Novato board endorses proposed seniors’ care home

A proposal for a new residential care center for seniors in Novato has advanced to final review.

The Lodge on Novato Creek, which would be at 1787 Grant Ave., was presented to the Design Review Commission on Wednesday, said Mayor Mark Milberg.

“The Design Review Commission supported the project’s design, offered suggestions to enhance architecture, landscaping, and useable outdoor space, and ultimately recommended approval of the project,” Milberg said.

The 2.1-acre project site is along Novato Creek. The 73,000-square-foot, three-story property would consist of 55 assisted living dwellings and 31 memory care beds. The building’s height is proposed to be approximately 39 feet to the main roof ridgeline, 40 feet and 6 inches to the elevator penthouses, and 49 feet and 8 inches to the top of three decorative cupolas.

Milberg said the commission’s recommendation to the Planning Commission was based on the project’s compliance with objective development standards and offered general, non-binding design feedback to the applicant.

The project will be presented to the Planning Commission at a date still to be determined. The City Council will not consider the project unless the commission’s decision is appealed.

The project applicant, Fulcrum Real Estate and Development in Sausalito, hopes to obtain all entitlements and approvals by the end of the year in order to begin construction.

Building plans include a commercial kitchen, dining room, activity rooms and a movie theater. The site would include 29 parking spaces on the north and east side of the building, with an emergency vehicle access lane surrounding the south and west sides of the building.

“Fulcrum appreciates the time and dedication City Staff have offered thus far in our preliminary discussions about the Project, and is committed to further collaboration to ensure this much-needed housing Project comes to fruition,” Steven Ring, managing principal of the group, wrote in the project application.

The project is a “housing development project” under the Housing Accountability Act, which means the city can only require compliance with objective development standards, Milberg said.

The project qualifies as a mixed-use development consisting of residential and nonresidential uses with at least two-thirds of its square footage designated for residential use.

The proposed assisted living rooms qualify as dwellings since the room will include its own bathroom and kitchenette with a cooking appliance. The memory care bedrooms are a non-residential use since they do not include cooking appliances. The memory care wing comprises 27% of the building’s floor.

The plan comes as Novato shifts into gear for the development of low-income and affordable housing prescribed by the 2023-31 housing element.

“Fulcrum shares these concerns,” said Ring. “And believes this well-designed and community-oriented project can be of great value for current and future seniors living in our community, particularly those that need assisted living opportunities.”

The project is eligible for a density bonus by reserving 10% of the assisted living rooms for households of low- and very-low income. Four dwellings will be included for very-low income households and one dwelling for a low-income household. The affordable dwellings are required by a city ordinance related to residential care for seniors.

The project site is zoned as a medium density multiple family residential land use designation. The zoning permits a density range of 10.1 to 20 dwellings per acre, with a base residential density of 43 dwelling. With a 30% density bonus, a total of 56 assisted living dwelling are allowed.

The applicant is seeking four waivers related to maximum floor area, building height, parking lot perimeter landscaping and parking lot interior landscaping.

The project was considered under review at the time of the approval of the Novato’s housing element in April.

The city is required to plan for 2,090 new residences in the eight-year planning cycle to meet its quota. That includes 570 for very-low-income households, 328 for low-income households, 332 for moderate-income households and 860 for above-moderate-income households.