Marin County to buy Point Reyes Station property

Marin County intends to purchase a small lot in Point Reyes Station to provide housing for people being evicted from ranches in the Point Reyes National Seashore and other substandard housing.

County supervisors have stated their intent to purchase the 39,640-square-foot parcel for $1.1 million from the Community Land Trust Association of West Marin, known as CLAM. CLAM is currently in the process of buying the property from House in Point Reyes, a limited liability company.

“The site will initially provide between 12 to 16 homes-on-wheels by early 2026, operating for three to five years to house displaced residents,” CLAM said in a message sent to supporters.

“Over 150 residents qualifying as ‘extremely low-income’ who earn less than $41,000 are experiencing or at risk of homelessness in West Marin as a result of the ongoing and impending displacement of households living on ranches,” a staff report prepared for the supervisors said.

“A large portion of these residents live on historic ranches in the Point Reyes National Seashore that face closure by early 2026 as a result of a Jan. 8, 2026 settlement agreement between ranches and environmental groups,” the report said.

Christy McRoy, a county property agent, told supervisors on Tuesday that people living in substandard housing on other privately owned ranches in West Marin are also at risk of being evicted.

Jasmine Bravo, speaking on behalf of Familias Afectadas de Rancho, an organization representing people living in the seashore, said, “It’s an emergency, and we don’t have any time to wait. The people at the seashore have an eviction date of March 2026.”

Enrique Hernandez, who attended the meeting with his wife and disabled son, said, “We don’t wish to have to leave and to go to places that we don’t know, that we’re unfamiliar with. I’ve been here for 25 years with my family and we would like to remain close to our community.”

Hernandez and his family are part of a group of about 40 people living in substandard housing on the Martinelli ranch near Point Reyes Station.

Point Reyes Station residents who live near the site also attended the meeting to express their concerns about the plan and ask why they received no advance notice.

“While we would support reasonable emergency housing on that site, we just learned of this plan three days ago,” said Stephanie Rapp, a member of a 10-family homeowners association created in 1989.

Rapp said there are a number of unknowns that should be addressed before the sale is approved. Such questions include how many people would live at the site; what plans would be in place for septic and water; whether an environmental study would be conducted given the proximity to sensitive habitats; where residents would park and what would happen at the end of the three- to five-year period.

Rapp said, “We approach this with good will and a desire to work out a plan in everyone’s best interest, but this is not an earthquake that happened unexpectedly.”

Mediated negotiations involving the National Park Service, ranchers and environmental groups suing to have the ranches removed began in 2022. County supervisors chose not to intervene in the legal action despite the urging of Save Marin County Ag, a group led by Albert Straus, chief executive officer of the Straus Dairy and the Straus Family Creamery.

In March, supervisors voted to renew a shelter crisis declaration that will allow emergency housing to be placed at the Point Reyes Station site without having to comply with state and local planning, zoning, safety and environmental regulations. The exemption applies only to property owned or leased by the county.

McRoy said the purchase of the site is intended to allow CLAM to take advantage of the provisions in the shelter crisis resolution. She said the plan is for CLAM to lease the property back from the county and manage the short-term housing that is installed there.

Rapp said, “The lack of foresight should not be a basis to ignore regulations that protect the area and the habitat. By creating this emergency, you’re waiving our rights to notice, zoning and Coastal Commission review.”

Jay Rosenblatt, another neighbor, said, “I do not oppose reasonable emergency, temporary shelter on that site, but I cannot fathom how so many RVs and people can be placed on such a small lot without creating issues.”

Point Reyes Station resident Nancy Vanger, however, said the people threatened with eviction are essential workers.

“The West Marin economy is based on having a strong minimum wage workforce to help keep alive our hotel and restaurant businesses for several thousand park visitors each weekend,” Vanger said. “These families support our local businesses as well as support our school and our culture in West Marin.”

Jarrod Russell, CLAM’s director, said his organization is collaborating with the county, the Marin Community Foundation, the West Marin Fund and the Marin Agricultural Land Trust to identify other potential sites in the county for temporary emergency housing. The Marin Community Foundation has given CLAM $150,000 to help finance the effort.

Marin County supervisors met in closed session on Tuesday to discuss property negotiations involving two parcels: one at 350 Merrydale Road/3833 Redwood Highway in San Rafael and the other at 350 Ignacio Blvd. in Novato.

County Executive Derek Johnson wrote in an email, “Price and terms of payment were discussed for each agenda item,” but he declined to supply further information about the discussions.