in response to State law, which requires each city and town to include all territory within the boundaries of the incorporated area as well as “any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgement bears relation to its planning,” within the general plan planning area. The Town only has jurisdiction within the Town limits, although the policy framework of the Land Use Element address coordination with the County and other jurisdictions in the region for conservation and development of land in the SOI.

Exhibit B
!
!
!
Hawthorne
Hills
Town Open
Space

TOWN OF
ROSS
Marin Town &
Country Club
Cascade Canyon
Open Space
Loma Alta
Open Space
Bald
Hill
Open
Space
Phoenix Lake
Watershed
White Hill
Open Space
Terra Linda/
Sleepy Hollow
Open Space
Preserve
Fairfax Cree
Bo thin
k
Creek
San Anselmo
Cr eek
Cascade Creek
Fairfax Cree k
White Hill
Open Space Claus
Circle
Park
Bolinas
Park
Wall
Property
Sir F ra ncis Drake Blvd
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas R d

TOWN OF

FAIRFAX

TOWN OF
SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
Iron Springs Rd
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Spruce Rd Broa dway
Cascade Dr
Pine D
C
r
anyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Crest Rd
Francis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteo us Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
omi n g a Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Gregory
Dr
Oak Manor Dr
Manor View
Woodside Dr
Deer Hollow Rd
Fawn Dr
Oak
Manor Dr
Cypre ss Dr
Madrone Rd
San Ga b r iel Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Bl vd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgewa y A ve
Olema Rd
Tama pl a is Rd
Ri d ge R d
La u rel Dr
S c enic Rd
Scenic Trl
Redwood Rd
Iron S pring s Rd
Bolin as Rd
Me ad ow Club Rd
Stuyvesa n t Dr
Wilder Rd
Timber Canyon Rd
Butterfield Rd
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Butterfield Rd
San Anse ml oAve
Fairfax Zone 2 -
Southern Fairfax/Bald Hill
Fairfax Zone 3 -
Northern Fairfax/Sleepy
Hollow/Oak Manor/Wall
Fairfax Zone 1 -
Western Fairfax/Tamarancho/
Cascade
Manor
Elementary
School
Town
Hall
Fairfax
Library
White Hill
Middle
School
Doc
Edgar
Park
Peri
Park
Fairfax
Deer Park
Elementary
Sir Francis
Drake
High School
Brookside
School
Hidden Valley
Elementary
School
Faude
Park
WadeThoma
Elementary
School
Creekside
Park
Santa
Margarita
Valley
Park
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence
Urbanized Marin Communities
! Priority Conservation Areas (PCA)
Plan Bay Area 2050
Town/City Parks and Recreation
School Playgrounds
Town/City Open Space
Regional Open Space (Marin County Open Space District Preserve) Other Public Lands
Potential Site to be Conserved as Open Space
Sources: Marin County Parks, 2024; MarinMap, 2023; Town of Fairfax, 2023; Plan Bay Area, 2050, MTC; Dyett & Bhatia, 2023 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Scenic A v e
VanW inkle Dr
Figure LU-1: Planning Area and Context
Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
3 TOWN STRUCTURE
Fairfax is located in scenic Ross Valley in central Marin County. As shown on Figure LU-2, existing development is primarily concentrated along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, which runs along the valley floor bisecting the community. At the heart of Fairfax and the physical center of the community is the traditional downtown, comprised of a mix of commercial, civic, and residential uses.

Adjacent to downtown along Sir Francis Drake there are auto-oriented commercial uses and a cluster of small-scale commercial businesses toward the eastern end of the corridor. These commercial areas together with Downtown Fairfax form the Town Center Area, beyond which medium density residential neighborhoods give way to low density residential development. The periphery of the community is defined by steep topography, forested hillsides, and undeveloped natural open space.

LAND USE FRAMEWORK
Fairfax is a special place, loved by residents as well as visitors. Framed by vast areas of open space and forested hills, the natural setting is integral to Fairfax's sense of place, as are the community's village-like land use characteristics, seen in the small businesses, quaint neighborhoods, humanscaled public spaces, and bustling streets where residents bicycle and walk. The land use framework articulated in this Plan seeks to enhance livability and quality of life for current and future residents of Fairfax by focusing new development primarily within the Town Center Area while preserving the natural and open space resources that frame the community. The framework is intended to enhance the intrinsically sustainable development pattern of Fairfax by fostering an integrated, walkable mix of retail, services, civic, and residential uses at the core of the community that can be easily accessed from surrounding neighborhoods on foot or by bicycle. In established neighborhoods adjacent to the Town Center Area, the Plan seeks to foster traditional neighborhood design, characterized by a variety of lot sizes, home types, and styles as well as good connectivity within and between neigh-borhoods.

Land Use Designations
The General Plan Land Use Map (Figure LU-3) illustrates the long-term vision for development and conservation in the planning area, with land use designations that describe the qualities and sense of place envisioned for each area of Fairfax. Each designation includes standards for density or intensity of use. Residential densities are expressed in terms of dwelling units per acre. Building intensities for non-residential uses are expressed in terms of floor area ratio (FAR), which is the ratio of gross building area (excluding surface parking areas) to net lot area, both expressed in square feet. FAR does not regulate building placement or form; it defines the total amount of development allowed on a given lot. In the designations below, FAR represents an expectation of the overall intensity of future development. The maximums assigned to the land use designations below do not constitute entitlements, nor are property owners or developers guaranteed that an individual project, when tested against the Plan’s policies, will be able or permitted to achieve these maximums.

Iron Springs Rd
Sir Fr an cis Drake Blvd
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd
B o linas Rd

TOWN OF
SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Bro adway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Crest Rd
Francis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteous Ave
Meerna a Av e
Forrest Ave
Doming a Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Oak Manor Dr
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pre ss Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri e l Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forre st Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway Av e
Olema Rd
Hickory Rd
Tama pl ais Rd
Ri d g e Rd
La ur el Dr
Sc e n ic Rd
Scenic Trl
Redwood Rd
Bolinas Rd
Butterfield Rd
Manor
Elementary
School
White Hill
Middle
School
Fairfax
Library
Doc
Edgar
Park
Peri
Park
Fairfax
Town
Hall
Canyon Rd
Cascade Canyon
Open Space
Bald
Hill
Open
Space
Phoenix Lake
Watershed
Marin Town &
Country Club
Bolinas
Park
Claus
Circle
Park
Source: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community Town Center Area
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence
Sources: MarinMap, 2023; Town of Fairfax, 2023; Dyett & Bhatia, 2023 Figure LU-2: Aerial Map
0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Iron Springs Rd
Marin Town &
Country Club
Sir Fr an cis Drake Blvd
Center Blvd
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Bolinas Rd
B o linas Rd
School St

TOWN OF
SAN

ANSELMO

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY

UNINCORPORATED

MARIN COUNTY
Bothin Rd
Tamalpais Rd
Scenic Rd
Azalea Ave
Spruce Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Cascade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteou s Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Av
D
e
oming a Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Oak
Manor Dr
Frustruck Ave
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri e l Dr
Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Manor Rd
Ridgeway A v e
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
L a u rel Dr
Sc en ic Rd
Scenic Trl
Redwood Rd
Bolinas Rd
Butterfield Rd
Park Rd
Doc
Edgar
Park
Claus
Circle
Park
Bolinas
Park
Residential
Very Low Density Residential (VLDR)
Low Density Residential (LDR)
Medium Density Residential (MDR)
Planned Development District (PDD)
Commercial
Central Commercial (CC)
Service Commercial (CS)
Highway Commercial
Limited Commercial (CL)
Recreational Commercial (CR)
Other
Public Facility (PF)
Parks and Recreation (PR)
Open Space (OS)
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence
Sources: MarinMap, 2023; Town of Fairfax, 2023; Dyett & Bhatia, 2023 Figure LU-3: General Plan Land Use Map
0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Land Use Element
6 Residential Designations:

Very Low Density Residential (VLDR). The VLDR designation applies in upland areas adjacent to the Town limit. It provides for large lot residential development with single-family homes and accessory dwelling units.

The intent is also to preserve open space and undeveloped ridgelines. Permitted residential density is up to

0.25 dwelling units per acre (du/ac). Clustering of homes is encouraged to minimize areas of disturbance and optimize the provision of infrastructure.

Low Density Residential (LDR). The LDR designation applies in established residential areas and provides for single-family residences, including single-family attached, semi-detached, and duet homes, as well as accessory dwelling units. Permitted residential density range is 1-6 dwelling units per acre (du/ac). Public facilities such as schools, religious institutions, parks, and other community facilities appropriate within a residential neighborhood are also permitted.

Medium Density Residential (MDR). The MDR designation applies in areas adjacent to Downtown Fairfax and along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. It is intended to transition from lower density single-family neighborhoods to areas of more intense mixed use and residential development. It provides for a range of residential uses, including single-family homes and more compact housing types such as townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and small-scale apartments at between 7-12 dwelling units per acre.

Planned Development District (PDD). This designation provides for development and conservation on large parcels on the periphery of the Town, subject to approval of a master plan or area plan. The intent is to provide for a mix of uses not available through other designations and flexibility in standards to address edge conditions. Clustering of structures is encouraged to preserve large areas of open space onsite, minimize areas of disturbance, and optimize the provision of infrastructure.

Commercial Designations:

Central Commercial (CC). The CC designation applies to properties in Downtown Fairfax, where a mix of daytime and evening uses that contributes to the economic and social vitality of the community is desired.

The intent is to foster a distinctive, walkable environment at the heart of the Town. Permitted uses include restaurants, shops, services, entertainment, professional offices, and multifamily housing. The maximum permitted FAR for non-residential uses is 2.0 FAR and the maximum permitted residential density is 20 du/ac; however, sites included in the Workforce Housing Overlay are entitled to additional density if specified affordability requirements are met.

Highway Commercial (CH). The CH designation provides for a variety of retail, service, and wholesale businesses and offices along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, the primary commercial arterial in Fairfax. Multifamily residential uses, live/work units, and shopkeeper housing are also allowed. The maximum permitted FAR for non-residential uses is 1.25 FAR and the maximum permitted residential density is 20 du/ac; however, sites included in the Workforce Housing Overlay are entitled to additional density if specified affordability requirements are met.

Service Commercial (CS). The CS designation provides for a variety of service, retail, and wholesale businesses which require larger sites and greater vehicular access than other commercial areas. Multifamily residential uses are also allowed. The maximum permitted FAR for non-residential uses is 0.5 FAR and the maximum permitted residential density is 20 du/ac; however, sites included in the Workforce Housing Overlay are entitled to additional density if specified affordability requirements are met.

Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
7 Limited Commercial (CL). The CL designation provides for a range of neighborhood and community serving commercial opportunities outside of the Town Center Area, including medical facilities, day care facilities, professional offices, and cultural and recreation-oriented businesses. Multifamily residential uses are also allowed. The maximum permitted FAR for non-residential uses is 0.25 FAR and the maximum permitted residential density is 20 du/ac; however, sites included in the Workforce Housing Overlay are entitled to additional density if specified affordability requirements are met.

Recreational Commercial (CR). The CR designation provides for privately owned and operated recreational facilities that require a large area of land, such as a golf course, country club, or resort hotel. Uses in the CR designation tend toward physical activity in the open. The maximum permitted development intensity is 0.1 FAR.

Other Designations:

Public Facilities (PF). The PF designation encompasses facilities serving the good of the community, including fire and police stations; government buildings; libraries; schools; educational institutions; community centers; and other community-serving facilities. Co-location of multiple public facilities on a single site is encouraged where it will increase access to community services while offering cost savings and other benefits to community service providers. The maximum permitted development intensity in the PF designation is from 0.25 to 1.0 FAR, determined on a case-by-case basis in consideration of the neighborhood context.

Parks and Recreation (PR). The PR designation applies to public parks and recreational facilities in Fairfax.

Permitted uses in this designation include parks, playgrounds, trails, ball fields, recreational facilities and other similar uses. There is no maximum permitted FAR in this designation.

Open Space (OS). Typically located on the periphery of the Town, the OS designation is intended to preserve open space resources in their natural condition due to their high scenic value, environmental sensitivity, connectivity to larger habitats, and other considerations such as geotechnical, seismic, or wildfire hazards.

Recreation trails may be permitted at the discretion of the Town to ensure adequate protection of underlying resources, or natural or scenic features.

TOWN CENTER AREA
The Town Center Area is the heart of the community, cherished for its village-like qualities and small-town ambiance that are integral to Fairfax's sense of place. The area consists of Downtown Fairfax as well as adjacent commercial, civic, and residential uses, as shown in Figure LU-4. Broadbased community outreach conducted during preparation of the 2010-2030 General Plan identified the following key priorities for the Town Center Area:
• Preserving Downtown Fairfax’s village-like qualities; • Visually defining the Town Center from the viewpoint of motorists passing through on Sir Francis Drake to help support local merchants;
• Strengthening linkages within the Town Center Area, such as connections from the east end commercial businesses to downtown;
• Improving pedestrian and bicycle safety;
• Enhancing the pedestrian realm, with widened and repaired sidewalks, street furniture, outdoor dining, and lighting;
Peri
Park
Claus
Circle
Park
Hillside Dr
Francis Ave
Forrest Ave
Creek Rd
Forrest Ave
Fairfax
Library
Fairfax
Town Hall
Ross Valley
Charter School
Pavilion
West Marin
Little League
Bolinas
Park
Women's
Club
Good Earth
Natural Food
Fairfax
Theater
Marin Town &
Country Club
Bolinas Rd
Forrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Willow Ave
Broadway
Ridgeway Ave
Park Rd
Hillside Dr
Center Blvd
Taylor Dr
Chester Ave
Frustuck Ave
Spruce Rd
Scenic Rd
Dominga Ave
San Gabriel Dr
Creek Rd
Maple Ave
Sequoia Rd
Rocca Dr
Francis Ave
Azalea Ave
Olema Rd
Arroyo Rd
Power Ln
Forrest Ter
Claus Dr
Manor Rd
Live Oak Ave
Geary Ave
Merwin Ave
Cascade Dr
Bank St
Inyo Ave
Pastori Ave
Pacheco Ave
Arcangel Ct
Mono Ave
Wreden Ave
Muriel Pl
Napa Ave
Elsie Ln
Meernaa Ave
Walsh Ln
Sherman St
Upper Ridgeway Ave
San Miguel Ct
Marin Rd
Summer Ave
Main Ct
Hickory Rd
Marinda Ct
Mono Ave
Frustuck Ave
School St
M a rinda Dr
Live Oak Ave
Ridgeway Ave
Sources: MarinMap, 2023; Town of Fairfax, 2023; Dyett & Bhatia, 2023 Figure LU-4: Town Center Area
0 250 500 1,000
Feet
0 0.05 0.1 0.2
Miles
Town Center Area
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence
Parks, Recreation and Open Space
Major Roads
Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
9 • Addressing traffic flow at the Bolinas-Broadway-Claus-Sir Francis Drake intersection; • Restoring the Pavilion and raising its profile; and
• Greening the area and exploring options for "daylighting" culverted creeks.

