Novato is looking to increase its status as a North Bay biotech hub as part of a proposal that could double the footprint of its life sciences campus near the Bel Marin Keys.
The city’s biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors have continued to expand since 1997 at the Novato Industrial Park, home to companies such as Ultragenyx, BioMarin, Sutter Instrument, Karuna Corp., Raptor Pharmaceuticals, and Marin Biologic Laboratories.
City officials and a group of companies have been working since 2016 to plan further expansion on the 200-acre campus along Highway 101 northbound near Ignacio Boulevard. A proposal that is expected to be presented to the City Council on May 24 would allow for larger and taller warehouses, laboratories, offices and production buildings than are currently allowed.
More than 22% of the industrial park, or approximately 575,000 square feet, is used by biotechnology and life science companies. The plan would allow for an expansion of 300,000 square feet in the industrial park and possibly up to 500,000 square feet if traffic problems can be resolved.
“This is great news for us because it recognizes that we are in a place where biotechnology and these campuses are taking off,” said Kirit Patel, director of business development at Marin Biologic Laboratories. “Encourage innovation and bring more people into the community as jobs will be created.”
The Novato Town Planning Commission voted unanimously on Monday to recommend the City Council approve the plan.
“We are uniquely located in Novato to truly welcome and promote this type of development,” said Curtis Havel, a member of the commission. “It’s an opportunity that I think benefits the city and is in a position that won’t have any significant impact on the environment.”
City regulations limit the width and usable surface of company buildings. The plan would allow these companies to expand their footprint by creating more structures or taller buildings. The building height limits would be increased to 68 feet, with an additional 8 feet allowed for rooftop installments.
The city would allow for a maximum of 500,000 square feet of additional expansion with these larger developments. The plan would only cover the Hamilton and Ignacio sections of the industrial park. The southern section, known as Bel Marin Industrial Park, would not have been included due to its proximity to Los Robles Mobile Home Park.
However, city staff said the most realistic expansion limit would be around 300,000 square feet due to potentially significant traffic issues that could result beyond that expansion area.
As part of an environmental review of the plan, city staff predicted that increased employment and commercial activity resulting from greater expansion would result in a significant increase in traffic flow in the area due to the increase. employment and commercial activity.
The models found that any expansion beyond 300,000 square feet would require large-scale changes to the Ignacio Boulevard junction on Highway 101, including widening junctions and turning ramps, and signal changes, many of which would require approval. by Caltrans.
“Too much traffic would require significant mitigation in the form of signage or reworking of those intersections, which may not be practical,” said Sean Kennings, a city consultant who helped draft the plan.
Companies looking to expand are expected to cut vehicle travel by 10%, which could come in the form of carpool, ridesharing services, electric vehicle parking requirements, and installation of bicycle racks, Kennings said.
Companies would also be required to install equipment to reduce the impact of odors.
Representatives from Ultragenyx and BioMarin, along with other organizations such as the Novato Chamber of Commerce and the North Bay Leadership Council, approved the plan this week.
“We have seen ourselves growing as part of the community fabric for the past 25 years,” Shar Zamanpour, director of campus planning at BioMarin, told the Planning Commission. “Many of our employees live in Novato. Many of our service providers are local in the community. Our employees value local restaurants, shops and other services and this will grow with the growth of biotechnology and BioMarin in Novato and further strengthen the local economy. “
“As you know, Novato Industrial Park is home to several global life science companies that have a major impact on people’s lives around the world,” Coy Smith, Novato Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer to the commission, wrote in a letter.
“As these demands grow, this approval will give these tax-paying companies the opportunity to expand in conscious ways that will blend into the overall community plan,” he said. “It will also keep employees living and spending hard-earned money here in the city.”
