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Supervisor’s Corner - Spring 2019 Damon Connolly, District 1 Supervisor415-473-7331, We have convened a problem-solving process toaddress the increasingly frequent flooding of SanPedro Road through China Camp State Park. Thiseffort is a collaboration between the California Department of Parks and Recreation (owner of ChinaCamp State Park), the County of Marin (responsible for the shorelineroad through the park), the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve “NERR” (of which China Camp State Park is a component),and numerous end users, permitting agencies and stakeholders. At thetable as well are representatives from the Pt. San Pedro Road peninsulaand Santa Venetia. Mark Wallace and Gina Hagen have been activeparticipants in the process as Santa Venetia residents.The shoreline road through China Camp floods several times a year atparticular times of high tide. It is anticipated that the severity of floodingwill increase with sea level rise. The road is the only means of ingressand egress that connects the two communities at either end of the StatePark, and thus serves as a critical local and regional emergency accesscorridor while also providing the only vehicular access to state parkfacilities and entrance gates.Adapting this road for sea level rise resiliency, marsh ecological integrity, public use, and public safety is critical. NERR obtained a grant tofacilitate this collaborative adaptation planning process which bringstogether landowners and managers, key decision makers, local publicsafety authorities, residents of neighboring communities, and parkrecreational users. The goal is to develop and evaluate a suite of possiblesolutions and to lay out the path to move forward.The challenge is to identify short term solutions that keep the road openand provide for tidal exchange that are financially feasible and that donot stand in the way of longer-term solutions. Beyond maintaining afunctioning road, our goals include:»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»Enhancing tidal exchange between bay-side and interior marshesImproving ecological condition of interior marshesAvoiding impacts to threatened and endangered speciesEnhancing fire roads and trails at China Camp State ParkConsidering non-motorized access pathwaysAddressing need for parkingProtecting and enhancing watershed and riparian areaUtilizing local watershed sediment supply to the extent it exists andis possible»» Determining the design life of short term and longer-term solutionsbased on predictions of sea level rise.We anticipate that we will be able to attract funding showing multibenefit solutions; that is, a road that remains free of flooding duringincreasingly high tides and at the same time allows for increased tidalexchange between the bayside and inland marshlands. Short term solutions include replacing and maintaining the culverts, raising the level ofthe roadway at flood-prone locations and maintaining the right of way.Longer term solutions for the road are being identified for study. We willkeep you apprised as this process continues. We have the right parties atthe table and our elected officials at the state and federal levels are veryinterested in what we are doing.Visit the SNVA Website: www.thesvna.orgBack issues of the Communicator newsletter, Activities,Personalities, Membership, CalendarSVNA Community Meeting PastJanuary 29, 2019 Catherine LagardeFor a change of pace, our “big” annual meeting of January was held at theOsher Marin JCC this year. The venue was very comfortable and workedperfectly for our meeting. The meeting was well-attended with overfifty neighbors in attendance. First, we had a few announcements fromneighbors. Gina Fromer, our neighbor on La Brea, announced that on thesecond Saturday of the month at around 1:00 - 1:30pm she will set outfree food for neighbors to partake.Supervisor Damon Connolly presented his state of the county address.He pointed out again that Santa Venetia is a unique neighborhood. Hethanked the SVNA for their constant vigilance and work on behalf of thecommunity and Linda Levey, in particular, for her excellent job puttingtogether the Communicator. This is his second term on the board, a boardthat he sees as well-functioning. He shared a lot of interesting and important info for the County in general and for Santa Venetia in particular.1st amendment platform The board invites youth from middle schooland high school to discuss policy initiatives. One of the topics is teensuicide. Damon also mentioned that the Board holds various workshopson capital improvement, jobs in community, to name a few.Housing The County has reached out to landlords to create partnershipto provide better access to housing for low income residents. The Countywill reimburse for loss of deposit or damage to the units. In 99.5% ofSection 8 housing, Damon remarked there has been no damage to theproperties. The County has 100 new participating landlords. The