SALT/NFH 2009 Housing Competition

Two San Francisco Bay Area housing non-profits, Suburban Alternatives Land Trust (SALT) and Northbay Family Homes (NFH) have, in the past 30 years, facilitated the building of 4,000 homes – half of them affordable to low-moderate income families. Together, SALT and NFH are sponsoring an open competition to develop ideas that optimize their site’s potential uses, including ideas that address the need for senior housing in a suburban setting. The Project site is located in the City of Novato, Marin County in a recently developed area known as “Bahia.” 
 
The site contains two non-contiguous parcels (6.8 and 8.7 acres respectively) for a total of about 15 acres, with the possibility of transfer of development rights. SALT/NFH envisions the site supporting a set of complementary uses - with homeownership being the core use.  The site is adjacent to existing homes, and over 600 acres of open space lands, land are managed by a local open space district, State Fish & Game, and the Marin Audubon Society. Although the competition is site specific, the Sponsors wish to also demonstrate the advantages of land banking that was used in this project and its potentials for other properties. 
 
Designers are encouraged to develop and present ideas that reflect SALT’s mission: assisting low-income individuals and families to secure good housing, become homeowners and improve their economic position by working with donors of land to maximize and leverage tax advantages and benefits generated in the course of developing a full array for land use options for each parcel, including affordable homes, jobs, recreation, agriculture and open space.
 
The schedule calls for the detailed Competition Kit to be available in mid-August, 2009, with a briefing and site tour in late September 2009. Submissions will be due in early December 2009. Information regarding the Sponsors may be found at www.nfh.org Bill Liskamm, FAIA will serve as Competition Advisor. Please direct questions to him at bill@nfh.org .