Mayor Kate Colin listened to a packed room of people who voiced concerns and made many constructive suggestions about our community during the open dialogue “Listening Session” at the Falkirk Cultural Center on April 22 that we co-sponsored with the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods. Photos of the event and a list of topics discussed are below. A video of the listening session with Mayor Kate Colin is available here.
Topics brought up at the meeting:
1. Detrimental effect of tall buildings on the city, the health and safety of people and wildlife.
2. Starkweather Path lighting is disruptive to nature and residents during closed hours. Art panels are detrimental to the safety of the walkers and hikers. They are better suited to a safer place, perhaps near a museum. The trail needs to be repaved. It is unsafe.
3. Lack of street paving endangers the health and safety of bikers, especially on Pt San Pedro Road near Peacock Gap.
4. Create a historic preservation commission to report to the Planning Commission. It would weigh in on historic preservation issues, revisit the Downtown Precise Plan, reinvigorate historic designation and the historic survey.
5. Find a way to include the younger generation in city decision-making
6. Restriping of Pt San Pedro Road, create wider spaces for cyclists to protect them from large trucks
7. Street cleaning program is ineffective, cars need to be moved so that cleaners can reach curbs
8. Institute a permit parking program to bring stability and safety to neighborhoods
9. Nonprofits need public spaces to meet. BioMarin is no longer an option and other free spaces (such as community centers) are in high demand.
10. While we love the city, to the observer it seemed to lack a vision.
11. Low-income and students of color who are most vulnerable are underserved.
12. The City should pass a no-ICE policy
13. The Gold Hill area where a project is proposed: the developer is in arrears with payment. Consider cancelling the project. Look at the site as it exists before additional cars and buildings. Can fire engines maneuver the hills and turns effectively now?
14. Council district reps should have quarterly open houses, town halls.
15. Find “carrots” to encourage students to ride bikes to school, eliminating some unnecessary traffic and encouraging healthy habits. Palo Alto/Menlo Park have businesses underwrite $5 a ride which must be used in local businesses.
16. We need working class housing
17. Bellam traffic is terrible and any TAM improvements are years away. Put in timed traffic lights to keep things moving.
18. Put up story poles for high-rises.
19. The traffic from the west to the east of town is dangerous to people’s health.
20. Tree branches near stop lights must be routinely trimmed.
21. Suggest the creation of an advisory committee or council to address the issue of mitigating the impact of new high-rise buildings on birds and on light pollution.
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