Countyalso offers no interest loans to improve the units. Landlords cannotdiscriminate based on income. There is a mandatory mediation programif the rent increases by more than 5% annually. It appears that the mediation program acts as a deterrent effect on rent increases. The unincorporated part of the county also has a just cause ordinance for evictions. TheCounty’s housing trust has increased to 4.1 million. Damon understandsthat Marin doesn’t want high occupancy building. There are two newprojects to follow: 130 units where the Sheraton Hotel is now located;the North Gate mall could also be an opportunity for mixed use including housing. State law helps to create accessory dwelling units, knownas JADU that allows owners to rent rooms in their houses. Damon finallycautioned against CASA (Committee to House the Bay Area) which wouldimpose regional standard to increase housing. The new regional housingagency with 1.5 billion in tax revenues would undermine local land usecontrol by permitting high-density housing near ferry, rail and bus stop.Homelessness/ Mental Health In partnership with the City of San Rafael,the County started project Housing First which provides wrap aroundservices to the homeless. The County wants to take care of the most vulnerable homeless first. Since jail has become de facto mental health care,the County has decided to increase the number of mental health workersat the jail. Laura’s Law can bring a person before a judge to force them totake medications. This law is not widely used but is a good motivator.Medical and recreational cannabis The County recognizes the impactof cannabis stores on neighborhoods. We went from four physical locations to a delivery only model. There is a lottery for four slots for deliveryonly, but the locations remain to be determined.5G technology Supervisors Rodoni and Connolly sit on a subcommittee looking into the 5G issue as there are a lot of concerns regarding thehealth impact of this technology. The County joined a federal lawsuitagainst the FCC to protect the public to the greatest extent. The 1998communication plan needs to be updated.Our neighbor Maggi Garloff encouraged neighbors to look at Physicians for Safe Technology https://mdsafetech.org and Scientists for WiredTechnology http://scientists4wiredtech.com . Under the current law, localcommunities are preempted from challenging the placement of antennas. The harm from EMF radiation has been kept under wrap according toopponents to the technology.Transportation Thanks to Measure AA and Regional Measure 3, fundscontinued on page 5S V N A C O M M U N I C A T O R M A R C H / A P R I L 2 01 9 3

ten-Land Use Update 2019Be Proactive, Not ReactiveConcerned about development? Here’s where you canfind the scoop about what’s happening in your ‘hood’.(Keep an eye on the online forums for up-to-the-minute information.)This is a list of current and ongoing projects that we are aware of in SantaVenetia. Now is the time to get involved, before the projects are approved, not after. If you have an interest in the outcome of any of thesebuilding projects, and you should, please contact the SVNA Land UseCommittee (SVNA@santavenetia.org) and/or the appropriate parties.Speak now or forever hold your peace!“North San Rafael” projects – Visit http://tinyurl.com/NSR-Proj to reviewopen projects in North San Rafael (or other areas). You can subscribe tothis page and get updates whenever there is a new project in our area (orin all of Marin!)5G Installations – There have been lots of discussions and news aboutthe proposed 5G Installations with many areas banning these until morestudies can be done regarding the effects on our health. SVNA Contact: Maggi Garloff, 415-295-7785, maggi@maggigarloff.com (see articlepage 10)Buck’s Landing / Launching – January 2019 News from Supervisor DamonConnolly: “The County and other parties are in the final stages of negotiating a potential agreement that would end the litigation concerningeasement rights on Buck’s Landing. If the litigation is resolved as anticipated, the County is hoping to acquire the property within the next sixmonths, and is planning to fund the potential acquisition of the propertywith a combination of Measure A funds and Prop 68 funds from the state.”The purchase will include the lands across NSPR, abutting Heron Hill, willprovide public access to Gallinas Creek, and includes plans for restoringhabitat. For more information: http://tinyurl.com/yays9lgz CountyContact: Supervisor Damon Connolly, DConnolly@marincounty.org SVNA Contact: SVNA@santavenetia.orgDevelopment Code Amendments 2019 – The Board of Supervisors adopted an extensive set of amendments to the Marin County DevelopmentCode at their 3/12/19 meeting, updating and establishing zoning andsubdivision regulations in the unincorporated areas of Marin County. Formore information: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4ne9v or watch the video here:https://tinyurl.com/y2gn97pv (item 16) County Contact: