• The project applicant is Cypress Marina Heights LP.
• The project demolishes 828 houses and replaces them with 1,050 new high end houses on 248 acres of the former Fort Ord.
• This project is governed by City of Marina General Plan from 2001.
• The City of Marina is the lead agency.

• The project was approved by the City of Marina in March 2004.
• The environmental documents were certified in October 2003.
• The Notice of Preparation was complete in 2002.

• Lack of Affordable Housing
  The City of Marina is being asked to allow the construction of 1,050 new homes—and not require that even one of those homes be affordable by a person with an average or below average income. There is absolutely NO genuinely “affordable housing” in this development. The only housing required is housing directed to persons with above average incomes, and of course 80% of the homes will be for the extremely wealthy. The City Council should stick with its existing General Plan.
• Lack of General Plan Consistency
  Here are just a few of the key changes that the City Council is being asked to make: reduced densities that encourage sprawling developments, no pedestrian or transit orientation, lack of affordable housing, no jobs-housing balance, and not meeting the minimum parks/open space standards, among other things.
• Public Ownership Creates Opportunities
  The Marina Heights project is not a typical development project. In this case, the public owns the land. This changes (or should change) everything. If Marina wanted to be creative, and truly maximize the public benefit of the public land upon which Marina Heights is proposed.

LandWatch engages in the public process in a variety of ways. For this project, here is a list of our engagement strategies.

• Letter: Objects to Process (128K PDF)
  This letter is to put into writing LandWatch’s objections, on due process grounds, to the Council’s failure to allow the public to comment on significant new information, namely, information relating to the Draft Water Supply Assessment and Written Verification of Supply transmitted to you by the Marina Coast Water District, and the City Attorney’s memo relating to that topic. (11.28.03)
• Letter: Opposition to the Project (118K PDF)
  LandWatch outlines its concerns about the project. First and foremost the fact that the city owns the land the project is proposed on. Additionally, the project does not meet the General Plan requirements. (11.18.03)
• Letter: Comments on Improving the Process (123K PDF)
  LandWatch offered comments that allow full participation on the project and shortening the overall time needed for review because of the improved process. (01.15.03)

• Public Workshops on Proposed Marina Heights Development
  The proposed Marina Heights project will be the first major development of Marina’s lands on the former Fort Ord. Public participation is going to be critically important. (02.17.02)