The planning stage for the Multi-Use Pathway (MUP) Phase-II, extending from 2nd Street to Rice Drive, is continuing forward. The pathway is along Francisco Boulevard West. It will connect the recently completed MUP Phase-I from Rice to Andersen Drive with downtown and the Bettini Transit Center. The existing 4-foot wide sidewalk will be expanded to...
The San Rafael Sanitation District is nearing the completion of two sewer mainline improvement projects: the 2018 Sewer Pipe Repair & Replacement Project and the Forbes Avenue Sewer Improvements Project. The District’s contractor, D’Arcy & Harty Construction, has been installing the new sewer pipelines since April of this year. Together, these projects have replaced over...
The San Rafael Sanitation District completed the design for the rehabilitation of the South Francisco Pump Station, located on Francisco Boulevard East. The project is currently out to bid. The mandatory Pre-Bid Walk at the Pump Station is scheduled for September 12th, allowing potential bidders to view the station. The building will be demolished and...
The Department of Public Works just received a delivery of three, brand new Chevy Duramax HD6500 dump trucks. These new dump trucks replace the 18-year-old International 4700 dump trucks that Public Works previously owned. The new Chevy Duramax’s are much more fuel-efficient, have more power, and have a larger load capacity (6 yards compared to...
The City of San Rafael will have its second Fire Station project completed soon! The new Fire Station 57 will become an integral part of the community and will allow our Fire Department to maintain their commitment to the residents of San Rafael. Fire Department personnel have started to receive training on the various new...
SMART has made great progress towards completing railroad crossing tests and will soon begin testing train control systems. The next overnight testing sessions are scheduled for: Friday, September 6, 11:00 p.m. to Saturday, September 7, 8:00 a.m. Saturday, September 7, 11:00 p.m. to Sunday, September 8, 8:00 a.m. As a part of the testing process, you may...
The City of San Rafael (City) hereby requests proposals from qualified consultants for the preparation of contract documents for both the Schoen Park Modifications and Rotary Manor Culvert Replacement projects. It is the intent of the City to hire a qualified consultant who can facilitate environmental compliance and permitting clearance, design, and construction support services...
San Rafael, CA – Chief of Police Diana Bishop invites community participation in these specially designed meetings to allow neighborhoods and police to discuss specific neighborhood issues and to engage in the problem-solving process. Residents and businesses are encouraged to attend the meeting in their district as outlined below. Each session will be facilitated by Chief...
This past Saturday, August 24, the Firefighter Recruit Academy 19 held a graduation ceremony to celebrate the completion of six weeks of Firefighter/Paramedic training. Our fire academies are designed to acclimate new Firefighter/Paramedic recruits to operations in San Rafael and elsewhere in Marin County. Recruits are trained to perform firefighting and medical skills at a...
San Rafael has a long history of leading efforts to proactively address the risks associated with wildfire. Despite our best local prevention efforts, wildfires do not respect jurisdictional boundaries. Given the changing climate and increased risk of wildfires, and taking into consideration the widespread impact that wildfires can have across Marin County, we have been...
Back in August 2018, the City Council was presented with an informational report on the state of housing in San Rafael. In response to that housing report, the City Council directed staff to follow-up on four, specific housing topics and issues. One of these four topics/issues was to identify what changes could be made to facilitate housing...
This past June, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury issued a report entitled Marin’s Telecommunications Disconnect regarding telecommunications-related activity in Marin County. The report focuses on the role and responsibility of the Marin Telecommunications Agency (MTA), a countywide joint powers authority that was established in 1998 to to negotiate, collect, and disburse cable TV franchise fees and Public, Education and Government...
Did you know? Thousands of income-eligible PG&E customers could save up to 20 percent or more on their monthly energy bill by enrolling in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program. The CARE program gives income-qualified households discounts on their energy bills, but thousands of eligible customers are not signed...
In preparation for the threat of wildfire, PG&E has launched a robust weather webpage to better predict when a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) is likely to occur. The PSPS Potential Forecast will provide an instantaneous sense of what’s going on and what’s ahead. The forecast encompasses nine geographic regions of PG&E’s service area (we’re in Region 3) and...
