Shoreline Apartment Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

It sits in the Manzanita area of unincorporated Mill Valley, near the Manzanita park-and-ride lot and the U.S. Highway 101 overpass close to Richardson Bay and the Bay Trail.

On November 23, 2024, the applicant submitted a Design Review application to the Marin County Planning Division

Yes. The Tamalpais Design Review Board (TDRB) reviewed the application twice: first on December 18, 2024, and again on March 5, 2025. At the March 5 meeting, the TDRB recommended specific conditions of approval for the Planning Commission to impose on the project if it moves forward.

The Marin County Planning Commission authorized the project on May 29, 2025. The Planning Commission’s staff report, resolution and approved materials are available online at this location: Pacific West Communities, Inc. (TPC) Design Review (P4722) | Marin County.

The construction permit was issued on August 17, 2026, and the site is currently under construction.

The applicant is Lauren Alexander, on behalf of Pacific West Communities, Inc. (TPC). TPC specializes in acquiring, financing, and developing affordable multi-family residential communities, workforce housing, senior housing, and properties for individuals with special needs. More information about this company can be found on their website at https://pacificwestcompanies.com/services/affordable-housing-development/ 

The building uses modular construction, meaning prefabricated sections are built off-site and then assembled on location using a large crane. This modern approach speeds up the building process.

Underground site work was completed in mid-2026, and the crane-assisted assembly of the modular units kicked off in late August and early September 2026.

This development connects to an affordable housing plan originally proposed at 825 Drake Avenue in Marin City. Tax-exempt bonds were split to modify that original plan into 42 units at Drake Avenue and 32 units at this separate Shoreline Highway site.

You can contact the developer by phone at 208-816-8631 or via the developer's website.

The 156 Shoreline Highway development (Shoreline Apartments) was born directly out of a restructuring of an affordable housing project originally planned entirely for 825 Drake Avenue in Marin City. 

In 2023, the developer originally secured approval and tax-exempt bond financing to build a 74-unit affordable housing building on the old Village Baptist Church property at 825 Drake Avenue.

The original 74-unit proposal in Marin City concentrated high-density development in an area already saturated with high-density development. Concerns centered around the extreme density, minimal parking, regional air pollution, and traffic bottlenecks were some of the reasons the project was broken down into two smaller projects. 

Because state laws legally prevented the County from denying the 74 units, Marin County officials instead negotiated a compromise to downsize the Marin City site and relocate the excess density.

The modified plan split the original 74 units across two distinct sites:

• 825 Drake Avenue (Marin City): Reduced by nearly half to 42 units.
• 156 Shoreline Highway (Tam Valley): Absorbed the remaining 32 units

The developer purchased the former gas station site in Tam Valley to transfer 32 units to the site. This site was previously approved for a 22-unit building. 

Both projects share a unified financial structure. The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a single package of up to $60 million in tax-exempt bonds issued by the California Municipal Finance Authority (CMFA). This funding was explicitly divided to provide up to $39 million for the 42 units in Marin City and up to $21 million for the 32 units at Shoreline Highway.

Yes. To optimize efficiency and reduce development costs, both properties utilize the same modern architectural approach: prefabricated modular building sections manufactured off-site and stacked using large cranes.

The project includes a total of 32 rental units restricted to lower-income households.

Units range from roughly 544-square-foot one-bedroom apartments up to 751-square-foot two-bedroom apartments.

The development provides 7 on-site parking spaces.

The project entails a five-story, 58-foot, five-inch high residential building with 32 rental units restricted to lower-income households, a manager's office, residential amenities, and seven on-site parking spaces. The proposed building will be designed to accommodate a mail room, leasing office, maintenance room, other miscellaneous rooms, and four residential units on the ground floor, and 28 residential units disbursed from the second floor through the fifth floor. 

Because the project consists of 100% affordable housing for lower-income households, it qualified for significant concessions and incentives under California’s State Density Bonus Law. This law gives developers the right to increase the number of units per acre and build taller structures than local zoning normally permits.

No, legally, Marin County could not deny the application. Because the 156 Shoreline Highway development is a multi-family affordable housing project, it is protected by strict state regulations that strip local governments of their discretionary power to reject such projects.

