Town preps for holiday ruling on its housing plan, quick response

Tiburon officials are expecting a Christmas delivery from the state of California: a preliminary ruling on whether the town has done enough to accommodate 635 new housing units over the next eight years.

The state Housing and Community Development Department’s 90-day review of the town’s draft 2023-2031 housing element is due back on Dec. 26 and will require a bit of a staff scramble, as Town Hall will be closed for the holidays Dec. 23-Jan. 2.

At the Town Council’s Nov. 16 meeting, Mayor Jon Welner directed Community Development Director Dina Tasini to post the state’s comment letter online for public review as soon as it arrives, even if offices are closed, while Tasini said she’s already scheduled a conference with state officials to discuss its contents.

Tiburon submitted its initial draft on Sept. 26 with 685 units, providing itself with a 46-unit buffer in case the state objects to any portions of the plan. The town is required by law to identify sites where housing can be accommodated, and to rezone and make other policy changes if necessary, though it’s not required to build the housing, compel private landowners to provide it or even approve projects that don’t have overrides otherwise provided by state streamlining laws.

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