The proposed development of a Branson campus, which could accommodate up to 1000 students as well as 304 homes at the site of a theological seminary on Strawberry Island, has met

significant opposition by Strawberry residents.

The streets surrounding the current seminary location are lined with red lawn signs reading “No Branson.” Neighbors have come together in opposition of the increased traffic, the effect on the open space and the decrease in neighborhood safety that they believe the proposed Branson development could bring to the community.

“My biggest concern is the traffic. I’ve seen people getting caught in their cul-de-sacs at Redwood,” said Strawberry resident Steve Tenaglia.  “I don’t want that to happen here.”

A traffic study conducted by the Seminary Neighborhood Association, based on presentations to the county by the developer of the project, has concluded that morning traffic would increase by 1000 percent on Seminary Drive.

The current Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary does not have enrollment close to 1000 students now, but did have upwards of 900 graduate students in the 1980s.

Many residents of Strawberry are concerned about teenagers driving to school and possible reckless driving.

“I’ve had two people hit my rock wall,” Tenaglia said. “I’ve had a drunk kid hit a tree next to my house.”

While residents are opposed to the creation of the Branson High School, they are open to housing construction,  according to Ray McDevitt, who has been a resident of Strawberry for 40 years.

“The relocation of Branson to Strawberry is a work in progress,” said Greg Swart, Branson’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees in a press conference. “We have considered this site for a long time and moving to Strawberry is consistent with our long-term goals of increasing student diversity, interacting more directly with the Marin community and gradually growing enrollment. This new campus will provide Branson with the opportunity to respond to the needs of a 21st century education, to better prepare our graduates entering a global economy, and significantly increase our interaction with and service to the local community.”

The Seminary Neighborhood Association is responsible for printing the “No Branson” lawn signs and is the main community force in opposition of the current development.

“I’m sure you’ve seen the signs, everyone’s against it,” said Strawberry resident Ladan Lari.

The main points of entry to Branson would be the single lane Seminary Drive and E. Strawberry Drive. The highways leading to these roads are already used in the mornings for Reed district and working commuters.

“Eighty to ninety percent of neighbors in the area have ‘No Branson’ signs, even the renters,” Tenaglia said.

In 2014, the Seminary property was bought by North Coast Land Holdings, owned by the Fasken Trust. The Fasken Family owns the Fasken Trust and has alumni ties with Branson.

North Coast Holdings has given Branson the opportunity to purchase and use the buildings of the current Seminary and North Coast Holdings will own and develop the rest of the land.

“We’re really trying to propose a project that addresses critical needs like education, mass transit and affordable housing,” said spokesman for North Coast, Charlie Goodyear. You can’t solve all of those issues with any one project, but we think we’ve offered a pretty compelling and interesting mix. We’ve finally heard the feedback from neighbors and are happy to discuss alternatives that they may propose.”

The Marin County Planning Division deemed the developer’s application incomplete for the Branson School and 304 homes, on Jan. 15.

“The land use plans said you can have a graduate school and you can have faculty and student housing, that’s it. It doesn’t say you can have a high school and it doesn’t say you can have rental housing,” McDevitt said.

North Coast Holdings is planning on having the 304 homes grouped into connecting clusters similar to the rentals immediately surrounding the area.

The developer has been asked by the county to apply for an amendment to the Strawberry Community Plan to allow for new aspects of the development but the developers have declined to submit an amendment and are currently appealing the Marin County Planning Division’s decision.

“Nobody’s going to get everything they want,” said Josh Sale, a board member of the Seminary Neighborhood Association. “We’re not going to get all open space, [the developers] are not going to get the ultra intense development that they’re proposing in the current application, but I really believe there’s some happy middle ground that can be found if people of goodwill sit down at the table together and try to work through it,”

The project must be approved by the County Planning Commission and then voted on by the board of supervisors, according to Sale. The county also takes advice from the Strawberry Design Review Board. This approval process could take two to three years, according to Sale.

“Nobody can stop the wheels from moving. What we’re trying to do as neighbors is pull together and say this is not going to work for us,” Tenaglia said.

Mark Cavagnero is the architect of the project and has designed the Oakland Museum of California, SF JAZZ Center, and renovated the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. Cavagnero’s goal for the project is to create a community similar to the Presidio.

“It’s wonderful what the potential of this place could be if they do it right,” Tenaglia said.