The project is heavily protected under the Housing Accountability Act (HAA), which is codified in California Government Code Section 65589.5. This statute legally prohibits cities and counties from denying, downsizing, or undercutting housing developments that comply with objective local planning and zoning standards

The State Density Bonus Law, codified in California Government Code Section 65915, further limited the County's ability to deny the development's specific density, height, or parking reductions. Under California law, granting a density bonus is a mandatory obligation for local governments, not a discretionary option. Because the 156 Shoreline Highway development consists of 100% affordable housing units for lower-income households, it automatically qualified for the maximum protections and density allowances outlined under the statute.

No. California courts have established that local governments cannot deny waivers or concessions by claiming the developer could simply use an alternative design. If a standard local rule (such as a strict height limit) physically prevents the building from being constructed as designed, the County is legally required to waive that rule.

All the units will be affordable units at income levels between 30 and 70 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). The 156 Shoreline development will provide affordable housing to families and individuals who are considered low income, or making less than 70 percent of the AMI. In Marin, this equates to a household of three making between $52,750 and $151,300 annually. To be considered affordable, housing costs should generally not exceed 30% of a household’s gross income. The different income categories are published by the California Community Development Department (HCD).

Under California and federal law, affordable housing eligibility cannot include demographic preferences that discriminate against protected classes, such as age, race, familial status, or occupation. Eligibility criteria is typically based on income, and applicants must provide annual proof of income to qualify. While rental application requirements can vary by developer and property manager, they must adhere to these non-discrimination standards. 

Yes. The County’s environmental staff engaged Sicular Environmental Consulting and Natural Lands Management to prepare an initial study pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Marin County Environmental Impact Review Guidelines. The environmental document is available online at this location:

https://www.marincounty.gov/departments/cda/planning/environmental-planning/current-ceqa-projects/150-shoreline-affordable-housing-project

Marin Water evaluated the project's projected water demand and verified that the existing infrastructure and current water supplies are sufficient to support it without compromising service to existing customers.

Yes. Much of the Tam Junction area, including the project site, is in a high fire hazard severity zone area.

The local fire agency having jurisdiction (Southern Marin Fire Department) evaluated the project to ensure access/egress is adequate as well as water supply. Southern Marin Fire Department approved the building permit because the structure will be built to comply with California Building Code requirements. 

Regional routes like Highway 101 and Shoreline Highway serve as the backbone for regional evacuation. To keep these primary corridors clear, agencies like SMFD and the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority continuously execute major roadside vegetation management and fuel break projects along these exact routes.

The project was evaluated for flood risk as part of the permitting process and designed to meet applicable FEMA floodplain standards. The building is elevated one foot above FEMA’s required base flood elevation, providing an additional level of flood protection.

More broadly, Marin County works to reduce flood risk through a combination of floodplain regulations, drainage and stormwater improvements, maintenance of creeks and channels, pump stations, levees and floodwalls, and ongoing monitoring and preparedness efforts. These measures are intended to reduce flood impacts while recognizing that flooding can still occur during significant storms, King Tides and other periods of unusually high tides, particularly when high tides coincide with heavy rainfall. 

As part of these ongoing efforts, the County has completed the scheduled six-year maintenance cycle for the Shoreline Pump Station and is coordinating with PG&E on an upcoming project near the Crest Main Pump Station. The County is also in the process of selecting a contractor for the Cardinal Pump Station discharge rehabilitation, which will help improve the system’s ability to manage high-tide conditions.

The development includes 7 onsite surface parking spaces. While standard county codes would typically require significantly more spaces for a 32-unit building, state density bonus laws allowed for a reduction in the parking requirement. Additionally, the project includes secure parking capacity for 31 bicycles to encourage alternative transit. 

Yes. As part of the county approval conditions, a Parking Management Plan is required to address how resident and visitor vehicle use will be managed on-site and locally. 

Yes. Temporary parking restrictions along the affected stretch of Shoreline Highway are enforced during peak construction hours (typically from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM) to clear space for equipment and large trucks. However, overnight street parking generally remains available when active work is wrapped up for the day.

The project sits in a transit-accessible location near Tam Junction, right by the Manzanita Park-and-Ride lot and local transit lines, providing residents with immediate access to regional bus routes and the nearby Marin County Bike Path / Bay Trail network. 

The Manzanita Park & Ride Lot is located less than one-half miles from the project site.  The Golden Gate Transit and Marin Transit have regular bus routes that stop at the Manzanita Park & Ride Lot.