PlannerJeremy Tejirian, 415-473-7880, JTejirian@marincounty.orgChina Camp Road Flooding – The SVNA submitted a letter of support andtwo of our Board Members, Gina Hagen and Mark Wallace, are participating in the collaboration between the California Dept or Parks and Rec,County of Marin, The SF Bay NERR, and others in an effort to “Identify andEvaluate Sea Level Rise Adaptation Options to Solve Road Flooding inChina Camp State Park”.Gallinas Creek Dredging – CSA #6 continues to plan for a geomorphicdredge of lower Gallinas Creek in 2019 to provide conveyance for boatingand other recreational purposes. SVNA Contact: Ellen Stein,sfskyway@hotmail.com. County Contact: Roger Leventhal, 415-473-3249,RLeventhal@marincounty.org (see article page 7)Gallinas Watershed Program – The 2017 Final Gallinas Watershed ProgramReport; including watershed descriptions, comments, summaries, andAppendices can be viewed here: https://tinyurl.com/ybgllj2d . To see aplethora of information – including agendas, minutes, reports, videos,etc. – visit: https://tinyurl.com/yazhzfur SVNA Contact: Russ Greenfield, rgmxman@gmail.com. County Contact: Laurie L. Williams, Senior4 S V N A C O M M U N I C AT O R M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 9Planner/Watershed GIS, LWilliams@marincounty.org.Marin County Open Space (MCOSD) Road and Trail Management Plan –For their 2018-2019 Road and Trail Projects, MCOSD is updating Designations for the Marin County Road and Trail System. Region 5 includes fiveopen space preserves, three in our area: San Pedro Mountain (includingHeron Hill), Santa Margarita Island, and Santa Venetia Marsh. For mapsand more information, Visit https://tinyurl.com/ybvxsk2fMarin Jewish Community Campus (JCC) Design Review and Use PermitAmendment – After taking into consideration feedback from County andcommunity members about their Pre-Application, the Marin JCC has fileda scaled-down Application with the County. Current plans include replacing and expanding the Synagogue and Aquatic Center and additions toBrandeis Marin K-8 School and Early Childhood Education Center. Visithttps://tinyurl.com/y5wq4jm5 to review the Transmittal, Plans, ArboristReport (63 trees were evaluated, 52 will be removed), and ConditionalUse Permit Application. SVNA Contact: SVNA@santavenetia.org.County Contact: Project Planner Immanuel Bereket, IBereket@marincounty.org, 415-473-2755.McInnis Marsh Restoration Project – Marin County Parks, in partnership with the Las Gallinas Sanitary District and the Marin County FloodControl and Water Conservation District, is proposing to restore subtidal and intertidal habitat at McInnis Marsh, an 180 acre area of dikedwetlands located within Marin County’s McInnis Park. Watch this video tounderstand why you should show up to the (4/20/19, 1pm) Public Meeting: https://tinyurl.com/yc62wpkx More information can be found here:http://tinyurl.com/k5kko6x and http://tinyurl.com/ms8hxg4 SVNAContact: Russ Greenfield, rgmxman@gmail.com. County Contact:James Raives, Senior Open Space Planner, JRaives@marincounty.org. (seearticle page 7)McPhail’s/MacPhail’s School Site – Good News from Supervisor DamonConnolly in January 2019: “Finally, we have something to report! Superintendent Michael Watenpaugh reports that the San Rafael City SchoolsBoard has directed exploration of a joint agency occupancy agreementwith WildCare and some educational use. This exploration period shouldbe around 6 months. Following that, a public process will be opened toshare more specific plans and get input.” If you are interested in beinginvolved, apprised, and/or updated as to the status of this property, contact McPhail@santavenetia.org to be added to our email distribution list. SVNA Contact: Linda Levey, linda@santavenetia.org. SRCS Contact:Christina Perrino, cperrino@srcs.org, 415-492-3576. (see article page 11)Oxford Valley Site – The owners of the Oxford Valley Parcel are requestingDesign Review approval to construct a new 12,112-square foot singlefamily residence with detached 3,056-square foot garage and variousother structures (barn, caretaker’s cottage, and writer’s cabin) totaling2,540-square feet. Proposed maximum heights above grade for the structures vary – the maximum is 39.7 feet for the main residence. The projectwould result in the removal of 14 protected coast live oak trees. For moreinformation and to view the plans, visit https://tinyurl.com/ybhv2sga SVNA Contact: SVNA@santavenetia.org. Owner: Jim Higgins, oxfordvalleyfarm@gmail.com, 415-949-8005. County Contact: Project PlannerChristine Gimmler, CGimmler@marincounty.org, 415-473-6285San Pablo Avenue, 70 - Use Permit - Ligaya Day Services – This Project hasbeen approved. According to the County site, the applicant requestedUse Permit approval to allow an adult day care facility. The adult day careservice will provide a day program to serve adults with intellectual anddevelopmental disabilities within an existing 3,300 square foot tenantspace. There are no changes proposed to the