Since that time, the Town has completed several important planning efforts with bearing on the Town Center Area. These include the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update, which outlines plans for new pedestrian and bicycle connections to and through the Town Center Area, and the Workforce Housing Zoning Overlay, which provides opportunities for new multifamily residential housing on key sites in the Town Center Area to meet the needs of those who work in Fairfax and adjacent Marin County communities. In this context, there is a need for careful, coordinated area-wide planning and this Plan envisions preparation of a Town Center Area Plan for that purpose. Policies and programs in this Element also provide direction for other actions and investments with a view to strengthening the role of Town Center area as the commercial and cultural focal point of community life.

MARIN TOWN AND COUNTRY CLUB
The Marin Town and Country Club site is a 25-acre property located southeast of the Town Center on Pastori Avenue. Originally gifted to Charles Snowden Fairfax, for whom the Town is named, the property was operated as a popular sports and recreation club between 1944 and 197 with baseball diamonds, a sunbathing lawn, picnic areas, and swimming pools as well as an outdoor bandstand and dance floor called The Redwood Bowl, from which live dance music was broadcast throughout the western United States on Saturday nights. Following the closure of the club, Fairfax voters approved a ballot measure designating the site for commercial-recreational uses and requiring a vote of the people to rezone for other uses. Over the years, various plans have been mooted for the site, including proposals to redevelop part of the site with housing, to create a park, and a proposal to restore the former resort and add housing, but none have moved forward. Under current zoning, the site can be redeveloped with privately owned recreational uses or the property owner can initiate a ballot initiative to rezone it.

HISTORIC RESOURCES
Fairfax has a rich historic and cultural legacy that extends from pre-colonial times through the 20th Century to the present day. At the time of European contact, the planning area was part of a larger territory controlled by the Coast Miwok, hunter-gatherers who lived in permanent villages that allowed for dense populations with complex social structures. The planning area was later part of a 6,558-acre land grant from the Mexican Government to Domingo Sais, who in turn gifted a 32-acre portion area to Charles Snowdon Fairfax, after whom the Town was named when it was incorporated in 1931. In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century Fairfax was primarily a summer resort for residents of San Francisco, but the population grew rapidly with the expansion of the railroad. Inaugurated in the 1870s, the railroad was constructed to transport dairy and forest products to Bay Area cities. Scheduled service also popularized passenger trips to resorts on the Russian River in Sonoma and to Fairfax Park, and the railroad eventually provided commuter service to San Francisco with a station in Downtown Fairfax. In the 1960s and 70s, Fairfax earned singular Land Use Element
10 reputation as a hip and mellow hub of the Bay Area music scene, where Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Van Morrison, Joan Baez and others performed.

Testifying to this heritage, today the home of Charles Snowdon Fairfax is listed on the California Register of Historic Places and there are several other buildings and structures that may be eligible for listing at the national, state, or local level, as shown on Figure LU-5 and Table LU-1. The focus of policies and programs in this Element is preserving and enhancing physical aspects of the historic built environment that contribute to Fairfax's unique sense of place. Please see the Conservation Element for additional policies and programs related to cultural and historic preservation.

GOALS, POLICIES AND PROGRAMS
LU-1: Preserve and protect the natural and open space resources that define Fairfax and contribute to local sense of place.

LU-1.1 Preserve the natural, scenic, and open space resources surrounding Fairfax through collaboration in regional and cross-jurisdictional conservation initiatives. (Policy LU1.1.1, modified) LU-1.2 Continue to use zoning and development standards to protect existing scenic resources and prevent development on unurbanized open space adjacent to ridgetops. [NEW] LU-1.2.1 Limit development on hillside and ridgeline parcels to preserve and enhance the scenic qualities of the Town. [Objective LU‐1.2] LU-1.2.2 No roads or streets shall be permitted to traverse a ridge, except as deemed necessary for emergency access and egress. [Policy LU-1.2.4] LU-1.3 Encourage open space preservation through easements, land dedications, and land use and zoning designations with the objective of connecting conservation areas, protecting biodiversity, accommodating wildlife movement, and sustaining ecosystems. (NEW)
LU-1.3.1 Identify opportunities for new parks and public open spaces in existing neighborhoods where feasible. [Policy LU-1.1.2, modified] LU-1.3.2 Evaluate opportunities to redesignate Town-owned VLDR parcels as OS or PR where the parcels are adjacent to designated open space lands and do not have access to the sewer system. The evaluation and any subsequent rezoning shall consider the Housing Accountability Act, the Surplus Lands Act, and other applicable laws and regulations. [NEW]
kj
kj
kj
kj
kj
kj
kj
kj
kjkj kj
kj
kj
kj
kj
kj
Iron Springs Rd
Cascade Canyon
Loma Alta
Bald
Hill
Phoenix Lake
Watershed
White
Hill
Doc
Edgar
Park
Manor
Elementary
School
White Hill
Middle
School
Marin Town &
Country Club
Peri
Park
Bolinas Park
Claus Circle Park
Sir Fr an cis Drake Blvd
Center Blvd
Bolinas Rd
School St
Bothin Rd
Scenic Rd
Broadway
Cascade Dr
Pine Dr
Canyon Rd
Cascade Fire Rd
Ca scade Dr
Hillside Dr
Cre st R d
Fr ancis Ave
Wood Ln
Porteou s Ave
Meernaa Ave
Forrest Ave
Doming a Ave
Willow
Ave
Mono Ln
Oak
Manor Dr
Cyp ress Dr
Cy pr ess Dr
Madrone Rd
San Gabri e l Dr Taylor Dr
Marinda Dr
Creek Rd
Fo rrest Ave
Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Glen Dr
Ridgeway A ve
Olema R d
Hickory Rd
Tamalp ais Rd
Ri d ge R d
La u r el Dr
Sc en ic Rd
Scenic Trl
Redwood Rd
Bolinas Rd
Butterfield Rd
Bolina s Rd
Sir Francis Dr ake Blvd
Deer Park Bridge 199 Porteous Ave
16 Porteous
Ave
Bolinas Rd
Bridge
Home of
Lord Charles
Snowden
Fairfax
96Willow Ave
Marin Ave
Bridge
Scenic Rd
Bridge
Olema Rd
Bridge
117 Scenic Rd
133Tamalpais Rd
Merwin Ave
Bridge
Fairfax
Community Center
Alpine
Building
Fairfax Theater
Pacheo Ave
Bridge
kj Historic Resource
kj Potentially Historic Resource
Town Center Area
Town of Fairfax
Sphere of Influence
Parks, Recreation and Open Space 0 750 1,500 3,000
Feet
0 0.125 0.25 0.5
Miles
Sources: California Historical Resources, California State Parks, 2024; MarinMap, 2023;Town of Fairfax, 2023; Dyett & Bhatia, 2023 Figure LU-5: Historic Resources
Land Use Element
12 Table LU-1 Historic and Potentially Historic Resources Primary # Resource Name Res Type Evaluation Info Construction Year(s)
Evaluation Code Evaluation Description
P-21-001124 Bolinas Road
Bridge
Structure 7R, , 4930-0004-0000 1925 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Identified in Reconnaissance Level
Survey or in an Area of Potential
Effect (APE): Not evaluated.

P-21-001125 Deer Park
Bridge
Structure 7N, , 4930-0005-0000 1929 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Needs to be reevaluated - formerly
coded as may become NR eligible
with specific conditions.

P-21-001126 Marin
Avenue
Bridge
Structure 7R, , 4930-0006-0000 1925 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Identified in Reconnaissance Level
Survey or in an Area of Potential
Effect (APE): Not evaluated.

P-21-001128 Merwin
Avenue
Bridge
Structure 7R, , 4930-0008-0000 1920 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Identified in Reconnaissance Level
Survey or in an Area of Potential
Effect (APE): Not evaluated
P-21-001129 Olema Road
Bridge
Structure 7R, , 4930-0009-0000 1925 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Identified in Reconnaissance Level
Survey or in an Area of Potential
Effect (APE): Not evaluated
P-21-001130 Pacheco
Avenue
Bridge
Structure 7R, , 4930-0010-0000 1920 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Identified in Reconnaissance Level
Survey or in an Area of Potential
Effect (APE): Not evaluated
P-21-001131 Scenic Road
Bridge
Structure 7R, , 4930-0011-0000 1925 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Identified in Reconnaissance Level
Survey or in an Area of Potential
Effect (APE): Not evaluated
P-21-001124 Bolinas Road
Bridge
Structure 7R, , 4930-0004-0000 1925 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Identified in Reconnaissance Level
Survey or in an Area of Potential
Effect (APE): Not evaluated.

P-21-001125 Deer Park
Bridge
Structure 7N, , 4930-0005-0000 1929 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Needs to be reevaluated - formerly
coded as may become NR eligible
with specific
conditions.

Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
13 Table LU-1 Historic and Potentially Historic Resources Primary # Resource Name Res Type Evaluation Info Construction Year(s)
Evaluation Code Evaluation Description
21-001122 Alpine
Building
Building 7R, , 4930-0002-0000 1921 Not Evaluated, or Needs Reevaluation for National (NR) or California (CR) Registers
Identified in Reconnaissance Level
Survey or in an Area of Potential
Effect (APE): Not evaluated
21-002470 Fairfax
Youth
Center
Building 6Y, 10/05/1988,
HUD880829T
Not Eligible for or Removed
from Listing or Designation as
Specified
Determined ineligible for NR by
consensus through Section 106
process – Not evaluated for CR or
local listing
21-002277 16 Porteus
Ave
Building 6Y, 01/14/2019,
HUD_2019_0114_002 |
6Y, 03/24/1994,
HUD940218M
1927 Not Eligible for or Removed
from Listing or Designation as
Specified
Determined ineligible for NR by
consensus through Section 106
process – Not evaluated for CR or
local listing
21-001849 Children’s
Center and
Acquisition
Building
Building 6Y, 10/20/1987,
HUD870922ZZ
Not Eligible for or Removed
from Listing or Designation as
Specified
Determined ineligible for NR by
consensus through Section 106
process – Not evaluated for CR or
local listing
117 Scenic
Rd
Building 6Y, 12/23/2021,
HUD_2021_1210_001
1928 Not Eligible for or Removed
from Listing or Designation as
Specified
Determined ineligible for NR by
consensus through Section 106
process – Not evaluated for CR or
local listing
133
Tamalpais
Rd
Building 6Y, 08/17/2015, 1962 Not Eligible for or Removed from Listing or Designation as
Specified
Determined ineligible for NR by
consensus through Section 106
process – Not evaluated for CR or
local listing
96 Willow
Ave
Building 6Y, 12/12/2019,
HUD_2019_1206_006
1949 Not Eligible for or Removed
from Listing or Designation as
Specified
Determined ineligible for NR by
consensus through Section 106
process – Not evaluated for CR or
local listing
Source: California Historic Resources Information System (CHRIS), 2023.

Land Use Element
14 LU-2: Promote a compact urban footprint and sustainable development pattern. [GOAL LU‐5, modified] LU-2.1 Preserve and enhance Fairfax's village-like quality and the features that contribute to it.

LU-2.1.1 Coordinate with Marin County Community Development Agency for review of development proposals in the unincorporated portions of the Town’s Planning Area. [Program LU-6.1.2.1]
LU-2.2 Prioritize infill development and foster a resource-efficient development pattern that supports efficient delivery of public services and infrastructure, conserves open space lands surrounding the Town, and helps reduce vehicle trips. [Policy LU-5.1.1, expanded] LU-2.2.1 Use development agreements, impact fees, benefit districts, and other mechanisms to ensure the provision of adequate infrastructure to serve new development. [NEW]
LU-2.2.2 In the event of a successful ballot initiative to rezone the Marin Town and Country Club site, explore avenues available to fund and finance planning and investments needed to support realization of a community-wide vision for the future of the site. [NEW] LU-2.3 Focus new multifamily residential and mixed use development in the Town Center area so as to support the vitality of existing businesses, optimize the use of utility infrastructure, promote walkability, and reduce vehicle trip frequency, length, and associated emissions. [NEW] LU-2.4 Promote a wider range of housing types in residential neighborhoods, including singlefamily homes, accessory dwelling units, junior accessory dwelling units, tiny homes, and small-scale clustered residential development, so as to encourage a mix of housing types at varying rents and sales prices. [NEW]
LU-2.5 Permit new development and extension of urban services in a manner that preserves natural and cultural resources within the Planning Area. [Objective LU‐5.1, modified] LU-2.6 Consider providing additional density on PDD sites identified in the Housing Element for projects that propose smaller scale, low impact clustered hillside development that helps the Town meet its regional housing needs allocation (RHNA) obligations while preserving large areas of open space onsite. [NEW]
LU-2.7 Encourage the use of innovative and cost-effective building materials, site design practices, and energy and water conservation measures to conserve resources and reduce the cost of residential development. [NEW]
Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
15 LU-3: Strengthen the role of Town Center area as the commercial and cultural focal point of community life.

LU-3.1 Maintain and enhance the village-like ambiance of Town Center Area while integrating new housing and businesses to strengthen the vitality of the area. [Policy LU-7.1.1, modified]
LU-3.1.1 Adopt and implement a Town Center Area Plan with the following objectives:
• Integrate a vibrant mix of retail, restaurant, entertainment, commercial and residential uses; • Enhance walkability and build pedestrian and bicycle connections to and within the Town Center Area;
• Foster opportunities for people to meet and gather, including through the incorporation of plazas, green spaces, paseos, terraces, and outdoor dining spaces; and • Build a distinctive visual presence for the Town Center Area as viewed by passersby on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and strengthen sense of place with gateway design features, branded amenities, landscaping and greenery.

LU-3.2 Work with the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, and other community groups to sponsor a program of regular and special events downtown that cater a broad range of interests and contribute to the sense of community. [NEW] LU-3.3 Foster a vibrant mix of uses and activities within the Town Center [NEW] LU-3.3.1 Continue to cultivate a mix of daytime and evening uses throughout the Town Center Area, including restaurants, shops, entertainment, professional offices, and housing to encourage activity throughout the day. [NEW]
LU-3.3.2 Foster mixed use development and the co-location of residential and commercial uses within site distance of one another to promote day and evening vitality. [NEW] LU-3.4 Recognize that a diversity of architectural styles contributes to Fairfax's charm and promote a variety of building types, styles, and features within the Town Center Area, consistent with its village-like qualities. [Policy LU-7.1.2, modified] LU-3.5 Require site designs that create an active street frontage and screen parking from the frontages of major thoroughfares. [NEW]
Land Use Element
16 LU-3.6 Prioritize implementation of public realm and streetscape improvements downtown, including curb extensions and accent paving at pedestrian crossings; new street furniture; and directional signage to parking areas. [NEW] LU-3.7 Encourage high standards of property maintenance and rapid abatement of conditions contributing to blight. [NEW]
LU-3.8 Integrate public art and community gathering spaces such as multi-purpose plazas, green spaces, and paseos throughout the Town Center Area. [NEW] LU-4: Foster human-centered design and sense of community.

