Sausalito's Measure X Would Rewrite the Rules for the Marinship Waterfront. Artists and Business Owners Are Split

Sausalito voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to loosen the rules that have shaped the Marinship, the city's working waterfront of boatyards, artist studios and small industrial shops, for nearly 40 years.

What Measure X would change

Measure X would repeal and replace the 1988 Marinship Specific Plan, according to KQED's voter guide. It would allow bigger buildings and more density in the city's industrial and waterfront zones, and open the area to uses that aren't allowed now, including art galleries, creative workshops, artisan shops, cafes, restaurants, community centers and some manufacturing.

The general height limit in the industrial zone would rise from 32 feet to 47 feet, and some marine commercial and industrial projects on the waterfront could reach 47 feet with a use permit, CBS San Francisco reported. The measure also includes specific protections against displacement at two longtime Marinship properties that house artists, craftspeople and maritime businesses. It needs a simple majority to pass.

The case for it

Supporters point to vacant lots, aging buildings, flooded streets and lots full of rusting RVs and old boats. Councilmember Ian Sobieski told CBS the city faces a $20 million bill to fix crumbling stairs and that a quarter of its storm drains have severe defects. City council candidate Adrian Brinton, who has worked on the measure, put the city's deferred infrastructure maintenance at up to $100 million.

Backers say the roughly 220-acre district brings in about $10,000 in city tax revenue per acre, compared with about $70,000 per acre downtown. Bill Foss, co-owner of the restaurant Fish, supports the measure even though it could bring him more competition. "We've locked this thing in a time capsule for the last 40 years," he told CBS. The Marin Independent Journal's editorial board endorsed Measure X on Sept. 30, writing that "Sausalito can no longer afford inaction."

The case against it

Opponents, including Councilmembers Jill Hoffman and Joan Cox and the group Save Our Sausalito, argue the measure opens the door to far more development and could price out the artists and maritime businesses that define the area. Sculptor Sophia Collier, who leads Save Our Sausalito, said artists often make a place special and then can't afford to stay. Critics also worry future councils would gain too much power to change zoning without another public vote.

Hoffman said the Marinship already pulls its weight, telling CBS that about half of the city's business license tax comes from the district. She also warned more development could add traffic on Bridgeway, the city's main road, and argued smaller fixes could address urgent problems while the city plans for the long term.