exterior of the building.For more information: https://tinyurl.com/yddxy5el SVNA Contact:SVNA@santavenetia.org. County Contact: Project Planner Lorraine Weiss,LWeiss@marincounty.org, 415-987-3057.San Rafael Airport – MOU & Levees – The County negotiated (finalized9/18/18) a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the San RafaelAirport to address three issues: Resolution of conflicting boundaryinformation, Long-term maintenance for the levees that surround theAirport, and Planning for future potential restoration of the land east ofthe runway. The document also outlines an interim plan for maintainingportions of the levees and channel along Gallinas Creek. For more information, visit: https://tinyurl.com/ybwvv6m2 SVNA Contact: SVNA@santavenetia.orgContinued on page 5

San Rafael Airport: Soccer Complex/Recreational Facility –The projectis moving forward. It is currently anticipated that all construction forthe recreational facility will be completed by late 2019/early 2020.Visit: http://tinyurl.com/y8qkh5ut for the project description and moreinformation . SVNA Contact: SVNA@santavenetia.org. San Rafael CityContact: Raffi Boloyan, Raffi.Boloyan@cityofsanrafael.orgSan Rafael Fire DepartmentStation 57 – Here are linksfor the most recent (1/2019)update and to monthlyupdates on the new CivicCenter Fire Station. Alsodetailed lighting plans andother specs:https://tinyurl.com/y54zhqpz l5azaeSunny Oaks/NSPR Development Project Watch – This project application has expired and is no longer listed on the County pages. We will doour best to keep an eye out on this property for future applications. SVNA Contact: SVNA@santavenetia.org.As usual, we are short on space. For more information, view past newsletters or contact us on our website, www.thesvna.org.CSA #18 Parks - News & Updates Gina Hagen, Advisory Board ChairThe Little Free Library (LFL) will be installed at Candy’s Park sometimesoon, weather permitting. Thanks to Jo Ann Schreiber and family forhelping bringing the idea of a LFL to life at Candy’s Park, and for Jo Ann’songoing support as a “steward”.New signage for our parks is “on the ready”, waiting to be installed,weather permitting.Expect improvements to the entryway at Adrian Rosal Park–including aseating wall, game table and new landscaping–to come in 2019.Marin County Parks is conducting a survey about our parks and wantsto know what YOU think! Data gathered will help guide future planningand budget recommendations. If you have a few minutes to completethe survey, please go to: http://marinparkssurvey.comThe Municipal Service Review or MSR process is currently underway withLAFCo and the boundaries of CSA #18 are under review. There was alively discussion about this issue at the CSA #18 Advisory Board meeting2/26/19. Stay tuned for more info.Santa Venetia Neighbors HelpingNeighbors (aka SVNHN) Sue Ann Anderson, santavenetianhn@gmail.comWe are a group of friends, all longtime Santa Venetia residents, with thecommon goal of giving back to our community! Santa Venetia NeighborsHelping Neighbors (SVNHN), not to be confused with the Santa VenetiaNeighbor Association (SVNA), was formed in February 2009. We haveat least one yard sale a year, usually on Meadow Drive, to raise funds tohelp with the needs of our Santa Venetia community. Your purchases anddonations have enabled us to:»» Give 1 to 2 annual TLHS scholarships to a Santa Venetia graduate(s)»» Donate funds & school supplies to Venetia Valley School»» Assist families through the Adopt-a-Family program»» Provide gift baskets & gift cards at Christmas time to those in need»» Offer school supplies & treats for children from our Spin-A-Wheelbooth at the past Santa Venetia Labor Day Picnics»» Give away mistletoe in front of Santa Venetia Market & Post Office»» Provided meals to women at a local homeless shelterOur group has learned that working together all of us can make a BIGdifference in our world. This shared experience has strengthened ourfriendships and has reinforced the power of community in all of us!SVNA Community Meeting Past–January 2019continued from page 3can be used for the 101 to 580 connector and to relocate the transit center in San Rafael. Damon reminded us that Senate Bill 1 to repeal gas taxwas outvoted. This gas tax provides crucial funding for Marin (about 8million per year). Damon would like to improve travel through the Richmond bridge corridor by opening a third eastbound lane. Damon alsonoted that the bike pilot cost about 27 million. Damon is encouragingthe public to rally around this issue. SMART will be extended to LarkspurLanding by the end o

the door prize (must be an SVNA member to qualify). We are look-ing forward to a good showing to welcome our neighbors! The Easter Bunny is Coming! The Easter Bunny is Coming! 24th Annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 13 Once again, James A. Walsh Real Estate and the SVNA will sponsor this year's egg-citing Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Castro Field Park.