LU-4.1 Preserve and enhance Fairfax’s village-like qualities and sense of community while allowing and encouraging appropriate infill development. (Objective LU‐7.1, modified) LU-4.1.1 Promote context-sensitive design throughout the Town, based on objective standards for height, bulk, scale, landscaping, parking, setbacks, streetscapes, and other aspects of development. [NEW]
LU-4.1.2 Use development standards to ensure smooth transitions between neighborhoods and districts that border one another so that they maintain their unique qualities while being compatible with one another. [NEW] LU-4.2 To the extent feasible natural features including the existing grade, mature trees, and vegetation shall be preserved with development or redevelopment. (Policy LU-7.2.2, modified)
LU-4.3 Allow for home-based businesses in residential neighborhoods to the extent that businesses will not substantially impact neighborhood quality of life, vehicular circulation, or parking patterns. [Policy LU-7.2.4, modified]
LU-4.3.1 Update the Town Code to facilitate the establishment of home-based businesses compatible with neighborhood quality of life.

LU-5: Preserve and restore historic resources that enhance sense of place.

LU-5.1 Foster the preservation, restoration, and compatible reuse of historically significant structures and sites in Fairfax. [NEW]
LU-5.1.1 Develop review procedures for projects that could potentially affect designated historic resources. [NEW] LU-5.1.2 Conduct a survey of potentially historic buildings and sites in Fairfax and maintain an inventory of buildings, features, important eras, and sites of local, regional, and national significance. [Policy LU-9.1.1, modified] Town of Fairfax 2010-2030 General Plan
17 LU-5.2 Provide information on incentives for the restoration or adaptive reuse of historic properties, landmarks, and districts to property owners and the public. [NEW] LU-5.3 Partner with the Fairfax Historical Society, local businesses, and community groups to establish interpretive programs, such as walking/audio tours or “story poles;” permanent displays and signage; informational pamphlets; banners; and special events celebrating local history. [NEW] — M E M O R A N D U M —
Housing Element and EIR Update | Town of Fairfax
To: Jeffrey Beiswenger, Town of Fairfax
From: Andrew Hill, Principal and Clare Kucera, Associate Re: Environmental Review of General Plan Land Use, Town Center, and Safety Elements Date: December 17, 2024
Dear Jeff:

On December 13, 2023 the Fairfax Town Council adopted the 2023-31 Housing Element and certified an accompanying Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (State Clearinghouse #2022080624) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Subsequently, the Town of Fairfax has prepared an update to the Land Use, Town Center, and Safety Elements of the General Plan for consistency with the 2023-31 Housing Element and State Law. This memo has been prepared to demonstrate that the modifications made to the Land Use, Town Center, and Safety Elements would not result in either new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects, and further, that there are no changes in circumstance or new information that would change the findings of the previously certified EIR. This memo serves as an addendum to the 2023-31 Housing Element EIR.

BACKGROUND
Pursuant to CEQA Section 15162, "when an EIR has been certified ... for a project, no subsequent EIR shall be prepared for that project unless the lead agency determines, on the basis of substantial evidence in the light of the whole record, one or more of the following:
• Substantial changes are proposed as part of the proposed update that would result in new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects;
• Substantial changes have occurred with respect to circumstances under which the proposed update is undertaken (i.e., a significant change in the existing or future condition) that would result in new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; and/or • New information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the previous EIR was certified as complete or the negative declaration was adopted, shows any of the following:
o The project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the previous EIR or negative declaration;
o Significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the previous EIR;
o Mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible, and would substantially reduce one or more significant

EXHIBIT C
— M E M O R A N D U M —
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effects of the project but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative; or
o Mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in the previous EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but the project proponents decline to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative.

Accordingly, the primary purpose of this evaluation is to determine, on the basis of substantial evidence, if one or more of the above listed conditions are met.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Fairfax General Plan, adopted in 2012, includes eight elements that correspond to the legal requirements for the General Plan in force at the time of adoption. This includes the legally mandated Land Use and Safety Elements, as well as an optional Town Center Element.

Government Code 65300.5 requires that the General Plan "comprise an integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies," and because the 2023-31 Housing Element involved certain changes to land use and zoning standards as required for the Town to accommodate its assessed share of the regional housing need, corresponding amendments to the Land Use and Town Center Elements are required to maintain consistency within the General Plan. Additionally, since adoption in 2012, new requirements for the Safety Element have been enacted under State law, including requirements to address community wildfire risk (Gov. Code Section 65302.(g)(3)), emergency evacuation capacity (Gov. Code Sections, 65302.(g)(4), 65302.(g)(5), and 65302.15), and the effects of climate change 65302.(g)(4)(A) through (C). Therefore, the project involves a series of updates to the Land Use, Town Center, and Safety Elements to satisfy these requirements, summarized as follows:
[Land Use Element]
The Element has been reorganized around a streamlined set of goals to remove duplication and simplify the policy framework. Former Goal LU-4 and related policies regarding wildfire prevention and preparedness were relocated to the Safety Element, where they more clearly address the legal requirements established in State law. A set of land use designations that describe the range of permitted uses, densities, and development intensities in each designation shown on the 2012 General Plan Land Use map has been added, as required pursuant to Government Code 65302(a). Additionally, policies and programs to promote downtown vibrancy and infill development and to preserve historic and scenic resources in the community were added.
[Town Center Element]
The 2012 Town Center Element incorporates goals and policies to guide the preparation of a future Town Center Plan and to articulate desired land uses and urban design features for the area. These policies objectives have been retained and incorporated into the Land Use Element under a new goal. New Program LU-3.1.1 calls for the adoption of a Town Center Plan to maintain and enhance the village-like ambiance of Town Center Area while integrating new housing and businesses to strengthen the vitality of the area, consistent with Program 1-A of the 2023-31 Housing Element. Additionally, existing policies and programs — M E M O R A N D U M —
- 3 -
establish height and use restrictions that conflict with the Housing Element and State law have been revised, including TC-2.1.1.3, which calls for an ordinance limiting building heights to no more than existing; TC-2.1.2, which limits building heights to two stories and does not permit ground floor residential uses; and TC-2.1.2.1, which limits building heights to 28.5 feet or two stories throughout the Town Center Area.
[Safety Element]
The Element was reorganized to consolidate closely related goals; integrate and augment former Goal LU-4 and related policies and programs addressing wildfire; and introduce new goals and policies to address the new requirements for emergency evacuation capacity and the effects of climate change. Maps in the Element have been updated with the latest publicly available data from State and federal sources and information on natural hazard risk and occurrence in the community from the Town's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) has been integrated. New policies and programs added to the Element seek to:
• Promote and incentivize seismic safety retrofits of existing buildings; • Prioritize capital improvements for slope stabilization and repair of bridges and roadways;
• Require mitigation for flood hazards, stormwater management, home hardening, and defensible space in new development;
• Strengthen coordination among neighboring jurisdictions and agencies in the Ross Valley for emergency preparedness and evacuation capacity; and • Raise public awareness of natural and humanmade hazards and bolster community preparedness and response.

ANALYSIS
Overall, the proposed amendments to the Land Use, Town Center, and Safety Elements of the General Plan streamline the organization of the document, eliminate conflicts with the 2023- 31 Housing Element, and ensure compliance with applicable State Law. The reorganization, consolidation, and clarification of goals described above is an administrative change that would have no impact on environmental resources in the Town or the surrounding area, as are the updates to mapping and information made using the latest available data from publicly available government sources. The land use designations added to the Land Use Element establish permitted uses and include standards for density and development intensity that match the related standards in the various adopted zoning districts which they implement. As such, these land use designations do not increase development capacity within the Town of Fairfax above the amount envisioned in the 2023-31 Housing Element or analyzed in the related EIR. No changes have been made to the General Plan Land Use Map as amended through 2023, and as such, adoption of the proposed Land Use Element would not permit new or different uses in areas where they are not currently permitted. Therefore, adoption of the new land use designations would not result in new or substantially more adverse impacts than previously analyzed in the Housing Element EIR. Further, the following new policies and programs addressing the scenic and historic resources that help define the qualities of the community would help to preserve and protect important visual and historic resources, and would also not result in new or more adverse impacts to these resources:
— M E M O R A N D U M —
- 4 -
• LU-1.3 Encourage open space preservation through easements, land dedications, and land use and zoning designations with the objective of connecting conservation areas, protecting biodiversity, accommodating wildlife movement, and sustaining ecosystems.
• LU-1.3.2 Evaluate opportunities to redesignate Town-owned VLDR parcels as OS or PR where the parcels are adjacent to designated open space lands and do not have access to the sewer system. The evaluation and any subsequent rezoning shall consider the Housing Accountability Act, the Surplus Lands Act, and other applicable laws and regulations.
• LU-3.3.2 Foster mixed use development and the co-location of residential and commercial uses within site distance of one another to promote day and evening vitality.
• LU-4.1.1 Promote context-sensitive design throughout the Town, based on objective standards for height, bulk, scale, landscaping, parking, setbacks, streetscapes, and other aspects of development.

Revision of Town Center Element Policy TC-2.1.2 and Programs TC-2.1.1.3 and TC-2.1.2.1 regarding building heights and ground floor uses would result in higher building heights than under the 2012 General Plan; however, these revisions are consistent with those adopted into the Town Zoning Code with adoption of the 2023-31 Housing Element in January 2024 and related impacts were analyzed and found to be less than significant in the Housing Element EIR. As such, the revisions to Town Center Element Policy TC-2.1.2 and Programs TC-2.1.1.3 and TC-2.1.2.1 would not result in new or substantially more adverse impacts than previously analyzed in the Housing Element EIR.

Finally, new goals and policies added to the Safety Element to address natural hazard risk, emergency preparedness and response, and the effects of climate change would have a beneficial impact and would help to reduce impacts related to geologic and seismic hazards; hydrology and flooding; wildfire; and emergency evacuation over those analyzed and mitigated in the Housing Element EIR. They would not result in new or substantially more adverse impacts than previously analyzed. Examples include:
• S-1.1 Require that new development be designed and sited to minimize risks from seismic events, including ground shaking, liquefaction, and landslides. • S-1.3 Require geotechnical studies for new development in areas where sewers are not available to ensure that the surrounding soil can support alternative wastewater disposal systems.
• S-1.4 Ensure that structures intended for human occupancy are designed and constructed to retain their structural integrity when subjected to seismic activity, in accordance with the California Building Code.
• S-1.6 Require project applicants to minimize grading in hillside areas and mitigate erosion risk by revegetation or other acceptable methods. Permit grading operations only in areas scheduled for immediate construction or paving. • S-1.7.1 Periodically review the risk of increased flooding hazards due to climate change and develop strategies to adapt to changing flood hazard conditions, including those related to monitoring, emergency preparedness, vegetation management, and — M E M O R A N D U M —
- 5 -
development policies, and ensure that the Town’s hazard information is up-to-date regarding climate trends.
• S-1.8.1 Pursue funding individually and in collaboration with the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation to finance improvements to storm drainage and flood control facilities in Fairfax.
• S-1.13.1 Use Measure C funding from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority to reduce wildfire hazards and achieve measurable fuel reduction in Fairfax. • S-1.15.1 Promote the availability of Wildfire Risk Home Evaluations from the Ross Valley Fire Department and home hardening and defensible space grants from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority in Townwide email newsletters and at public contact events.
• S-2.1 Consider climate impacts, risk, and uncertainty in designing and evaluating capital improvement projects and adjust infrastructure design standards and project locations to address asset- and site-specific vulnerabilities. • S-2.1.1 Complete the bridge repair and roadway stabilization projects identified in the Capital Improvement Program, pursuing grant funding as needed to support project completion.
• S-2.4 Partner with utility providers, regional agencies, and neighboring jurisdictions to assess the vulnerability of energy infrastructure and identify improvements that increase resilience of local energy infrastructure.
• S-2.8.2 Coordinate with the Ross Valley Fire Department to promote and facilitate formation of Firewise community groups throughout Fairfax and for the establishment of Neighborhood Response Groups, targeting neighborhoods and areas that face the greatest evacuation challenges (Figures S-8 and S-9) as a priority. • S-3.2 Maintain mutual aid agreements and communication links with the County of Marin and other surrounding jurisdictions that allow for supplemental aid from other police and fire personnel in the event of emergencies.
• S-3.3 To facilitate the orderly evacuation of residential areas, maintain minimum standards for roadway design, maintenance, and vegetation management. • S-3.3.1 Pursue funding to facilitate structural retrofits, roadway improvements, and abatement of vegetative hazards in existing residential neighborhoods without two points of emergency ingress/egress.
• S-3.4 Require new residential subdivisions to have at least two ingress and egress routes that account for existing and proposed traffic evacuation volumes at buildout. • S-3.8 Provide information on and build community awareness of major evacuation routes and notification systems used for emergency alerts to residents and businesses in Fairfax.
• S-3.8.1 Study the feasibility of deploying dynamic message signs, roadway sensors, and other Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) tools to disseminate real-time traffic conditions, alternative routes, and delays to drivers, enhancing situational awareness and decision-making.
— M E M O R A N D U M —
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CONCLUSION
Therefore, overall, the proposed amendments to the Land Use, Town Center, and Safety Elements of the General Plan would not result in new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. Further, in the relatively short period of time - twelve months - that has elapsed since certification of the Housing Element EIR, there have been no new development projects in Fairfax, no new or revised local regulations, and no new or revised State law that would substantially change the cumulative circumstances or the background information on which the previously certified EIR was based. As such, none of the conditions identified in CEQA section 1562 requiring the preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR have occurred and an addendum to the previously certified Housing Element EIR is appropriate.

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Land Use Element
Goal LU-1 Preserve scenic and natural resources. X Merged with LU-1, 2,3 to create new goal
Objective LU-1.1 Limit development to preserve and enhance the community’s unique natural and scenic resources. X Merged with LU-1, 2,3 to create new goal Policy LU-1.1.1
New development outside of the town’s boundary shall
be limited and of a scale that preserves the significant scenic and natural resources and natural environment
qualities of the areas adjacent to the Town.

X
Town does not have jurisdiction to
implement this policy. Replaced
with LU-2.1.1 which can be
implemented.

Program LU-1.1.1-1
Identify and pre-zone lands outside the Town’s
boundaries that are considered subject to
development for the purpose of maintaining land use
practices that respect the Town's natural environment.

X
Subcommittee recommendation to
delete as the Town does not intend
to annex. Replaced with LU-1.2 and
LU-1.2.1 and 1.2.2
Policy LU-1.1.2 Additional park areas should be created in existing neighborhoods where practicable.

X See LU-1.3.1 and 1.3.2
Program LU-1.1.2-1 Identify opportunities for creating park facilities in the community.

X See LU-1.3.1 and 1.3.2
Policy LU-1.1.3
Existing public easements will be utilized to develop a system of pathways as a potential recreational,
circulation, and public safety resource.

X See LU-1.3
Program LU-1.1.3.1
Identify, catalog and map public easements. (See
Circulation Element including Appendix C-A, Safety
Element, Open Space Element Objective OS-3.1.).

X Staff capacity and cost
Objective LU-1.2 Limit development on hillside and ridgeline parcels to preserve and enhance the scenic qualities of the Town. X Reflected in Goal LU-1 and
translated into a set of policies
programs with specifics to
implement it.

Policy LU-1.2.1 Identify the Visually Significant Areas within the FPA where development will be limited.

X Complete
Program LU-1.2.1.1 Evaluate existing Visually Significant Areas on the Visual Resources Map and update as appropriate. X Seems to duplicate LU-1.2.1.1

ATTACHMENT B

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program LU-1.2.1.2 Update the Fairfax Visual Resources Map to identify Visually Significant Areas within the FPA. X Complete
Policy LU-1.2.2
New or renewed development in Visually Significant
Areas shall be designed and sited to have the least
visual impact as seen from the majority of the Town.

X
Added specific mechanisms for
achiveing this aim. See LU-1.1
through LU-1.3 and related
programs
Program LU-1.2.2.1 Develop Design Guidelines for visual impact analysis procedures, including requiring computer simulations. X Completed through revisions to
development standards in Hillside
Ordinance adopted in January 2024
Policy LU-1.2.3
New and renewed development shall be designed and
located so as to minimize the visual mass. The Town
will require exterior materials and colors that blend
the exterior appearance of structures with the
surrounding natural landscape, allowing for
architectural diversity.

X
Replaced with more specific
policies/programs LU-4.1, 4.2, 4.1.1
and 4.1.2
Program LU-1.2.3.1 Develop Design Guidelines for visual impact analysis procedures, including computer simulations. X Staff capacity and cost Policy LU-1.2.4
No roads or streets shall be permitted to traverse a
ridge, except as deemed necessary specifically for
emergency access and egress.

X See Program LU-1.2.2
Program LU-1.2.4.1 Develop Design Guidelines for roads, streets and drainage facilities built in the hills. X
Complete. Town has roadway
standards and countywide
stormwater guidelines and BMPs
are available.

Goal LU-2 Preserve open space. X Merged with LU-1, 2,3 to create new goal
Goal LU-3 Restore natural habitats in Fairfax, including creeks and watercourses.

X Merged with LU-1, 2,3 to create
new goal
Goal LU-4 Minimize potential for wildfires and impacts from other natural catastrophes.

X Move to Safety Element and
combine with new Goal S-1
Objective LU-4.1
Limit threats from wildfires and other natural disasters to the health, safety, and welfare of Town residents X
Replaced with more specific
policies and programs in Safety
Element. See Wildfire Hazards

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy LU-4.1.1
New and renewed development shall include a
wildland fire protection component, consistent with
the Safety Element and the fire management programs
of the Ross Valley and Marin County Fire Departments
and Fire Safe Marin.

X Redundant
Program LU-4.1.1.1
Develop a set of application submittal requirements
for fire management, as required by the Ross Valley
Fire Department.

X
Policy LU-4.1.2
New and renewed development shall comply with all
federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to
development in flood zones
See Policy S-1.14
Program LU-4.1.2.1 Develop a set of application submittal requirements for flood zones.

X
Policy LU-4.1.3
New and renewed development shall comply with all
regulations encompassed in the California and
Uniform Building Codes intended to reduce potential
damage and threats to the public’s health, safety, and
welfare in the event of an earthquake.

See Policy S-1.4
Program LU-4.1.3.1 Develop a set of application submittal requirements for geotechnical analysis and earthquake retrofits X See Policies S-1.1, S-1.2, S-1.3 Policy LU-4.1.4
New and renewed development shall be designed to
minimize runoff in a manner that does not cause undue
hardship on neighboring properties.

X
Superceded by provisions in Town
Code and Coutywide stormwater
regulations
Program LU-4.1.4.1 Develop site development guidelines for site hydrology analysis and drainage.

X
Goal LU-5 Manage future growth while preserving the area’s natural resources.

X Incorporated into Goal LU-1
Objective LU-5.1
Permit new and renewed development and extension
of urban services in a manner than preserves the
area’s natural and cultural resources.

X See Policy LU-2.2
Policy LU-5.1.1 New and renewed development shall occur primarily as infill development.

X Merged with 2012 Objective LU-5.1
to become Policy LU-2.2
Program LU-5.1.1.1 Identify and catalog all potential infill development sites within the Town.

X Completed as part of Housing
Element

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy LU-5.1.2 Development shall be discouraged in areas not served by existing utilities. X
Conflicts with State law where
zoning permits housing. Replaced
with LU-2.2 and implementing
program LU-2.2.1
Program LU-5.1.2.1
Prepare a map indicating the extent and capacity of
existing and approved utilities in the Planning Area.

Maintain this map as an accessible exhibit at the
public counter.

X Completed as part of Housing
Element EIR
Goal LU-6 Annex developed and undeveloped lands where
advantageous to the Town.

X Subcommittee direction
Objective LU-6.1
Provide for orderly annexation within the Fairfax
Planning Area where provisions for services and
utilities exist.

X Subcommittee direction
Policy LU-6.1.1 Pre-zone parcels within the FPA that should be annexed to the Town.

X Subcommittee direction
Program LU-6.1.1.2
Pre-zone parcels deemed necessary to incorporate
into the Town in conformance with the goals,
objectives and policies of the General Plan.

X Subcommittee direction
Policy LU-6.1.2
Preview and if necessary comment on all development
proposals within the Town’s Urban Service Area
Boundary.

X See Program LU-2.1.1
Program LU-6.1.2.1
Coordinate with Marin County Community
Development Agency for review of development
proposals in the unincorporated portions of the Town’s
Planning Area.

See Program LU-2.1.1
Policy LU-6.1.3
Development proposed on properties contiguous to
the Town Limits and pre-zoned by the Town should be
annexed into the Town prior to any decisions on each
development proposal.

X Town does not have authority to
require this.

Program LU-6.1.3.1
Approval of development in pre-zoned areas outside
the Town Limits shall require annexation according to
LAFCO procedures.

X Redudant with State law
Goal LU-7 Preserve a human-centered scale, mixed use, and sense of community.

X See Goal LU-2 and LU-4
Objective LU-7.1 Preserve and enhance the community’s small-town scale and sense of community. See Policy LU-2.1

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy LU-7.1.1
The existing village-like qualities of the commercial
center of the Town, designated as the Town Center
Area, shall be maintained and enhanced. Additional
commercial development outside of the designated
Town Center Area shall be discouraged except for
limited neighborhood-serving uses.

X Reframed as Policy LU-2.3
Program LU-7.1.1.1 Map and describe the Town Center Plan Area as the commercial core of the Town.

X Complete
Program LU-7.1.1.2
Rezone All Commercial Highway (CH) Zone to Central
Commercial (CC) Zone and revise the CC Zone as
appropriate.

X
Rezoning needed for housing
element implementation
completed with adoption of the
Workforce Housing Overlay
Program LU-7.1.1.3
Revise Zoning Ordinances, as necessary, to allow
limited neighborhood-serving commercial uses to be
developed outside the core area by Conditional Use
Permits.

X
Zoning map updates completed.

Replaced with LU-4.3 and LU-4.3.1
regarding home-based businesses.

Policy LU-7.1.2
New and/or renewed development in the Town Center
Area should preserve and enhance the village-like
qualities of the Town Center Area in the mix of land
uses, architectural styles and ornamentation,
materials, colors and textures.

Program LU-7.1.2.1 Develop and adopt general and area-specific Design Guidelines for residential and commercial projects. X
Consistent with new State law,
workforce housing overlay has
established objective standards for
development and through multiple
programs in the Housing Elment
Town has committed to developing
objective standards for other
areas. Through Program LU-3.1.1
the Town will adopt a Town Center
Plan with development and design
standards to achive this.

Policy LU-7.1.3
A combination of commercial and residential land uses
that are consistent with established building height
limits should be encouraged on the same parcel in the
Town Center Area.

X Replaced with LU-3.1 and LU-3.3
and LU-3.3.1 and 3.3.2.

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program LU-7.1.3.1
Encourage applicants with development proposals to
incorporate mixed-use elements into their project
plans.

X
This program has no implementing
mechanism. Workforce housing
overlay provides some incentives
for mixed use development
Policy LU-7.1.4
Amenities and improvements proposed for
implementation in the Town Center Area shall be
consistent with the criteria for those items as outlined in the Town Center Plan, relative to landscaping,
lighting, sidewalks, street furniture, public art and
ornamentation, and general guidelines pertaining to
signs and banners.

X
This policy refers to a plan that
does not exist. Replaced with LU3.1.1 and policies LU-3.6 and 3.8 Program LU-7.1.4.1 Develop Design Guidelines and Development Standards to be used by project applicants.

X Replaced with LU-3.1.1, LU-3.3.1
and 3.3.2.

Policy LU-7.1.5
New and renewed residential development shall
preserve and enhance the existing characteristics of
the Town’s neighborhoods in their diverse
architectural style, size and mass.

X See Policy LU-3.4
Program LU-7.1.5.1 Develop Design Guidelines and Development Standards to be used by project applicants. X
Consistent with new State law,
workforce housing overlay has
established objective standards for
development and through multiple
programs in the Housing Elment
Town has committed to developing
objective standards for other
areas. Through Program LU-3.1.1
the Town will adopt a Town Center
Plan with development and design
standards to achive this.

Policy LU-7.1.6
New and renewed residential development outside of
the Town Center Area should be compatible with, and
subordinate to, the topography, wildlife corridors and
habitat, natural vegetation pattern, hydrology, and
geotechnical characteristics of the area.

X Replaced with LU-4.1.1 and LU-4.2
Program LU-7.1.6.1 Develop an Environmental Checklist and Development Standards for use by project applicants. X Completed with Housing Element implementation

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Objective LU-7.2
Preserve, maintain, and enhance in a sustainable
manner, the existing design aesthetic, scale, and
quality of life in Fairfax’s residential neighborhoods.

X Replaced with LU-4.1.1 and LU4.1.2
Policy LU-7.2.1
New and renewed development shall be compatible
with the general design and scale of structures in the
vicinity.

X Replaced with Policy LU-4.1
Program LU-7.2.1.1 Develop and adopt general and area-specific Design Guidelines for residential and commercial projects. X
Consistent with new State law,
workforce housing overlay has
established objective standards for
development and through multiple
programs in the Housing Elment
Town has committed to developing
objective standards for other
areas. Through Program LU-3.1.1
the Town will adopt a Town Center
Plan with development and design
standards to achive this.

Policy LU-7.2.2
To the extent feasible natural features including the
existing grade, mature trees, and vegetation shall be
preserved for new and renewed development.

X See Policy LU-4.2
Program LU-7.2.2.1 Develop and adopt general and area-specific Design Guidelines for residential and commercial projects. X
Consistent with new State law,
workforce housing overlay has
established objective standards for
development and through multiple
programs in the Housing Elment
Town has committed to developing
objective standards for other
areas. Through Program LU-3.1.1
the Town will adopt a Town Center
Plan with development and design
standards to achive this.

Policy LU-7.2.3
Traffic and parking concerns related to new and
renewed development shall be addressed in a manner
that does not result in undue hardship or significant
negative impacts on properties and infrastructure in
the vicinity.

X
Best addressed in Circulation
Element

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program LU-7.2.3.1 Develop and adopt general and area-specific Design Guidelines for residential and commercial projects. X
Consistent with new State law,
workforce housing overlay has
established objective standards for
development and through multiple
programs in the Housing Elment
Town has committed to developing
objective standards for other
areas. Through Program LU-3.1.1
the Town will adopt a Town Center
Plan with development and design
standards to achive this.

Policy LU-7.2.4
Home offices should be accommodated in residential
units in the Town’s neighborhoods to the extent that
offices will not negatively impact neighborhood quality of life, residential uses or vehicular circulation or
parking patterns.

X See Policy LU-4.3
Program LU-7.2.4.1
Approve business permits that do not impact
neighborhood quality of life, residential uses or vehicle circulation and parking.

X See Program LU-4.3.1
Policy LU-7.2.5
In the event of a natural disaster, destroyed
neighborhoods including the Town Center shall be
rebuilt with a scope, scale and design aesthetic
consistent with the previously existing structures and
features.

Moved to Safety Element
Program LU-7.2.5.1 Develop and adopt a definition and measurement of wide-scale neighborhood destruction. X Purpose and need unclear Program LU-7.2.5.2
Develop and adopt an ordinance to preserve the
scope, scale and design aesthetic in rebuilt structures when wide-scale destruction has occurred.

X Conflicts with Housing Element
and State law.

Program LU-7.2.5.3
Adopt an extension of the existing 1-year nonconforming rebuild exemption to 5 years when widescale destruction has occurred.

Moved to Safety Element. Needs to
be added under Goal S-3.

Program LU-7.2.5.4 Develop neighborhood-specific profiles of structures and natural features.

X Staff capacity and cost

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Goal LU-8 Preserve community diversity through affordable housing opportunities primarily along transit corridors. X Addressed in Goal LU-2 Objective LU-8.1
Maintain an economically diverse population by
providing a variety of choices in the type, size, cost, and location of new housing.

X See LU-2.4
Policy LU-8.1.1
The Town of Fairfax shall facilitate the development of key housing opportunity sites to provide for the
development of affordable housing as identified in the
Housing Element.

X Redundant with Housing Element
Program LU-8.1.1.1
Inventory all sites in the Planning Area that afford
opportunities for developing affordable housing, with
adoption of each revision of the Housing Element (see
Appendix LU-C).

X Completed with Housing Element
adoption
Program LU-8.1.1.2 Implement the programs included in the adopted Housing Element.

X Redundant
Program LU-8.1.1.3
Change the zoning designation for 10 Olema (the
former Mandarin Gardens restaurant site) from
Limited Commercial to Planned Development District.

X Completed with Housing Element
adoption
Program LU-8.1.1.4
Change the zoning designation for 2626 Sir Francis
Drake (Christ Lutheran Church) from Residential UR-7
to Planned Development District.

X Completed with approval of Victory
Village
Program LU-8.1.1.5
Change the zoning designation for the School Street
Plaza area from Limited Commercial to Planned
District Development; thereby making it possible to
accommodate a mix of uses including housing and/or a
new school at the site.

X
Rezoning of School Street
completed with Housing Element
adoption
Policy LU-8.1.2
The Town of Fairfax shall permit construction of welldesigned second units consistent with state law, zoning requirements, and building codes, parking
requirements and street capacity.

X Redundant with State law
Program LU-8.1.2.1 Establish a classification for second units with parking restrictions, accessible without use of an automobile.

X State law governs parking for ADUs

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy LU-8.1.3 The Town of Fairfax shall limit the size of new Second Units to maintain affordability.

X Town ADU ordinance addresses this
Program LU-8.1.3.1 Develop sizing guidelines for residential Second Units. X Town ADU ordinance addresses this Policy LU-8.1.4
The Town will consider zoning changes within 300
yards (1,200 feet) of transit routes that encourage
Transit-Oriented Development.

X Completed with Housing Element
adoption
Program LU-8.1.4.1
Review current zoning along the Sir Francis Drake
Boulevard corridor, and rezone areas as appropriate,
to support transit-oriented development.

X Completed with Housing Element
adoption
Goal LU-9 Preserve and restore local historic buildings, features, and sites.

X See Goal LU-5
Objective LU-9.1 To identify, protect, preserve and restore buildings, features, and sites of historic value in Fairfax.

X Merged with Goal LU-5
Policy LU-9.1.1
The Town of Fairfax shall undertake a historic survey
and maintain an inventory of buildings, features,
important eras, and sites of local, regional, and
national significance.

See LU-5.1.2
Program LU-9.1.1.1 Inventory and record historic buildings, features and sites in the Fairfax Planning Area.

X Merged with LU-5.1.2
Policy LU-9.1.2
The Town of Fairfax shall ensure the preservation of
historical resources pertaining to pre-European
settlement, including those of the Miwok tribe.

X Addressed in Conservation Element
Program LU-9.1.2.1 Inventory and record pre-European resources in the Planning Area.

X Merged with LU-5.1.2
Program LU-9.1.3.1 Inventory and record music-related (1960’s era) buildings, features and sites in the Town.

X Merged with LU-5.1.2

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy LU-9.1.4
Structures designated as historic which are
noteworthy in terms of age, individual style, notable
architect or builder, on the site of an historic event, associated with a famous person, industry or activity
that is part of local history, shall be preserved and the long-established historic nature of the Town Center
should be enhanced. The overall physical attributes of
the Town Center should be protected from damage or
substantial change.

X Replaced with LU-5.1 and LU-5.3
Program LU-9.1.4.1 Develop a plan, with implementation programs and funding sources, to preserve historic structures.

X Replaced with LU-5.1.2
Town Center Element
Goal TC-1 Develop a vision for the Town Center area of Fairfax. Addressed through LU-3.1.1 Objective TC-1.1 Work together as a community to develop a vision for the Town Center Area of Fairfax. Addressed through LU-3.1.1 Policy TC-1.1.1
New and/or renewed development in the Town Center
Planning Area shall preserve and enhance the villagelike nature and pedestrian scale of the downtown area.

Large, highly visible parking lots characteristic of strip shopping centers are inconsistent with the human
scale development pattern of the Town Center area.

X See Policy LU-3.1
Program TC-1.1.1.1
The Planning Commission should define the village-like
nature and the pedestrian scale of the downtown area
of Fairfax.

X Replaced with LU-3.1.1
Program TC-1.1.1.2
The Council should enact an ordinance restricting the
development of strip shopping centers as being
inconsistent with the development vision for the Town
Center Area.

X
Replaced with LU-3.1.1 and the
workforce housing overlay. See also
Policy LU-3.5
Goal TC-2 Maintain and enhance the historic elements of the Town Center area.

X See Goal LU-5
Objective TC-2.1 Work with the community to maintain and enhance the historic elements of the Town Center Area.

X See LU-5.3

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy TC-2.1.1
New and/or renewed development in the Town Center
Planning Area should be compatible with the
architectural aesthetic of the downtown in terms of
height, design treatment, colors, textures, and
materials. Future buildings constructed in the
downtown area shall be within the vertical form of the
existing buildings that they might replace.

X
Limiting to existing vertical form is
inconsistent with Housing Element
and RHNA requirements. Replaced
with LU-3.4 and LU-4.1.1
Program TC-2.1.1.1
Planning staff should prepare an inventory of the
architectural design of the downtown area. The survey
will consider building heights, design treatment,
colors, texture, and materials. The his- torical
significance of buildings will also be noted.

X
Scope narrowed in view of
staff/resources. See Program LU5.1.2
Program TC-2.1.1.2
The Planning Commission should define the
architectural design features of the downtown area, in
terms of height, design treatment, colors, textures and materials.

X
These features should be identified
with community input as part of the
Town Center Plan process. See LU3.1.1
Program TC-2.1.1.3
The Council will enact an ordinance that requires new
buildings constructed in the downtown area to be
within the vertical form of the buildings they might
replace.

X
Replaced with LU-3.1.1 and the
workforce housing overlay. See also
Policy LU-3.5
Policy TC-2.1.2
Building heights for new and/or renewed development
shall be appropriate for two-story buildings with
architectural details compatible with the village-like
nature of the Town Center Planning Area. Building
height to allow for a residential level above a
commercial space with a high first-floor ceiling.

X
Limiting to existing vertical form is
inconsistent with Housing Element
and RHNA requirements. Replaced
with LU-3.4 and LU-4.1.1
Program TC-2.1.2.1
The height restriction defined by the Land Use Element
for the downtown area of 28.5 feet and not more than
two stories, applies to the Town Center Element.

X
Limiting to existing vertical form is
inconsistent with Housing Element
and RHNA requirements. Replaced
with LU-3.4 and LU-4.1.1

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy TC-2.1.3
New and/or renewed development shall be compatible
with the existing scope, scale and design aesthetic of
the Town Center Planning Area. A Significant Buildings
and Structures Plan should be created by staff. This
plan should inventory and establish policies for
preservation of significant structures in the Town
Center (see Conservation Element Policy CON-8.1.2
and Policy CON-8.1.4).

X
Limiting to existing vertical form is
inconsistent with Housing Element
and RHNA requirements. Replaced
with LU-3.4 and LU-4.1.1
Program TC-2.1.3.1
The Planning Department should prepare a Significant
Buildings and Structures Plan that identifies and
establishes policies for the preservation of significant structures in Town.

X Replaced with Program LU-5.1.1
Program TC-2.1.3.2
The Design Review Board and Planning Commission
will consider the historic significance of buildings and structures when re- viewing development applications
in the downtown area. Refer to Conservation Element
Goal 8, and to Land Use Element Goal 9.

X Replace with Program LU-5.1.1
Goal TC-3 Define and implement a Town Center Plan. See Program LU-3.1.1 Objective TC-3.1
Involve the merchants and property owners to
strengthen and diversify the economic vitality of the
Town Center area.

X See Policies LU-3.2 and Program LU3.3.1
Policy TC-3.1.1
Mixed-use development is allowed in the Town Center
Planning Area under Central Commercial zoning. The
Town Center Plan, when created, shall be consistent
with this zoning.

X See Policy LU-3.3 and LU-3.3.2
Program TC-3.1.1.1 The Town shall prepare and adopt the Town Center Plan. See Program LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.1.2
New and/or renewed development in the Town Center
Planning Area, as defined in the Town Center Plan
when developed, shall be consistent with the
Development Standards and Design Guidelines.

X
Policy references a plan that does
not exist. Address through Town
Center Plan process. S-3.1.1

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program TC-3.1.2.1 Planning staff shall prepare Development Standards and Design Guidelines for the Town Center Plan. X
Replaced with Program LU-3.1.1.

Standards and guidelines should be
developed with community input
through the Town Center Plan
process
Program TC-3.1.2.2
The Town shall review and approve the Development
Standards and Design Guidelines for the Town Center
Plan.

X
Replaced with Program LU-3.1.1.

Standards and guidelines should be
developed with community input
through the Town Center Plan
process
Objective TC-3.2
Create a strategic action plan for the Town Center,
including an urban design program for the Parkade and
a parking improvement program
X Replaced with Policies LU-3.4, 3.6,
and 3.8
Policy TC-3.2.1 Bicycle- and pedestrian-oriented development should be encouraged in the Town Center Planning Area. X See Program LU-3.1.1 and Policy LU3.5 Program TC-3.2.1.1
The Town shall consider bicycle and pedestrian related
development a priority when reviewing development
applications for the downtown area.

X
Town Center Plan should identify
improvements and Planning
Commission review should
concentrate on ensuring they are
implemented as development
moves forward and the Town
Center Plan is implemented. See
Program LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.2
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard should serve as the
primary east-west artery through the Town of Fairfax,
including the Town Center Planning Area. Provisions
should be made to support Marin County’s designated
east-west bicycle corridor, which passes through
Fairfax along Center and Broadway. Appropriate
measures should be utilized to create safe pedestrian
and bicycle crossings of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard
and to enhance overall cohesiveness of the Town
Center Planning Area.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program TC-3.2.2.1
The Town shall consider bicycle and pedestrian
crossing design and location as a priority along the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard corridor when developing the
Land Use and Circulation Elements of the General Plan.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.2.2
Town staff shall prepare a risk assessment for bicycle
and pedestrian crossings along the Sir Francis Drake
corridor.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.3
Broadway and Center Boulevard, and Bolinas Road
should serve as secondary routes through the Town,
primarily for local traffic, and utilizing appropriate
design features to ensure safe pedestrian crossings,
bicycle use, and an overall pedestrian-scale
streetscape.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.3.1
The Town shall consider bicycle and pedestrian
crossing design and location as a priority along the
Broadway and Center Boulevard corridor, and the
section of Bolinas Road in the downtown area when
developing the Land Use and Circulation Elements of
the General Plan.

X
Duplicates TC-3.2.2.1. Address
through Town Center Plan process.

LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.3.2
The Town shall consider the Marin County Bicycle and
Pedestrian Master Plan and the Fairfax Pedestrian and
Bicycle Plan, 2001 in evaluating bicycle and
pedestrian facilities.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.3.3
Town staff should prepare a risk assessment for bicycle and pedestrian crossings along the Broadway and
Center Boulevard corridor and the section of Bolinas
Road in the downtown area.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.4
Shopping in the Town Center Planning Area should be
made more attractive by creating safe and pleasant
pedestrian routes, managing the parking supply for
both cars and bicycles more efficiently, and developing and maintaining an attractive well-designed
streetscape that encompasses landscaping and
pedestrian amenities.

Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program TC-3.2.4.1 The Town shall prepare a pedestrian plan for the downtown area.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.4.2 Town staff should prepare a risk assessment for pedestrian routes in the downtown area.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.4.3 The Town shall prepare a vehicle and bicycle-parking plan for the downtown area.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.5
Bolinas Road should be evaluated as a pedestrian-only
area from Broadway to Elsie Lane. See Appendix TC-A
for further details.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.5.1
If proven feasible, as a result of detailed analysis, the Town shall develop a strategy for creating a pedestrian only area from Broadway to Elsie Lane on Bolinas
Road. The strategy should include a test program and
means for successful re-routing of traffic to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.5.2
The Town shall prepare a risk assessment for
pedestrian crossings between the Parkade and the
surrounding shops and services on Broadway and Sir
Francis Drake Boulevard.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.6
Any parking spaces removed as a result of streetscaperelated improvements should be replaced in appropriate locations and lots in the surrounding
vicinity.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.6.1
The Town shall refine the parking space survey
prepared by GPAC to provide guidance for the parking
plan included in the Circulation and Town Center
Elements.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.6.2
The Town shall prepare a no net-loss parking plan for
the downtown area, including on-street and off-street
spaces and lots.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.7 Provide non-vehicular connections to residential neighborhoods where possible. See LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.7.1
The Town shall prepare a non-vehicular circulation
plan connecting the downtown area to the adjacent
neighborhoods.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.8 Promote locally-owned businesses. X

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program TC-3.2.8.1
The Town shall work with the Chamber of Commerce,
and other business owners, to create an economic
development plan for the downtown area.

X See Policy LU-3.2
Policy TC-3.2.9 Provide locations for public art. See Policy LU-3.8 Program TC-3.2.9.1 The Town shall work with local artists to prepare a plan for locating public art in the downtown area. X See Policy LU-3.8 Program TC-3.2.9.2
The Town shall identify funding sources for
implementing a public art program for the downtown
area.

X See Policy LU-3.8
Policy TC-3.2.10 Soundproofing and provision for fresh air must be part of any residential development along the main streets. X Addressed through zoning standards Program TC-3.2.10.1
Residential developments proposed for the main
streets in the downtown area shall be required to
incorporate soundproofing and fresh air access as part
of the project design.

X Addressed through zoning
standards
Policy TC-3.2.11
Daylighting and creation of a buffer around the Town’s
creeks shall be considered. (Also see Conservation
Element Objective CON-3.1, especially Policy CON3.1.3, and Safety Element Program S-2.1.11.3.) X Addressed through zoning
standards
Program TC-3.2.11.1
If proven feasible, as a result of detailed analysis, the Town should prepare a plan and program for restoring
creeks in the downtown area by eliminating culverts
and boxed channels.

X See Safety Element
Program TC-3.2.11.2
The Town shall create a buffer area, as part of the plan for the downtown area, along the restored Fairfax
Creek.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.12 Recommendation of native plants and the use of drought-tolerant landscaping.

X Addressed through zoning
standards

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program TC-3.2.12.1
The Town shall create a palette of landscape materials
allowed in the downtown area, including native and
drought-tolerant plant types, and add it to the Design
Guidelines being developed according to programs in
Land Use Element Goal LU-1.2 and Goal
LU-7.

X
Addressed through countywide
stormwater guidelines and low
impact design guidelines
Program TC-3.2.12.2
All new projects proposed for the downtown area,
whether public or privately sponsored, shall
incorporate the use of native plants and droughttolerant plant materials in their landscape plan.

X Addressed through development
standards in Town Code
Policy TC-3.2.13
The Town shall consider purchasing or otherwise
negotiating or insuring the availability of a staging area for town events and the parking of large trucks.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.13.1
The Town shall work to secure a location for use as a
staging area for town events and construction vehicle
and equipment storage, and a transfer area serving
large trucks unable to navigate Fairfax’s narrow streets X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.14 Consider siting renewable energy techniques on public property.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.14.1
The Town shall prepare a plan and program for utilizing public property for the installation of renewable energy technology (also see Conservation Element Goal CON1).

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Policy TC-3.2.15
Consider preserving and making continuous the
network of bicycle and pedestrian routes that would
allow the traversing of the downtown area along quiet
back streets and alleys.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.15.1
The Town shall prepare a plan and program to make
continuous the network of quiet streets and alleys for
pedestrian and bicycle routes traversing the
downtown area in conjunction with Program TC-3.2.7.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy TC-3.2.16
Consider creating a bicycle staging area including
structure for bathrooms, showers and lockers, possibly
in partnership with local businesses.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.16.1
The Town shall, as part of the Town Center Plan,
identify a site, or alternative sites, for a bicycle staging area in the downtown area.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Program TC-3.2.16.2 The Town shall identify possible funding sources for creating a bicycle staging area.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Goal TC-4
Actively seek out and review all available funding
sources that might be used to implement the Town
Center Element improvement program.

X Address through Town Center Plan
process. LU-3.1.1
Safety Element
Goal S-1 Minimize risks due to geologic hazards. X Combine with new Goal S-1 Objective S-1.1 Protect life and property from risks associated with seismic activity and geologic conditions.

Move to Safety Element and
combine with new Goal S-1
Policy S-1.1.1 Development and land use decisions will be made using the best available geotechnical information. X Replace with Policies S-1.1, S-1.2, and S-1.3 Program S-1.1.1.1 Require geotechnical analyses for all new development and substantial improvement proposals. X See Policies S-1.1, S-1.2, and S-1.3 Program S-1.1.1.2 Collect and provide geotechnical data to guide development decisions.

X This available from publicly
accessible government sources
Policy S-1.1.2 Geotechnical data will be easily available to the public and interested parties.

X This available from publicly
accessible government sources
Program S-1.1.2.1 Catalogue and archive geotechnical studies performed for development permits.

X Done as a matter of practice
Program S-1.1.2.2
Document past landslide occurrences, produce maps
showing locations and enter the data into Marin Maps
Geographic Information System (GIS).

X Completed. See Map S-2
Program S-1.1.2.3
Maintain copies of existing and new documents and
maps identifying geologic hazards at Planning and
Building Services, the Public Library, and the Town
website.

X
General Plan is available online
and at these locations

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy S-1.1.3
The Town shall identify, evaluate, and encourage the
seismic retrofit of public and private buildings that
pose a risk of death or injury in a geohazard event.

X Replace with Program S-1.4.1 and
S-1.4.2
Program S-1.1.3.1
Evaluate Town-owned critical facilities and
infrastructure to identify those elements that are
seismically deficient due to being constructed prior to current seismic design codes and standards, or which
are weakened due to age or lack of maintenance, and
which could result in significant disruption of service in a major earthquake.

X Replace with S-2.1, S-2.1.1, S2.1.2, S-2.2, S-2.2.1, and S-2.3 Program S-1.1.3.2
Conduct an inventory of existing or suspected softstory residential structures that could result in life loss or injury, property damage and a loss of housing in the event of a major earthquake.

X Replace with Programs S-1.4.1 and
S-1.4.2
Program S-1.1.3.3
Evaluate structural integrity of publicly and privately owned buildings that may be used for post-disaster
sheltering or public congregation.

X Replace with S-2.8.4
Program S-1.1.3.4
Based on the inventories and evaluations conducted in
S-1.1.3.1 through 1.3.3.3, design and implement a
seismic retrofit program to address the highest priority structures. Make information readily available to the
public.

X Replace with Programs S-1.4.1 and
S-1.4.2
Policy S-1.1.4
The Town shall preserve the Fairfax building stock by
encouraging building owners to seismically retrofit
their property.

X See Program S-1-4.2
Program S-1.1.4.1
Develop a list of educational resources, and provide
seismic retrofit technical guidance (e.g. including
installation of a seismically resistant foundation,
bolting the sill plate to the foundation, installing shear wall strengthening to cripple walls) along with permit
application forms to property owners applying for
development or substantial improvement permits.

X See Program S-1.1.1

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-1.1.4.2
Provide financial incentives to residential and
commercial property owners to undertake seismic
retrofit of wood frame structures, including, but not
limited to: revolving low-interest loans, transfer tax
rebates, tool lending library.

X Replace with Program S-1.4.2
Program S-1.1.4.3 Research, identify and acquire Federal and State funds and/or grants to subsidize seismic retrofits. X Replace with Program S-1.4.2 Policy S-1.1.5
The Town shall collaborate with external agencies to
ensure critical infrastructure remains functional
following geohazard events.

X See Policy S-2.4
Program S-1.1.5.1
Seek funding through Caltrans Local Highway Bridge
Program and explore other funding sources to retrofit
bridges identified by Caltrans or other technical
evaluations as seismically deficient.

Determine the seismic stability of Meadow Way, Marin
(adjacent to Manor Circle) and Creek Road bridges.

X See Program S-2.1.1
Program S-1.1.5.2
Contact Marin Municipal Water District, Pacific Gas &
Electric, and other utility providers that service the
Town of Fairfax to determine the potential vulnerability of service delivery systems, and to work closely with
those external agencies to establish priorities for
system improvements prior to a geohazard event and
to develop plans to re-establish services following a
geohazard event.

X See Policy S-2.4
Policy S-1.1.6
Town codes and ordinances will be enforced and
updated as needed to reflect current scientific data
and technical standards.

X
Code is regularly updated for
consistency with California
Building Code
Program S-1.1.6.1 Rigorously enforce all relevant codes and construction standards.

X Redundant

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-1.1.6.2
Develop and adopt a post-earthquake repair
ordinance that specifies to what code and standards
repairs must be made at what level of damage. Include
special provisions to preserve historic structures.

X
California Building Code defines
this, as adopted and amended by
the Town.

Program S-1.1.6.3
Enforce requirements for storm drainage systems for
hillside development or substantial improvements be
designed to minimize stormwater runoff and soil
erosion that could increase the landslide potential.

X Replace with Policy S-1.12 and
Program S-1.12.1
Program S-1.1.6.4
Modify site plan design requirements for hillside
development or substantial improvements to require
calculations based on saturated soils.

X Complete
Goal S-2 Minimize risks due to flood hazards. X Combine with new Goal S-1 Objective S-2.1 Protect life and property from risks associated with flooding.

X Combine with new Goal S-1
Policy S-2.1.1
Development and land use decisions will be made
using the best available hydrological and flood hazard
information.

X Replace with Policy S-1.7
Program S-2.1.1.1
Review updated Flood Insurance Rate Maps, make
map information available to the public online and at
Town Hall and ensure the most up-to-date information
is used for permit and plan review.

X Information is available online
Program S-2.1.1.3
Document and maintain creek depth monitoring data
during significant storm or flood events to contribute to the understanding of the flood hazard.

X Replace with Program S-1.7-1
Program S-2.1.1.4
Document past flood history and damages to quantify
flood impacts and support cost/benefit analysis of
flood mitigation measures.

X Completed with LHMP,
incorporated by reference
Program S-2.1.1.5
Complete identification and mapping of high-water
marks from the December 31, 2005 flood and enter
into GIS maintained by Marin Maps.

X Completed with LHMP,
incorporated by reference
Policy S-2.1.2
Town codes and ordinances will be enforced and
updated as needed to reflect current floodplain
related scientific data and technical standards.

X Replace with Policy S-1.7, Program
S-1.7.1 and Policy S-1.9

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-2.1.2.1
Update and enforce the Flood Ordinance (Town Code

17.068) for all development, redevelopment, or
substantial improvement pro- jects in the floodplain
X See Policy S-1.10
Program S-2.1.2.2 Continue to comply with all requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program. See Policy S-1.9
Policy S-2.1.3
Ensure that storm drainage systems are adequate to
accommodate new development and substantial
improvements by making certain they are designed and
constructed to reduce off-site flow, through the use of techniques such as permeable paving and on-site
stormwater retention.

X Replace with Policy S-1-8 and
Programs S-1.8.1 thru S-1.8.3
Program S-2.1.3.1
Require property owners or developers to pay the cost
of any on-site improvements to the existing drainage
system necessitated by the proposed development to
meet State stormwater laws.

X See Policy S-1.12 and Program S1.12.1
Program S-2.1.3.2
Require new developments and substantial remodels
to incorporate Low Impact Design and Best
Management Practices (BMPs) to mitigate stormwater
runoff.

X See Policy S-1.12. Also required
through Town Code
Program S-2.1.3.3
Update the existing Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention
Ordinance in order to comply with changes expected
in the reissued Phase II General Permit in 2012.

X Complete
Policy S-2.1.4
Ensure that new developments or substantial
improvements are designed to reduce or eliminate
future flood damage.

X See Policy S-1.12. Also required
through Town Code
Program S-2.1.4.1
Require that lots and rights-of-way are laid out for the provision of approved sewer and drainage facilities,
providing on-site detention facilities whenever
practicable. Design criteria for hillside development
should be calculated based on saturated soils.

X
Compliance with storwater
regulations in Town Code is
required
Policy S-2.1.5
The Town of Fairfax will reduce community risk and
vulnerability to flooding by maintaining and improving
creek and hillside drainage systems.

X See Policy S-1.7, S-1.8 and
Programs S-1.8.1 thru S-1.8.3

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-2.1.5.1
Repair damaged culverts, drains, and bridges to
withstand future flooding, obtain and comply with
required regulatory permits, and incorporate
streambank erosion and fish passage solutions.

X See Program S-2.1.1
Program S-2.1.5.2 Locate and mark all storm drains/culverts and identify the area and parcels draining into each.

X See Program S-1.8.2
Program S-2.1.5.3
Conduct an inventory and analysis of town-maintained
storm drains and culverts, including location, age, size, materials, and where storm drainage is routed across
private property.

X See Program S-1.8.2
Program S-2.1.5.4
Determine any inadequacies in the carrying capacity
of town maintained storm drains and culverts to meet
current capacity needs, and to prioritize necessary
improvements.

X See Policy S-1.8 and Programs S1.8.1 thru S-1.8.3
Program S-2.1.5.5
Prepare a Storm Drain Master Plan based on
information gathered in Programs S-2.1.5.1 through S2.1.5.4.X Replace with Program S-1.8.2 Program S-2.1.5.6
Keep storm drains and creeks free of obstructions to
allow for free flow of water, while retaining vegetation in the channel (as appropriate for habitat preservation in compliance with State and Federal requirements).

X See Program S-1.8.3
Policy S-2.1.6
The Town of Fairfax will encourage and provide
incentives to home and apartment owners and
commercial business owners to participate in
structural elevation programs that will protect
property.

X Replace with Policy S-1.9
Program S-2.1.6.1
Identify and aggressively seek available grant funds to support residential and commercial elevation projects
and projects that decrease runoff and increase
stormwater detention.

X Replace with Policy S-1.9
Program S-2.1.6.2
Provide financial incentives, technical guidance and
conduct a public outreach campaign to motivate
commercial business owners to install flood gates at
the entrance to their property.

X Replace with Policy S-1.9

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Policy S-2.1.7 The Town will actively support watershed-based planning efforts.

X See Policy S-1.7
Program S-2.1.7.1 Continue to participate in Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Flood Zone 9. X See Policy S-1.7 Program S-2.1.7.2 Continue to participate in the Ross Valley Watershed Program.

X See Policy S-1.7
Policy S-2.1.8
The Town will evaluate flood reduction proposals to
determine the most technically feasible, costeffective and environmentally sound methods of reducing community and watershed based flooding.

X See Policy S-1.7
Program S-2.1.8.1
Develop a project plan to enlarge the Sherman Avenue
culvert. If proven feasible, and cost effective, seek
funds for implementation.

X Replace with Policy S-1.7
Program S-2.1.8.2 Analyze potential upstream flood detention basins that could reduce or delay flooding in Fairfax Creek. X Replace with Policy S-1.7 Program S-2.1.8.3
Prepare a detailed study analyzing the potential for
daylighting the Town’s creeks and culverts. Also see
Town Center Element, Policy TC-3.2.11.

X Staff capacity and cost
Goal S-3 Minimize risk due to fire hazards. X Combine with new Goal S-1 Objective S-3.1.1 Protect people and property from risks associated with urban and wildland fire.

X Combine with new Goal S-1
Policy S-3.1.1 Development and land use decisions will be made using the best available fire hazard information.

X Redundant with State law
Program S-3.1.1.1
Prepare a fire fuel map for the Town of Fairfax on a fiveacre grid that can be digitized and incorporated into a fire hazard threat module that more accurately
reflects the community risk from wildland fire.

X Completed by Marin Wildfire
Prevention Authority
Policy S-3.1.2
Identify basic vegetation types common to the Town of
Fairfax. Document and make publicly available a
prescription for each type describing how to manage
that vegetation.

X Not within Town purview

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-3.1.2.2
Continue to standardize and simplify defensible space
guidelines and disseminate to public for
implementation. (The Fire Safe Marin DVD was
distributed by the Town to all residents in 2008/2009.

RVFD continues to educate the public on defensible
space. Guidelines are standardized and have been
simplified.)
X Replace with Policy S-1.14, S-1.15
and programs S-1.15.1 and S-1.15.2
Program S-3.1.2.3
Seek geographic and programmatic expansion of fuel
management programs in Fairfax through the Marin
County Vegetation Management Plan. Activities
include, but are not limited to: shaded fuel breaks,
roadside collection and chipping of cleared
vegetation, mechanical fuel reduction equipment,
selected harvesting, use of goats or other organic
methods of fuel reduction, and selective use of
controlled burning. Target areas include, but are not
limited to: western interface with Camp Tamarancho,
interface at end of Cascade Canyon, and the ridge
from the Meadow Club to Deer Park Villa.

X See Policy S-1.13
Program S-3.1.2.4 Apply for grants through FIRESafe Marin for model xeriscapes appropriate to the Fairfax community. X Replace with Policy S-1.13 and Program S-1.13.1 Program S-3.1.2.5
Establish a Fire Hazard Abatement District to fund fire risk reduction activities for existing development
through vegetation management that includes
reducing fuel loads, increasing defensible space,
constructing and maintaining fuel breaks, and public
education.

X Replace with S-1.15.2
Program S-3.1.2.6
Take measures to eradicate or limit the spread of
vegetation with a high fuel ranking, such as Broom
species and Eucalyptus.

X Replace with S-1.16

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-3.1.2.7
Implement appropriate urban forestry management
practices to disrupt the vertical continuity of fuels,
included but not limited to: crown cleaning to reduce
total fuel volume; dead wooding to reduce available
fuels and decrease surface to volume ratio; and,
opening the fuel structure (limbing-up) to reduce the
horizontal continuity of fuels.

X Replace with S-1.16
Program S-3.1.2.8
Review fire-preventative vegetation management
techniques and practices proposed for creek sides and
high-slope areas to identify and mitigate potential for erosion or landslide hazards.

X Replace with S-1.16
Policy S-3.1.3 Maximize access and egress for emergency response vehicles. Also see Conservation Element, Goal C-4. X Replace with Policy S-3.3 and S-3.4 Program S-3.1.3.1
Require all dead-end segments of public roads in high
hazard areas to have at least a “T” intersection turnaround sufficient for Emergency Vehicles and equipment and mutual aid wildland fire equipment.

X Replace with Program S-3.3.1
Program S-3.1.3.2 Prioritize implementation of emergency vehicle access upgrades as funding becomes available.

X See Program S-3.5.1
Program S-3.1.3.3
Develop and enforce a parking and signage plan to
ensure emergency vehicle access and egress.

Elements of the parking and signage plan could
include, but are not limited to: striping parking spaces, signage, and restricting parking at driveway entries
where there is no T-intersection or adequate space for
emergency vehicle turnaround.

X See Program S-3.7.1
Program S-3.1.3.4
Require that new development provide adequate
emergency access roads (with width and vertical
clearance that meet the minimum ordinance and code
standards), on-site fire protection systems,
evacuation signage, and fire breaks.

X See Policy S-3.4

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-3.1.3.5
Identify critical emergency access roads maintained
by Marin County or other jurisdictions and ensure
access by emergency vehicles and equipment.

X See Program S-3.7.1
Program S-3.1.3.6
Periodically inspect critical emergency access roads
and/or public right-of-way roads to keep them
passable for emergency equipment, including
access/egress and turnaround.

X See Policy S-3.5 and Programs S3.7.1 and S-3.7.2
Program S-3.1.3.7
Enforce code requirements for privately maintained
roads or driveways accessing more than three
properties to ensure emergency access and egress.

X Replace with Policy S-3.4 and
Program S-3.3.1
Program S-3.1.3.8 Develop and enforce street signage and street address signage codes to facilitate emergency response. X Not recommended by Fire and Police Program S-3.1.3.9 Enforce parking restrictions on one-lane roads on “red flag” days. X See Program S-3.7.1
Program S-3.1.3.10
Review fire safety, evacuation, and emergency vehicle
access when considering development proposals in
WUI, fire-threatened neighborhoods or in areas
exposed to high-to-extreme fire threat.

X Replace with Policy S-4.5
Policy S-3.1.4
The Town of Fairfax will collaborate with external
agencies and the community to provide adequate
water supply and fire flow.

X See Policy S-1.18
Program S-3.1.4.1
Require a reliable source of water for fire suppression as dictated by municipal code for existing and new
development through plan review and hydrant fire flow
monitoring program.

X See Policy S-1.18
Program S-3.1.4.2
Continue a coordinated approach between the
jurisdiction and water supply agencies to identify
needed improvements to the water distribution
system, initially focusing on areas of highest wildfire hazard.

X See Policy S-1.18

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-3.1.4.3
Identify alternative sources of water that may be used
to supplement existing fire suppression water systems,
including but not limited to: swimming pools, ponds
private wells, and water tanks.

X See Policy S-1.18
Program S-3.1.4.4 Prioritize implementation of hydrants and fire flow upgrades as funding becomes available.

X Not in Town purview
Policy S-3.1.5
Town codes and ordinances will be enforced and
updated as needed to reflect current scientific data
and technical standards.

X Replace with S-1.14
Program S-3.1.5.1
Enforce provisions of the California Building and Fire
Codes and municipal housing codes that require the
installation of smoke detectors by making installation
a condition for the transfer of property, or issuance of an occupancy permit for new construction or
substantial remodels.

X Redundant
Program S-3.1.5.2
Adopt and/or amend, as needed, updated versions of
the California Building and Fire Codes so that optimal
fire-protection standards are used in construction and
renovation projects.

X Replace with S-1.14
Program S-3.1.5.3
Require that new homes or substantial remodels
constructed in high fire hazard areas be constructed of fire-resistant building materials required by code, and incorporate fire-resistant design features, such as onehour fire-stop wall assemblies, and one-hour fire-stop boxed eaves with maximum available ember-proof roof
venting, to increase structural survivability and reduce ignitability.

X See S-1.14
Program S-3.1.5.4 Require fire sprinklers in all new or substantially remodeled housing.

X Done through Code compliance
Program S-3.1.5.5
Require sprinklers in all mixed-use developments to
protect residential uses from fires started in nonresidential areas.X Done through Code compliance

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-3.1.5.6
Compile a list of high-occupancy buildings deemed,
due to their age or construction materials, to be
particularly susceptible to fire hazards, and determine an expeditious timeline for the fire-safety inspection
and installation of fire safety improvements in all such structures.

X Not in Town purview
Program S-3.1.5.7
Adopt an ordinance to require automatic gas shut-off
valves for multi-unit soft-story structures to reduce the risk of post-earthquake fire ignitions and fire spread.

X California Building Code addresses
Program S-3.1.5.8 Conduct periodic fire-safety inspections of all commercial and institutional buildings.

X Not in Town purview
Program S-3.1.5.9
Review development proposals to ensure that they
incorporate a fire department approved defensible
space plan and conduct inspections to ensure it is
implemented prior to and maintained throughout
construction.

X See Policy S-4.5
Goal S-4 Community preparedness. X See Goal S-2
Objective S-4.1
Provide a broad array of widely available information
for disaster preparedness, in a localized and pertinent place, for use by the citizens of Fairfax
X See Policies S-2.6, S-2.7
Policy S-4.1.1 Obtain, organize and disseminate information for disaster preparedness.

X Replace with Policies S-2.6, S-2.7
Program S-4.1.1.1
Provide information to residents, property owners,
private business owners and their employees on the
availability of interactive hazard maps showing the
community on ABAG’s web site.

X
Completed through Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan and maps in Safety
Element
Program S-4.1.1.2
Develop printed materials, utilize existing materials
(such as developed by FEMA and the American Red
Cross), conduct workshops, and/or provide outreach
encouraging residents to have family disaster plans
including but not limited to drop-cover-hold
earthquake drills, fire and storm evacuation
procedures, and shelter-in-place emergency
guidelines.

X See Policy S.2.7

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-4.1.1.3
Inform residents of comprehensive mitigation
activities, including but not limited to elevation of
appliances above expected flood levels, use of fireresistant roofing and defensible space in high wildfire threat and WUI areas, structural retrofitting
techniques for older homes, and use of intelligent
grading practices through workshops, publications,
media announcements and events.

X See Policy S.2.7
Program S-4.1.1.4
Develop a public education campaign on the cost, risk,
and benefits of earthquake, flood, and other hazard
insurance as compared to mitigation.

X
Refocus outreach activities on
preparedness and response
Program S-4.1.1.5
Use disaster anniversaries, such as April (the 1906
earthquake and October (Loma Prieta earthquake and
Oakland Hills fire), to remind the public about safety
and security mitigation activities.

X See Policy S.2.7
Program S-4.1.1.6
Sponsor the formation and training of Community
Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and (SERT) or Get
Ready Marin for residents in the Fairfax community, as
well as encourage businesses to offer these trainings
to employees, and schools to offer these trainings to
students, staff and after-school personnel.

X See Program S-2.8.5
Program S-4.1.1.7
Institute the neighborhood watch block captain and
team programs outlined in the Citizen Corp program
guide.

X See Programs S-2.8.2 and S-2.8.3
Program S-4.1.1.8
Inform homeowners how to locate and shut off gas
valves if they smell or hear gas leaking and to check for gas leaks after an earthquake.

X See Policy S.2.7
Program S-4.1.1.9
Make use of the materials on the ABAG and other
relevant web sites to increase residential mitigation
activities related to disasters.

X
Completed with Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan and Safety Element
update
Program S-4.1.1.10
Develop a “Maintain-a-Drain” campaign, similar to
that of the City of Oakland, encouraging private
businesses and residents to keep storm drains in their
neighborhood free of debris.

X See Program S-1.8.3

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-4.1.1.11
Encourage the formation of a community- and
neighborhood-based approach to wildfire education
and action through local Fire Safe Councils and the
Fire Wise Program. Also see Program S-4.4.2.1
See Programs S-1.15.2, S-2.8.2 and
S-2.8.3
Program S-4.1.1.12
Develop plans, in conjunction with fire jurisdictions
and the Ross Valley School District, for evacuation or
sheltering in place for at least the first 48 hours of
school children during a fire event, flood or major
earthquake as well as parent notification.

X Replace with Program S-2.8.4
Program S-4.1.1.13
Develop a continuity of operations and disaster
recovery plan to include short-term and intermediateterm sheltering of employees during emergencies.X Replace with Program S-2.8.4 Program S-4.1.1.14
Maintain the Disaster Preparedness web site to
include flood and disaster preparedness information
and links to flood prevention and mitigation resources.

X Replace with Policy S-3.8.1
Objective S-4.2 Prepare the community for geologic hazards. Replaced with Goal S-1 Policy S-4.2.1 The Town shall build community capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from seismic events. X This is phrased as a goal. See Goal S-2 Program S-4.2.1.1
Conduct demonstration projects on common existing
housing types demonstrating structural and
nonstructural mitigation techniques as community
models for earthquake mitigation.

X See Policy S-2.7
Program S-4.2.1.2
Provide earthquake retrofit classes or workshops for
building owners, local government staff, engineers, and contractors, or help promote utilization of subregional workshops in the south bay, east bay, peninsula, and north bay as such workshops become
available through outreach using existing community
education programs.

X See Policy S-2.7
Program S-4.2.1.3 Identify financial incentives for owners of single-family homes to retrofit for prevention of earthquake damage. X See Program S-1.4.2

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Objective S-4.3
Prepare the community for flood hazards using a risk
reduction approach that also ensures habitat
protection.

X Replace with S-1.7 and S-1.8
Policy S-4.3.1
Support community volunteer efforts prior to and
during the rainy season to monitor creeks and drainage
culverts and remove visible obstructions.

X Replace with Program S-1.8.3
Program S-4.3.1.1 Continue the annual volunteer Creek Clean-up Program.

X See Program S-1.8.3
Policy S-4.3.2
The Town of Fairfax will increase the mitigation
capability of residents, business owners, and others
who could be affected by floods.

X Reads like a goal. Addressed
through new Goal S-2
Program S-4.3.2.1
Partner with Sustainable Fairfax, the Ross Valley
Mitigation League, the Friends of Corte Madera Creek
Watershed and similar groups to develop and
distribute educational materials and provide training
to the community on: 1) ways to reduce the impacts of
flooding on their property, their neighbor’s properties and the community as a whole, 2) bank stabilization,
and 3) the implication of individual actions on
watersheds and creeks such as upstream/downstream
impacts, drainage systems, on-site retention systems,
and stormwater runoff.

X See Policy S-2.7
Policy S-4.3.3
The Town will increase community capacity to prepare
for, respond to and recover from emergencies and
disasters caused by flood hazards.

X
This is phrased as a goal. See Goal
S-2 and related implementing
policies and programs
Program S-4.3.3.1 Maintain and periodically test the warning sirens to inform the public of imminent flood potential. X See Policy S-2.6 Program S-4.3.3.2
Develop and disseminate protocols for activation of
warning sirens, TENS/MEANS, and other flood
notification measures, and include them in the EOP.

X Replace with Program S-2.7
Program S-4.3.3.3
Conduct public education program to inform residents
of appropriate measures to take when an alarm is
sounded and document flood evacuation procedures
in EOP.

X See Policy S-2.6

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-4.3.3.4
Make sandbags and plastic sheeting available to
residents in anticipation of rainstorms. Facilitate
access by publicizing distribution locations for
sandbag filling.

X Subcommittee direction
Program S-4.3.3.5
Provide public information on locations for obtaining
sandbags and/or deliver those sandbags to those
various locations throughout a city and/or county prior to and/or during the rainy season.

X Subcommittee direction
Program S-4.3.3.6
Encourage home and apartment owners to participate
in home elevation programs within flood hazard areas
(same as Program
S-2.1.8.2).

X Replace with Program S-1.12.1
Program S-4.3.3.7
Improve monitoring of creek and watercourse flows to
predict potential for flooding downstream by working
cooperatively with land owners and the cities and
counties in the watershed. Also see Program S-2.1.1.3.

X Replace with Policy S-1.7 and
Program S-1.7.1
Objective S-4.4 Prepare the community for fire hazards. X Combined with Goal S-1 Policy S-4.4.1
The Town shall develop and maintain a comprehensive
warning and evacuation system to reduce life loss and
injury.

X Replace with Program S-2.6.1
Program S-4.4.1.1
Conduct RVFD fire response drills at various times of
day and days of the week in mutual threat zones
(identified in the Fairfax Evacuation Protocol) to
educate residents on realistic fire response times and
to identify chronic impediments to fire apparatus
access.

X See Policies S-2.6 and S-2.7
Program S-4.4.1.2
Develop a fire evacuation plan for the highest fire
hazard areas, including those areas with limited
access/egress, dead-end roads, one-lane roads, and
steep canyons. Plan should include: potential
evacuation routes and signage, including alternate
routes on pedestrian walkways, bikeways and trails;
design and installation of a warning system, and public education and training.

X
Replace with Goal S-3 and all
related implementing policies and
programs

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-4.4.1.3
Assign a liaison from the RVFD to each high risk
neighborhood to assist residents to identify alternative evacuation routes and strategies based on the specific
physical characteristics of the neighborhood.

X See Program S-2.8.3
Program S-4.4.1.4 Maintain and operate warning sirens in locations at highest risk from wildland fires.

X Replace with Policies S-3.8 and S3.9
Program S-4.4.1.5
Conduct annual evacuation drills for mutual fire threat zones in accordance with the Fairfax Evacuation
Protocol and Plan(s).

X Replace with Policy S-2.6 and S-2.7
Policy S-4.4.2 The Town shall build community capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from fire events. X
This is phrased as a goal and is
encapsulated in new Goals S-2 and
S-3
Program S-4.4.2.1
Conduct an annual Fire Safe Fairfax campaign to
include information on high fire hazard areas, warning
and evacuation plans, defensible space, and fire
prevention measures.

X
Replace with Policy S-1.15 and
Programs S-1.15.1, S-1.15.2 as well
as Policy S-2.8 and Programs S2.8.1 thru S-2.8.4
Program S-4.4.2.2
Provide emergency preparedness and fire safety
educational materials including information on fire
prevention measures such as roof and gutter cleaning,
identifying and removing ember traps, cleaning dryer
vents, and planting vegetation that will raise live fuel moisture levels.

X Replace with Programs S-1.15-1
and S-1.15.2
Program S-4.4.2.3
Develop and implement a notification phone tree for
each pedestrian evacuation area to formally identify
persons responsible for initiating the phone tree,
persons with special needs, and protocols for
activation.

X Replace with Program S-2.6.1 and
S-2.8.1 thru S-2.8.3
Program S-4.4.2.4
Develop a defensible space vegetation program that
includes the clearing or thinning of: (a) non-fire
resistive vegetation within 30 feet of access and
evacuation roads and routes to critical facilities, or (b) all non-native species (such as eucalyptus and pine,
but not necessarily oaks) within 30 feet of access and
evacuation roads and routes to critical facilities.

X Replace with Policies S-1.13 and S1.16 and Program S-1.13.1

Fairfax Policy Disposition Matrix
No. Text Modify Delete Notes
Program S-4.4.2.5
Showcase “model” properties exhibiting defensible
space and structural survivability in neighborhoods
that are in WUI, fire- threatened communities or in
areas exposed to high-to-extreme fire threat.

X
This is within the purview of Marin
Wildfire Protection Authority and
Firewise communities
Program S-4.4.2.6
Work with residents to ensure adequate plans are
developed for appropriate access and evacuation in
WUI, fire-threatened communities or in areas exposed
to high-to-extreme fire threat.

X
Replace with Policies S-3.3, S-3.4,
S-3.5, S-3.7, S-3.9 and Programs S3.3.1, S-3.5.1, S-3.7.1, S-3.7.2, S3.7.3 and S-3.8.1 Program S-4.4.2.7
Assist residents and private businesses in the
development of defensible space through the use of,
for example, “tool libraries” for weed abatement tools, roadside collection and/or chipping services (for
brush, weeds, and tree branches) in WUI, firethreatened communities or in areas exposed to highto-extreme fire threat.

X This is within the purview of MWPA
and Firewise communities
Objective S-4.5 Prepare the community to respond to a regional disruption of services.

X See Goal S-2
Policy S-4.5.1 Develop community capacity to respond to a disruption of services due to a regional disaster event. X See Goal S-2 Program S-4.5.1.1 Provide materials to the public related to planning for power outages.

X See Policy S-2.7
Program S-4.5.1.2
Provide materials to the public related to family and
personal planning for delays due to traffic or road
closures or due to transit system disruption, including stranded elders, children, and pets.

X See Policy S-2.7
Program S-4.5.1.3
Work with MMWD to provide materials to the public
related to coping with reductions in water supply or
contamination of the supply.

X See Policy S-2.6
Program S-4.5.1.4
Work with the Sanitary District to provide materials to the public related to coping with disrupted storm
drains, sewage lines, and wastewater treatment (such
as that developed by ABAG's Sewer Smart Program).

X See Policy S-2.6
Program S-4.5.1.5 In conjunction with MMWD, evaluate the feasibility of providing emergency drinking water. X This is not within the Town's purview — MEMORANDUM —
Housing Element and EIR Update | Town of Fairfax
To: Jeff Beiswenger, Planning and Building Director, Town of Fairfax From: Andrew Hill, Dyett & Bhatia
Re: Summary of Revisions to the Draft Safety and Land Use Elements Made in Response to Planning Commission Comments
Date: July 8, 2025
Dear Jeff:

This memo summarizes comments received from the Planning Commission on the Draft Safety and Land Use Elements. Commission Comments are shown in blue, followed by staff response and redlined passages from the Draft General Plan Elements with edits proposed in response to the comments. These proposed revisions were reviewed with the Planning Commission at a public hearing on June 26 and by a 5-2 vote the Commission recommended that the Town Council adopt the Safety and Land Use Elements with the revisions incorporated.
[SAFETY ELEMENT COMMENTS AND RESPONSES]
o Clarify what constitutes “New Development;” define and break down into parts as necessary.

The term “development” is defined in the glossary of the General Plan and used throughout the document. Clarifications can be made in the glossary on p.GL-3 to characterize the way it is used in the General Plan as follows:

Development or Project. Any activity occurring on land and in or under water including placement or construction of any solid material or structure; construction of roadways and other infrastructure; discharge or disposal of dredged material or any other waste material; grading, dredging, or mining, subdivision or change in the density or intensity of use of land; change in the intensity of use of water; construction, reconstruction, demolition, or alteration to the size of any structure, public or private; and the removal or harvesting of vegetation for other than agricultural purpose but excluding routine repair and maintenance activities. The term "new development" used in policies and programs in this General Plan refers to new construction, redevelopment of previously developed property, and substantial remodels of existing buildings. Specific requirements applicable to new construction, redevelopment of previously developed property, and substantial remodels of existing buildings may be further defined in the Town Code.
o On the first page of safety element, outdated language related to area of Town within high fire severity zones should be revised together with the description of the factors used by CAL FIRE in determining areas of high and very high wildfire risk severity. — MEMORANDUM —
- 2 -
Much of the area west of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and north of Bolinas Road is categorized as a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) due to the presence of fire fuels, steep topography, prevailing weather patterns, access and other factors.
o Commissioners requested that identification of supplemental sources of emergency water supply (for fire suppression) be maintained as policy or program in the General Plan.

The following program will be added to address this request:

NEW PROGRAM S-1.18.1 Work with the Ross Valley Fire Department to identify additional sources of local water supply in Fairfax that can be used to supplement the supply available for fire suppression in the event of an emergency.
o Policy S-1.19 only references post-fire recovery; recovery from other disasters should be addresses as well.

The policy will be edited as follows and relocated under Goal S-2 which deals with community resilience; Policies S-1.20 thru S.1-24 will be renumbered accordingly:

S-2.9 Work with responsible agencies and nongovernmental organizations to plan for postdisaster recovery in a manner that reduces further losses or damages from future fires. o A commissioner recommended actions to build the resilience of local businesses to disasters. San Anselmo General Plan Safety Element cited as a reference.

Policies/Programs S-2-7 through S-2.8.4 address community preparedness and apply broadly to all segments of the community, including residents and businesses. Some clarifications can be made as noted to specifically reference businesses. San Anselmo's Element does not have any concrete strategies beyond raising awareness and policies are less specific than in this draft. Statewide, it is regional agencies and fire departments that have primary responsibility for programs to assist businesses. Examples include:
• ReadySetPrep (City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department), a business-focused extension of the city’s Ready San Diego initiative that provides customizable continuity planning templates, emergency supply checklists, and interactive training modules tailored to different industries. Employee engagement in preparedness is encouraged through toolkits and practice drills.
• Business Emergency Resiliency Training (BERT) is a public-private collaboration led by fire departments and emergency services in Orange County. Especially useful for small- to medium-sized businesses with limited in-house expertise, BERT offers live workshops and certification programs teaching businesses how to build emergency operations plans, conduct drills, and coordinate with first responders. • FIREWISE Business Communities – NFPA / Local Fire Agency Partnership. Though traditionally residential, some California fire departments are adapting FIREWISE principles to commercial properties in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zones. This — MEMORANDUM —
- 3 -
program offers businesses participation in risk assessments, defensible space creation, and mitigation grants.

Policy/Program edits:

S-2.7 Promote community awareness and understanding of threat hazards, disaster response, and steps that can be taken to reduce personal and business risk by...

S-2.8 Proactively engage residents and businesses in supporting and helping coordinate collaborative town-wide efforts to prepare residents to respond to emergencies of all kinds.

S-1.15.2 Encourage the formation of Firewise community groups within Fairfax, where residents and businesses work together to prepare themselves, their homes and their properties against the threat of wildfire with guidance from Fire Safe Marin. [NEW]o Consider a new program to evaluate the feasibility of undergrounding powerlines with help from the Town.

Town resources cannot be used for individual property improvements, however, other strategies could be used to underground power line, such as creating a special district.

NEW PROGRAM S-2.2.2 Explore the feasibility of establishing assessment districts or other mechanisms to fund the undergrounding of utility lines, recognizing that undergrounding reduces risks during fires, earthquakes, and storms, improves the town's aesthetics, and reduces utility company maintenance costs for tree trimming. o The various organizations involved in emergency preparation and response in Marin County may not be fully and accurately reflected in the Safety Element. For example, the role of ReadyMarin should be discussed and the responsibilities of MWPA and RVFD should be reviewed and clarified as needed.

Based on consultation with RVFD staff, the last paragraph on p.13 is revised as follows:

Through the Firewise program, Fire Safe Marin provides residents who organize as Firewise communities with resources and support for personal preparedness, alerts and warning, and strategies to make their community more fire-resistant. ReadyMarin, a public emergency preparedness program overseen by the Marin County Office of Emergency Management in collaboration with local emergency response partners, also provides programs and services to help residents and businesses plan and prepare for emergencies. Through the activities of ReadyMarin partners, membership in Neighborhood Response Groups also continues to grow in Fairfax, bringing together volunteers who help connect with and support their neighbors before, during, and after disasters of all kinds. Free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is also available to teach residents how to take care of themselves, their family, and community until first responders can assist. o References to the former Marin County Office of Emergency Services, now renamed Office of Emergency Management should be corrected.
— MEMORANDUM —
- 4 -
S-3.1.1 Periodically update the Emergency Operations Plan with technical assistance from the Marin County Office of Emergency Management. [NEW]
o RVFD pointed out there is no mechanism for registration. Instead RFVD encourages neighbors to help each other and suggested the Town can support this with outreach via email blasts and newsletters.

S-3.7.3 Periodically conduct outreach to community groups in Fairfax, such as Firewise Communities or Neighborhood Response Groups, to promote a "help your neighbors" approach that accounts for residents in their areas with access and functional needs in community resilience building initiatives. [NEW]
o Lack of cell coverage. The text discusses that certain “dead zones” exist in Fairfax, but this should be broadened to mention “holes” in cell coverage existing throughout the Town. A process to identify dead zones would be helpful.

Areas with limited coverage were identified with reference to coverage maps from all major carriers. Coverage is dynamic and continually evolving, so a level of flexibility in the policy to provide latitude for implementation is recommended.

P.19: Although not fully reflected in MWPA scenario planning tool, some locations in Fairfax, such as areas along Cascade Drive and the northern part of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, have limited cellphone coverage, which can make access to information difficult if the power is out following a natural hazard event.
o Commissioners questioned whether references to Nixle should remain in the Safety Element and pointed out that the Town does not directly use Alert Marin so Policy S3.9 should be updated.

Nixle is a community information notification system that allows local public safety agencies (like police, fire, or schools) to send non-urgent alerts to residents and businesses in selected ZIP codes. It’s used primarily for informational messages such as:
road closures, traffic advisories, upcoming drills or events; police activity, community bulletins, and general safety updates; smoke or air quality reports during wildfires; postdisaster updates (e.g., shelter locations or services). The County no longer uses Nixle.

Fairfax Police Department will continue to use Nixle and encourages community members to register for Alert Marin.

Text on p.16 will be revised as follows:

OEM has the authority to establish an emergency operations center to serve as the location from which centralized emergency management can be performed during a major emergency or disaster, facilitating a coordinated response by community, local, state, and federal agencies. OEM maintains the Marin County Emergency Portal, a website which houses the latest information on emergencies, and Alert Marin, the county's primary system to alert residents of emergencies in which the public may need to evacuate, shelter in place, or take some other protective action. Othe public safety agencies in Marin County use Nixle, which provides other, typically less urgent information including major traffic — MEMORANDUM —
- 5 -
disruptions, drift smoke from a distant fire, and to let the public know about missing persons.

Policy S-3.9 will be revised as follows:

S-3.9 Support the use of Alert Marin, the countywide alert and early warning system , to notify residents by phone, text, or email of extreme weather conditions and/or the need to evacuate in the event of emergency. The system should also be used to broadcast the location of evacuation centers, particularly for residents of vulnerable areas and neighborhoods with constrained emergency access.
o Commissioners recommended rewording Program S-3.3.1 to clarify it applies to more than SB99 roads:

S-3.3.1 Pursue funding to facilitate structural retrofits, roadway improvements, and abatement of vegetative hazards, including in existing residential neighborhoods without two points of emergency ingress/egress.”
o Clarify what “Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)” is.

The following text can be added to the Safety Element on p.22 after the second paragraph under Public Safety Services:

Design of the built environment can also help prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime, and improve the quality of life in urban areas. Research has shown that the most effective deterrent to criminal activity is the risk of being caught, and design of public spaces that places more eyes on the street and limits access points can create safer environments.

Strategies for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) include locating windows to overlook sidewalks and parking lots, increasing pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and selectively installing fencing, landscaping, or lighting to control access. Well-maintained buildings and grounds also signal alert, active owners and can deter criminal activity. o A commissioner questioned the need for neighborhood watch programs.

S-4.7 Employ community-based policing strategies and encourage partnerships between community groups and the Fairfax Police Department.
[LAND USE ELEMENT COMMENTS AND RESPONSES]
o Clarify that “open space” is not only “surrounding” the town; open space is important with the Town limits are well.

The following edits will be made on p.1:

Today Fairfax retains a village-like quality, with a charming downtown, distinct neighborhoods, and large areas of visible open space within and surrounding the community. — MEMORANDUM —
- 6 -
Additionally, the following text will be added after the first paragraph on p.3:

Priority Conservation Areas
Within and around Fairfax, important areas of natural open space have been classified as Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs). PCAs are regionally significant areas to be protected and improved and include natural habitats, farms and ranchlands, recreation areas, urban green spaces and locations that can help fight the effects of climate change. Working with the Fairfax Open Space Committee the Town of Fairfax has nominated several PCAs within and adjacent to the town limits of Fairfax. Local governments can nominate PCAs, but it is up to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Executive Board to establish PCAs, which often cross jurisdictional boundaries. As of June, 2025, 80 PCAs were adopted by ABAG, but more PCA may be nominated after this date. MTC/ABAG maintains a website on PCAs, which is updated periodically https://mtc.ca.gov/planning/land-use/priority-conservation-areaspcas”. As of June 2025, not all PCA boundaries have been established and are undergoing revisions. The ABAG Executive Board intends to act on new and revised PCAs in the Fall of 2025.
o The definition of the planning area and the Sphere of Influence could be clarified. The Dixon General Plan was referenced as a good example.

To address this, the following edits will be made on p.1 of the Land Use Element.

PLANNING AREA
The planning area is defined as the land area addressed by the General Plan, including land within Town limits and the Sphere of Influence (SOI) outside Town limits as shown on Figure LU-1. The boundary of the Planning Area was determined in response to State law requiring each local jurisdiction to include in its General Plan all territory within the boundaries of the incorporated area as well as “any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning” (California Government Code Section 65300). The Fairfax planning area comprises approximately 2,040 acres (3.19 square miles) of incorporated and unincorporated land.

The existing Town limits encompass approximately 1,435 acres (2.24 square miles), or 70 percent of the planning area.. The existing uses within the Town limits include residential and commercial developments, as well as public facilities including parks, schools, and government offices. The Sphere of Influence (SOI) is defined as the ultimate physical boundary and service area of the town, and it encompasses both incorporated and unincorporated territory that is envisioned to be the town’s ultimate service area. The Marin County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has jurisdiction over defining Fairfax’s SOI and acts on annexations. Fairfax’s SOI encompasses approximately 605 acres (0.95 square miles) outside of the Town limits within unincorporated Marin County, or 30 percent of the total land located in the planning area.

The Marin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) has jurisdiction over defining Fairfax’s SOI and acts on annexations and the approval of service contracts outside Town limits. The purpose of the SOI is to coordinate and shape logical and orderly development — MEMORANDUM —
- 7 -
while discouraging urban sprawl and the premature conversion of agricultural and open space lands by preventing overlapping jurisdictions and duplication of services. While individual jurisdictions establish their own planning goals, on a regional level, the LAFCo for each California county helps coordinate the efficient provision of services for the benefit of area residents and property owners. The Town only has jurisdiction within the Town limits, although the policy framework of the Land Use Element address coordination with the County and other jurisdictions in the region for conservation and development of land in the SOI.
o Commissioners recommended clarifying where to find the land use designations within the Element:

P. 3, last paragraph - clarify where land use designations are: “Described below, each designation includes standards for density or intensity of use." o Correct a typo on p.9:

Originally gifted to Charles Snowden Fairfax, for whom the Town is named, the property was operated as a popular sports and recreation club between 1944 and 1972 with baseball diamonds, a sunbathing lawn, picnic areas, and swimming pools as well as an outdoor bandstand and dance floor called The Redwood Bowl, from which live dance music was broadcast throughout the western United States on Saturday nights. o Commissioners recommended clarifications to the guidance for the future Town Center Area Plan to be created under Program LU-3.1.1:

LU-3.1.1 Adopt and implement a Town Center Area Plan with the following objectives:
• Integrate a vibrant mix of retail, restaurant, entertainment, commercial and residential uses;
• Enhance walkability and build pedestrian and bicycle connections to and within the Town Center Area;
• Foster opportunities for people to meet and gather, including through the incorporation of plazas, green spaces, paseos, terraces, and outdoor dining spaces; • Establish a comprehensive parking management program for the area; and • Build a distinctive visual presence for the Town Center Area as viewed by passersby on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and strengthen sense of place with gateway design features, distinctive amenities, landscaping and greenery. [MAP REVISIONS]
• Map LU-1: Planning Area and Context: revised to remove dots representing approximate location of Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs) as MTC/ABAG is in the process of preparing detailed maps.
— MEMORANDUM —
- 8 -
• Map S-5: Fire Hazard Severity Zones: revised with latest available data from

CALFIRE
• Map S-7: Emergency Evacuation Routes: revised to show only evacuation routes.