In the United States, about 40% of the population lives near the coast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sea levels continue to rise about 1/8-inch every year and this rate is likely to increase. Some studies have estimated that by 2050, water levels could rise by one foot, and by 2100, it...
The Parks Department is in the middle of its busy summer pruning season. Pruning entails the trimming of trees by cutting away dead or overgrown branches in order to stimulate growth. The maintenance crews recently finished pruning the mile-long stretch of median islands on Las Gallinas Ave. The Parks crews will now be working on...
Following an 18-month long process of planning and construction, the Multi-Use Pathway from Andersen to Rice Drive is complete and open for public use! This is a vital link for bicyclists and pedestrians as it connects downtown San Rafael to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. It is Phase I of the SMART Larkspur Extension project and...
As part of the beautiful new Multi-Use Pathway (MUP) from Rice to Andersen Drive, a HAWK signal was installed at the intersection of the MUP and Rice Drive. HAWK actually stands for High-intensity Activated crossWalK (hey, we are not responsible for the name!). It provides a controlled midblock crossing for bicyclists and pedestrians utilizing the...
For the past year, Caltrans has been making progress to the highly anticipated bicycle-pedestrian pathway on Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (I-580). The 10-foot bi-directional pathway will be separated from traffic by a movable concrete barrier system, similar to the one installed on the Golden Gate Bridge. As a part of these improvements the bike path will...
Project Description: These two projects include installation of hot mix asphalt and/or micro-surfacing treatments at various locations throughout the City. This project also includes installation of American’s With Disability Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps, curb, gutter, and sidewalk. Curb ramps must be installed prior to resurfacing of streets per federal law. Project Status: Below is a list of roads that will potentially be...
Interested in serving on a board or commission? Serving on a board or commission is a rewarding way to be involved in, and of service to, your community. We are recruiting applicants for the Fire Commission. The Fire Commission consists of five members and two alternate members who advise and support the goals and objectives of...
The City Council met in June at a special meeting to interview applicants and make appointments to the Planning Commission and the Design Review Board (DRB). We received incredible applicants: seven for the Design Review Board and six for the Planning Commission. The City Council selected Stewart Summers and Samina Saude to serve on the Design...
On Monday night’s City Council Meeting the City Council expressed their sincere appreciation to AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (AmeriCorps NCCC) and to the members of the Pacific Region Green 2 Team for their service and dedication to wildfire prevention and vegetation management activities and their resulting contributions to the City of San Rafael. AmeriCorps NCCC...
The City Council will hold public hearings for the Baypoint Lagoons Landscaping and Lighting and the Point San Pedro Road Median Landscaping Assessment Districts. The proposed assessment for the Baypoint Lagoons Assessment District is $131.44 per parcel and supports the maintenance of various infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, storm drains, landscaping, lighting, the playground, and more....
The City Council will consider vacating a portion of Jacoby Street, a paper street that parallels Andersen Drive in southern San Rafael. A paper street is designated on a recorded document but is not necessarily constructed as a roadway, and can serve to allow utilities to provide services in a particular area. In this case, Jacoby Street...
In the 1960s the California Public Utilities Commission established a statewide utility undergrounding program to eliminate the concentration of overhead electric and telecommunication lines and wooden utility poles along major arterial streets, public areas of scenic value, and the downtown or civic center core. Funds to support this program are collected by utility companies,...
On May 9, 2019, the 2018-2019 Marin County Civil Grand Jury released a report that addresses rapidly growing youth tobacco use spurred by the emergence of electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes). In their report, the Grand Jury Report recommends a four-pronged approach to combat vaping: (1) Limit the availability of flavored tobacco; (2) Educate students, teachers and parents;...
Have you heard? We’re in the process of updating our General Plan, a guiding document that outlines the City’s vision, including policies for the future growth and conservation. It’s a state-mandated document and covers topics such as land use, transportation, housing, open space, conservation, community design, and safety. San Rafael’s current General Plan was adopted in...
