Public Notice - Defensible Space Vegetation Removal

Public Notice - July 22, 2020

Section 106 Review

Golden Gate Village Maintenance and Repair Projects

Defensible Space Vegetation Removal



The County of Marin (County) with the assistance of the Marin Housing Authority (MHA), is conducting a review of Golden Gate Village regarding proposed maintenance and repair projects. Because of Golden Gate Village’s status on the National Register of Historic Places the National Historic Preservation Act requires a review of proposed work to be conducted on the property in accordance with federal regulation 36 CFR Part 800 (Section 106).



Golden Gate Village (GGV) is located at 101-429 Drake Avenue and 1-99 Cole Drive in Marin City, California. The property is historically significant under the areas of social history, community planning and development, architecture, and landscape architecture. The residential complex was designed by architects Aaron Green, and John Carl Warnecke, and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin ca. 1955-60. Golden Gate Village was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on August 3, 2017. (The NRHP nomination is available online at California’s Office of Historic Preservation website.) GGV, therefore, is a historic property for the purposes of Section 106.



Using federal funds provided by HUD, MHA regularly conducts maintenance and/or repair projects that the County considers undertakings for the purposes of Section 106.  Currently, MHA proposes to remove vegetation from “defensible space” in accordance with current fire safety guidelines (proposed undertaking).



On September 30, 2019 the County invited Golden Gate Village Resident Council, Docomomo (Northern California Chapter), Marin History Museum, Marin County Free Library, The California Garden and Landscape History Society, The California Historical Society, Aaron G. Green Associates, Inc., Marin City Community Services District, and Historic American Landscape Survey (Northern California Chapter) to participate in Section 106 consultation. No consulting parties responded to the letters. However, Golden Gate Village Resident Council and Marin City Community Services District submitted letters to the County requesting participation in Section 106 reviews relating to the Property at earlier dates. On October 17, 2019 the County invited The Federated Indians of Graton Racheria (California) and Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California to participate in Section 106 consultation. No tribal parties responded to the letters.



On October 17, 2019, the County submitted a Finding of Effect to Golden Gate Village Resident Council, Docomomo (Northern California Chapter), Marin History Museum, Marin County Free Library, The California Garden and Landscape History Society, The California Historical Society, Aaron G. Green Associates, Inc., Marin City Community Services District, Historic American Landscape Survey (Northern California Chapter), The Federated Indians of Graton Racheria (California), and Ione Band of Miwok Indians of California, and on February 13, 2020 the County submitted a Finding of Effect to SHPO, analyzing the potential of Defensible Space Vegetation Removal to result in an adverse effect to GGV. The County concluded that the proposed undertaking will result in conditional no adverse effect.



On February 13, 2020, the County initiated consultation with the California State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) regarding Golden Gate Village Maintenance and Repair Projects. On March 18, 2020, SHPO submitted correspondence to the County, noting SHPO received the consultation submittal regarding Defensible Space Vegetation Removal and concurs with the County as long as MHA included the conditions outlined in the Finding of Effect.



Members of the public are invited to provide feedback on how the proposed undertaking may affect GGV or other historic properties. Comments may be submitted to ggvpubliccomment@marincounty.org before August 24, 2020. 





Download a copy of this public notice below.