As part of its efforts to prepare customers and communities for the growing threat of wildfire, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has launched a robust weather webpage on pge.com, providing detailed, localized forecasts. Of special note, the page offers a seven-day, look-ahead regional forecast updated daily by a PG&E meteorologist or fire scientist that indicates the potential...
Please be advised that SMART intends to resume overnight testing on Friday, August 30, and continue through Sunday, September 1, between 9:30 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Regular updates on the testing schedule will be posted on SonomaMarinTrain.org as they become available. According to SMART, railroad crossing warning devices and train control systems along the new extension from San...
SMART is getting closer to opening its extension to Larkspur and will begin testing the train control and railroad crossing warning systems along the newly constructed portion of track from San Rafael to Larkspur. Track testing will take place on track segments between Mission Ave and Larkspur. The overnight testing will take place between 9:30...
Although we are enjoying this beautiful summer weather, it’ll be autumn before we know it, and the rains will return. The Public Safety Center project team is making sure they are prepared for the rains. This includes ensuring the building envelope is water-tight. The roof installation has started in some areas and will continue for...
On August 14, 2019, PG&E contractors began work associated with the maintenance of an existing groundwater extraction and treatment system, located primarily on the southern parcels of the BioMarin campus at the San Rafael Corporate Center. The system is part of the remedy for the 17-acre former manufactured gas plant/San Rafael Service Center site. Work...
Bret Harte Park experienced a major upgrade with the new restroom building that was installed this year. However, some issues were brought to light after the community started to use it. The toilet kept plugging up due to the shape of the Penal-style toilet. These types of toilets have drainage pipes with smaller diameters due...
The Parks Department is currently pruning along Las Collindas Avenue in Terra Linda. Pruning consists of trimming trees by cutting away dead or overgrown branches in order to stimulate growth. Work is expected to wrap up this week.
SMART has completed the bulk of their construction project to bring the SMART trains from central San Rafael to Larkspur. In the course of this “second operating segment”, SMART contractors rebuilt the entire track, spent two consecutive weekends crossing Second and Third Streets, replaced the bridge that crosses the San Rafael Creek with two brand...
The Terra Linda Community pool encountered some excitement this past week. Apparently, someone was running a little late for a bridge tournament when they mistakenly pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake and drove through the pool fencing. Fortunately, the pool was closed at the time and no one was hurt when the incident...
*This post has been edited to include the scheduled Design Review Board and Planning Commission meeting dates (edit 9/30/2019) Costco has applied for a “Pre Application and Conceptual Design Review” for their proposal to demolish the existing multi story Sears building along with the two out buildings (former Sears catalog building and automotive center building)...
*This post has been edited to include the scheduled public meetings for conceptual design review (edit 9/9/2019) The information below outlines the steps taken by an applicant in the Community Development Review Process. For more information about the Costco project visit the Project webpage and read our article about the Costco Pre Application and...
Spontaneous Combustion of Oily Rags Yesterday, the San Rafael Fire Department responded to an accidental fire caused by “spontaneous combustion.” The department has responded to over a dozen fires over the past several years that were caused by improper disposal of materials used to stain or paint decks or furniture. The property damage in yesterday’s...
With PG&E’s plans to shut down power at vulnerable times during high fire season, residents and business owners alike are gearing-up to prepare for power loss over extended periods--and some folks are considering using portable generators. Here is some general information that is good to know: Portable generators that use fossil-fuels (i.e., gasoline, diesel) are...
I’m saddened to share with you that our former City Clerk, Jeanne Leoncini, passed away on Sunday, August 11, 2019. She served as the City Clerk for 30 years, from 1977 to 2007--and was a long-time San Rafael resident who dedicated herself to serving our community. Jeanne was a true public servant: she thoughtfully considered...
At Monday’s meeting, the City Council will present a proclamation to recognize former Planning Commissioner Jack Robertson, who recently retired after having served on the Planning Commission for nearly eight years. During his tenure on the Planning Commission, Jack contributed to the long-range planning of the City through his participation in the review and action...
Also at Monday’s meeting, the City Council will hold a public hearing to consider approving changes to our Burglar/Fire Alarm Ordinance, which establishes an alarm permit/registration system and sets associated fees. The goal is to address the insufficiencies of the current program and design the service so that it is smooth for all parties involved....
