Marinwood Association

On Wednesday, September 30th the Marinwood Association convened to discuss future plans.

Present:
Walter Dods, President
Bruce Anderson, Vice President
Denise Castellucci, new Boardmember
Kel Harris, Safe Routes to Schools

Walter opened the meeting stressing the importance of letting residents know that the planned October 14th meeting with a Grady Ranch presentation by Lucas Film has been canceled and needs to be rescheduled before the Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays. It is important that in regards to the Grady Ranch plans that the community has a forum to voice their concerns. Marin county recently asked Lucas to spend an additional 400k and is impacting their time table to speak with the community.

James “Jamie” Shaw, a member of the community who lives on Cedarberry is running against the incumbents of the Las Gallinas Sanitary District. While the Association does not endorse any candidates, we wanted to acknowledge that one of our own is participating in local government. People are encouraged to contact Jamie with questions at jameshshaw@sbcglobal.net.

Bruce brought up a need for a permanent sign that is a closed letter board to post information on meetings and events. The board could be shared by the CSD as well and can be an alternative to the sandwich boards. We are going to research the cost of such a sign and see if the CSD can contribute.

Denise asked about the size of the Membership list and found that there is about 400 people on the list. Walter pointed out the need for us to acknowledge each membership contribution with a thank you with contact information of the board and website address. This membership list needs to be made available. Speaking of website address, we need to have a sign that moves around the community promoting the website: marinwoodassociation.org.

Bruce introduced the topic of a Spring Fundraiser which would be a Garden & Art Tour with 5 gardens and 5 artists. Bruce offered his garden as one of the five. He knows of several artists as well who may want to participate. The date for this event is to be determined.

Another event to coordinate will be Spring Community Day which would be scheduled either before or after the Dixie District Spring Break. Possible dates would be the weekend of April 3rd, or the weekend of April 24th. Spring Community Day would enable local organizations to have a table to do outreach to the community. Organizations like the Lions Club, CERT, Sheriff’s office, Marinwood CSD, DYSO, Little League, Marinwood Fire, Watershed Stewards, Boy and Girl Scouts, Rotary Club, Safe Routes to Schools, Marin Bike Coalition, Waterdevils, Waldorf, Marin Day School, Marin Formative, Oakview School, Marinwood and San Rafael Mothers Clubs, and any other non-profits that serve the community.

The October 14th Association meeting could have a presentation from the Marin Energy Authority to explain to residents what they are doing and discussion Community Choice Aggregation. We are still trying to get a representative to come.

In past years, the Association has hosted Dumpster Day, where residents can take their large greens, wood boards, old furniture and dump it in a large dumpster. Given the state of our financial resources we may need help paying for the dumpster. We could contact someone who can also recycle electronics and computer parts. Kel brought up Dumpster Day could be combined with the Spring Community Day, where you can bring your dumpster fodder, grab a glass of wine and learn about the resources of our community.

The last Sunday afternoon-evening of the Month there is a Sunday Supper Jam at the Howard Council Community Center or the Marinwood Community Center.

The next CSD Meeting will be October 13th.

Kel Harris notified us that the sidewalk on Huckleberry now has access to the multiuse path on Lucas Valley.

First, I would like to thank everybody who came out to our Annual Marinwood Association meeting on September 9th, and especially those who paid their annual dues or became members for the first time. This is one of the things that makes Marinwood such a special place to live… our neighbors. The level of civic participation and care for the community exhibited by Marinwood residents never fails to impress.

I also want to quickly mention that the debate planned for the upcoming CSD Board election has been cancelled. Eugene Elliot has decided not to run, and that leaves just two candidates for the two open seats. You an read a bit more over at the Independent Journal.

We had a great meeting with a number of interesting topics. Our newest director, Denise Castellucci has an updated play-by-play report of the meeting available on the Marinwood Association Facebook page.

If you have not yet paid your annual dues, or you would like to become a member of the Marinwood Association, you can do so here: Join the Marinwood Association

Hi all,

At the request of a number of Marinwood Association members we are providing a ballot prior to the September 9th Marinwood Association meeting for those that wish to vote and pay their dues early. www.marinwoodassociation.org/Ballot2009.doc Please understand that at this time there are only four names on the ballot as no one else has indicated a willingness to run for the open director position. By voting early you will not get a chance to vote for anyone that comes to the meeting that night and wishes to serve our community.

Early voting is provided as connivance for those not planning to attend the meeting and still wishing to have their voice heard and their dues collected. As the time is near, please mail your ballot and dues to Geoff as soon as possible. Only those votes received by Geoff by Wednesday’s mail delivery will count. That means if you want to take advantage of this offer you probably have to mail you ballot by Saturday, September 5 to be certain it is received.

We apologize that you do not have more time but this was a last minute decision based on some inquires from our membership to provide them the opportunity to vote by proxy.

Bruce Anderson

Vice President

The Marinwood Association’s Progress Marinwood program is scheduled for September 9, 2009 at 7:30 at the Marinwood Community Center. You will have the opportunity to hear from our County Supervisor about the county’s response plans for the H1N1 flu virus that is expected to strike this fall. In addition, Supervisor Adams will bring us up to date on other activities within Marin County District one.

You have probably noticed new “striping” on Miller Creek Avenue allowing for a bike lane? One person who put in a lot of time and effort to get that lane is Kel Harris. Kel will tell us about those new lanes on Miller Creek and Las Gallinas along with some other future plans to make safer routes in Marinwood and along Lucas Valley Road. Kel will also talk about the very successful if unsightly (think orange cones) traffic calming that occurred earlier this year.

For you creek lovers, Rachael Kammen will tell us about the Miller Creek Watershed Stewards and the efforts to preserve and protect Miller Creek.

There is much more. This is a wonderful chance to learn about your community.

This is a free information meeting provided by the Marinwood Association. For over 30 years the Marinwood Association has been your local non-profit community organization. We are not a homeowners association; we are an association of home dwellers and local businesses here in greater Lucas Valley. If you live or work or have an interest in Marinwood you are considered a member. The Association is mainly supported by voluntary annual dues of $10 per membership. Only current paid-up members may vote in elections. You may pay your dues at the meeting. There is no charge for this meeting.

We hope to see you at the meeting.

The Marinwood Association invites you to a general meeting of the community, Progress Marinwood. The meeting is scheduled for September 9, 2009 at 7:30pm at the Marinwood Community Center.

Progress Marinwood is an evening to inform you of a number of community topics. We will have an election of officers of the Marinwood Association after some opening remarks by Association President Walter Dods and a treasurer’s report by Association Treasurer Geoff Mack.

Supervisor Susan Adams will bring us up to date on the county budget and other items affecting Marin County District one. Kel Harris, chair of the Marinwood Safer-routes committee, will make a presentation regarding the progress his committee is making towards creating safer streets in Marinwood. One of our neighbors in the “Berries”, Jennifer Brooke will discuss the steps taken by the “Neighberries” to deter crime. Tom Horne, the Marinwood CSD District Manager, will inform us our local CSD financial status. Geoff Mack will give a short introduction to the Lucas Films project at Grady Ranch. This is a prelude to a community meeting scheduled for October 14, 2009 where Lucas Films has agreed to present the Grady Ranch project and take questions and comments from our entire community.

We will receive an update regarding the Marinwood Plaza. Bruce Anderson, Marinwood Association Vice President and a Marinwood CSD Director will discuss the effort underway at the CSD to review and possibly increase the powers granted to it.

Finally there will be an opportunity to meet the three candidates for the two open positions on the Marinwood CSD Board of Directors. The candidates, Bruce Anderson, Gene Elliot and Leah Green will introduce themselves and be available for a couple of questions. This is not a debate just an introduction of the candidates.

Please plan to attend Progress Marinwood. It is an excellent opportunity to learn about your community.

You can help increase awareness of the meeting by printing and distributing this flyer to your neighbors.
general-meeting-2009-flyer

We have new momentum in our quest to create a shopping village on the old Marinwood Plaza property.

With a goal of February 2009, the Marinwood Village Collaborative (Members listed below) will build on the results of the successful community planning process to finalize a detailed development plan and engineering study for the site along with pedestrian, bicycle and transit studies. One caveat - The contamination from previous dry cleaners may be more extensive then previously thought.

(more…)

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

You may have recently received some e-mails from the ” Marinwood Village Task Force.” These communications were neither authored nor authorized by the Marinwood Association.

The meeting mentioned in the e-mails and in flyers distributed in the community is not sponsored nor otherwise connected with the Association.

The Task Force appears to be an independent group. It is not affiliated with the Marinwood Association. So far as we know, it is not affiliated with the Marinwood CSD or the County.

The Marinwood Association is still committed to getting a market at the shopping center and continues to work with the County to that end.

We are currently seeking community volunteers for the next phase of the planning process. If you want to actively participate in this next phase, please review the document at http://marinwoodassociation.org/dce_scope.html and send us a note at DevelopmentCommittee@marinwoodassociation.org.

We will continue to keep you informed of any progress.

Walter K. Dods

Marinwood Association, President

Meet the new Developers

You are invited to attend a community update as part of the Marinwood Association’s annual meeting. You will hear directly from the new developers of the Marinwood plaza, Supervisor Susan Adams and others about the challenges and future plans affecting Marinwood.

Wednesday

January 30, 2008

7:30 pm

Marinwood Community Center

Attached is a flyer. Please help us distribute it to gain the widest possible audience. Download from here http://marinwoodassociation.org/MA%20Annual%20meeting%20flyer%20-1.doc

Print as many copies as you can and leave them for your neighbors or send an email to bruce@home2150.com if you are able to distribute some in your neighborhood and we will deliver a couple of hundred.

The Mariinwood CSD Board of Directors has taken the first steps in establishing a local development commission. The CSD Board voted to ask the Board President to form a working committee to determine how such a commission would be organized, how it would operate and what its areas of responsibility would be. The proposal approved by the board is to create a Marinwood CSD Development Commission based on the following guidelines:

Marinwood CSD Development Commission

Membership: 7 member public commission appointed by CSD Board of Directors

Support: CSD General Manager, senior staff, Legal counsel and consultants as necessary

Description: A Commission focused on the economic and physical development of Marinwood to meet monthly to conduct its business. The commission will report recommendations and activities to the Marinwood CSD Board at the CSD Board’s monthly meeting

Duties:

1. Review current and latent CSD powers and recommend any necessary changes to the board.
2. Serve as community representatives to the Marinwood Community planning process working in collaboration with the County Development Department and willing local developers. Initial focus will be Marinwood Village Center, St Vincent’s, Silviera Ranch and the Oakview developments.
3. Identify and track pursuit of grants and programs that could support the mission of the Marinwood CSD.

Your CSD board, by taking this first step is reacting to a set of challenges facing Marinwood. