The developers of 1 Harbor Drive have submitted updated project plans, and incredibly, the project has become even larger than before. It is now proposed at 80 feet tall and 477,000 square feet in size. A development of this scale would have significant impacts on Sausalito and could affect the quality of life throughout the city's north side including public safety, traffic and parking, flood control, tree loss, and infrastructure costs for water and sewer.
There is still time to take action. While the developer claims the City must approve the plan without a full California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, SOS lawyers have documented why the City can and must require one. As residents we must insist on a full review before decisions are made.
We cannot know the full impact of this project and mitigate its damages without this study.
Timeline: The City has issued a letter stating the plans are still “incomplete.” Once the application is deemed complete, the City will have 60 days to act on key issues, including whether to require a CEQA review. If the City fails to act within a certain timeframe, the application can become automatically approved.
We need your help today. Please sign the petition urging the City Council to require a full CEQA review before this project moves forward.
📌Key Facts at a Glance
- Proposed building height: 80 feet
- Current zoning limit: 35 feet
- Project size: 477,000 square feet
- Total units: 294
- Affordable units: 59
- Proposed trees for removal: 55 including 12 heritage trees
⚖️The City Must Require a CEQA Review
The developer says this project should be approved "by right." SOS attorneys say the City must require a CEQA review because the City retains the following important discretionary authority over key aspects of the project.
- Waivers from the zoning code: State density bonus law allows developers to request waivers from local zoning standards, including height limits, when affordable housing is included. SOS attorneys state the City must still determine whether the requested waivers are justified.
- Heritage Tree Removal: The project proposes removing 55 trees, including 12 protected heritage trees. The City's Notice of Incomplete Application states that some of those removals may require discretionary Planning Commission review and cannot be approved ministerially.
Read our lawyer's letter laying out the legal case for why the City must require a full CEQA review before any approvals are granted.
A CEQA review won't block the project on its own, and it won't guarantee specific changes, but it's our best chance to force a real accounting of the impacts and gain mitigation for them. These include public safety, flood control, traffic, tree loss, and infrastructure costs that would otherwise land on residents.
We want the developer, not the City or its taxpayers, to be responsible for addressing and mitigating project-related impacts.
✍️Take Action. Sign the Petition
The increase in density proposed for this site would have significant and lasting impacts on the people who live, work, and travel through Sausalito. Residents deserve a transparent analysis and a full understanding of those impacts before any approvals are granted.
Many neighbors are highly concerned about this project. Help us reach our goal of at least 100 signatures right away. Sign the petition today to support neighbors and show the council you are concerned about the impact of this project.
The decisions made in the coming months will shape this gateway site for years to come.
Save Our Sausalito
P.S. We need your help circulating this petition on social media and in our community. Please contact us now at connect@saveoursausalito.comif you can help with outreach.