Corte Madera officials are hoping to sway the developer of a major housing project to diversify the offerings.

The Planning Commission held a study session Tuesday on the proposed 99-apartment, 226,000-square-foot project at 240 Tamal Vista Blvd. Commissioners largely agreed that the housing is needed, but expressed concerns over the types of apartments, the building height and the health and safety effects.

The deed-restricted dwellings would be 100% affordable for lower-income households. The applicant, Jemcor Development Partners of San Mateo, is using state density bonus law to exceed the town’s zoning of 35 dwellings per acre. The apartments would have three or four bedrooms.

“I feel like if there was a mix of one or two bedrooms, it would decrease the amount of parking, maybe we don’t need a second-floor platform,” said James Rizzo, vice chair of the commission. “I would just like the developer to look at those numbers and see if they can make something work with a mix of units.”

“I think everybody would love to see a more diverse project,” Rizzo said. “It would give an opportunity for some of our empty nesters to move into this, not only the families, and I think that has a lot of community vitality because we’ve got a mix of income levels, a mix of generations, and I think all that makes a big community.”

Commissioner Margaret Bandel said she is concerned about the project’s impact on public safety because of the traffic congestion in the area. She also questioned the layout, saying many low-income people in town are seniors and probably do not need four-bedroom apartments.

“I think it’s fraught with dangerous situations,” Bandel said. “I think four-bedroom homes, apartments, are not conducive to either new families that are just starting out, perhaps two-income families, low-income families with no children … young teachers, young firemen, young workers and elderly people, and I don’t think this project has given adequate consideration to that part of our community.”

Commissioner Valerie Boshoer agreed, and added she envisioned the site as supporting lower density housing.

“I feel like it is lacking the diversity on the amount of different opportunities for senior citizens, perhaps someone who is single, who would also benefit from the affordable housing,” Boshoer said.

Under the state’s housing mandate, Corte Madera must accommodate 725 new residences by 2031. They must include at least 213 dwellings for very-low-income households and 123 for low-income households.

The Tamal Vista Boulevard property is listed as an opportunity site in the town’s housing element. Martha Battaglia, a town planner, said staff are preparing an initial study on the project as the housing element assumed the site would have 55 dwellings and more than 14,000 square feet of commercial space.

Plans show four levels of residences over two stories of parking garages with 163 parking spots. The ground floor would have two lobbies, a mail room, a parking garage, a gym, a tech room and a teen room. The second floor would a parking garage and four apartments. The third through sixth floors would have around 23 apartments per floor, with an outdoor amenity space on the third floor.

“This is the heart of the community,” said Mark Schattinger, a landscape architect for the project. “There’s always these little pockets to go have a conversation, have your child play, meet your neighbors and socialize.”

Because it would be 100% affordable, the project qualified for an 80% density bonus, said Ann Danforth, the assistant town attorney. The project is allowed up to five concessions and incentives, plus an unlimited number of waivers for town standards, Danforth said.

The applicant requested a waiver for five of the town’s development standards. Town zoning allows for a 50-foot-high building, but the plan calls for 72 feet. Commissioner Daniel Kenney asked if the building’s elevation could be lowered to reduce the overall height.

The project is in a flood plain, and Corte Madera requires the finished floor to be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation of 10 feet. The project is elevated 13 feet to plan for sea-level rise.

The developer also asked for no stepback, whereas the zoning requires any level above the third floor to be set back by 10 feet. Keith Labus of KTGY Architecture said this requirement would eliminate the equivalent of 24 affordable apartments from the project, making it infeasible.

The developer asked for one concession — a town requirement to have electric vehicle chargers in parking spaces. Other requested waivers include having retaining walls taller than 4 feet and supplying only 37 bike parking spaces instead of one per residence.

Boshoer said reducing bike parking does not align with the town’s climate goals, and asked if bike sharing programs will be part of the project. She also asked about the building’s energy plan.

“We’re trying to provide a little bit more options for people to have more environmental impact for our town, and it seems like we’re pedaling back with this particular approach,” Boshoer said. “I would highly encourage if we can somehow revisit that.”

Battaglia said the developer is proposing a 100% electric building, but it would use natural gas for heating water.

Amy Lyle, the town’s community development director, said staff are always looking for bike sharing opportunities. She advised waiting until the project’s environmental review is completed to determine if bike sharing programs could be a mitigation measure.

Boshoer also asked how the plan to remove 42 trees on the site will affect the town’s carbon emission goals, and if the replacement trees will be mature enough to provide shade and carbon offsetting.

Battaglia said the developer plans to plant 101 trees that are larger. She added that some of the removed trees would be “undesirable species” like Monterey pines, but others include eucalyptus and cedar gums.

“I understand that our hands are tied in many respects, but this is a project that’s very difficult to support,” Kenney said.

The project will return to the Planning Commission for a public hearing, likely this spring, according to Battaglia.