At Monday’s meeting, the City Council will review and consider the City’s proposed budget for the new fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. The budget is the City’s fiscal plan that sets out anticipated revenues and expenditures for accomplishing a variety of municipal services over a one-year period. Basically,...
Work in Gerstle Park continues with the City completing the longest continuous stretch of new sidewalk yet at over 250 feet. In addition, two new ADA compliant curb ramps were installed next to Short Elementary School. These new curb ramps include the yellow dots which are called "raised truncated domes." Work is anticipated to be...
The Andersen to Rice Drive Multi-Use Pathway is inching towards completion. The last phase to install the SMART tracks next to the Multi-use Pathway is nearing its finish; however, the HAWK pedestrian traffic signaling still needs to be installed. SMART anticipates completing the track installation within the next few weeks and will start testing trains....
On Thursday, June 13th, Mayor Phillips, City staff, and project stakeholders descended on the newly opened pedestrian bridge to celebrate with a formal grand opening. The bridge is a long-awaited connection to east San Rafael communities and provides better accessibility for bicyclists and pedestrians. Approximately 40-50 residents, employees, and key stakeholders, including members of the...
Replacement of the Pickleweed Park play structures is on schedule. By the end of this week, both playground areas at Pickleweed Park will have been filled with engineered wood fiber. This will provide a safe, impact-cushioned play surface. On the week of June 24th, the contractor will be working on adding the final touches, including...
Land Systems Management is the City of San Rafael’s 2019 goat contractor. The goats are currently up on Robert Dollar Hill working (eating) their way towards the Falkirk Center. Afterwards, the goats will be covering other City open space from Terra Linda to Peacock Gap.
Interested in serving on a board or commission? Serving on a board or commission is a rewarding way to be involved in, and of service to, your community. We are recruiting applicants for two boards - Citizens Advisory Committee and the ADA Access Advisory Committee. Citizens Advisory Committee on Economic Development and Affordable Housing The Citizens...
**We are currently not accepting applications to paint utility boxes but will re-evaluate as budgeting and policy changes. Please check back here for any future updates.** Each year, the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce hosts a nine-month Leadership Institute, a leadership development program for professionals seeking to make a difference in their community, expand their network, and understand...
The San Rafael City Schools (SRSC) Board of Education recently appointed Jim Hogeboom as their Superintendent, effective July 1. Currently, Mr. Hogeboom is the Superintendent of the Novato Unified School District (NUSD), where he led the district of approximately 7,600 students for the past four years. He began his teaching career as a high school...
San Rafael City Schools (SRCS) is switching to by-trustee area elections (also known as district elections). Currently, Board members are elected in "at-large" elections, where each member is elected by voters throughout the District’s territory, including both the elementary and high school regions. Beginning in 2020, the SRCS Board of Education will be elected based...
Great news! The Marin Audubon Society was selected by the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority to receive a grant of up to $968,916 for the Tiscornia Marsh restoration and sea level rise adaptation project. The Tiscornia Marsh site covers 20 acres of tidal marsh and bay lands located north of East Canal Street. The marsh has experienced considerable erosion...
Our new Department of Digital Service and Open Government is preparing a Strategic Framework to define their vision, purpose, values, and areas of focus. The Strategic Framework will guide the new department in achieving its purpose: to make City services easy to use, and work for everyone. Please take our feedback survey (English / español) and let us know if you...
In response to the growing risk of wildfire across California, PG&E is enhancing their vegetation and safety work. Their focus will be on addressing vegetation that poses a higher potential for wildfire risk in high fire-threat areas as designated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). You may see PG&E vegetation management inspectors and contractors...
We’re in budget season! That means that over the next couple of City Council meetings, you’ll see budget-related items on the meeting agendas. For Monday’s meeting, the City Council will receive two-part report from City staff: the preliminary Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the Measure A - Open Space Work Plan. The CIP, which is...
On April 25, 2019, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury issued a report entitled Wildfire Preparedness: A New Approach relating to their evaluation of the impacts of wildfire to life and property in Marin County, including in San Rafael. In their report, the Grand Jury reviewed the conditions that make Marin County vulnerable to wildfire,...
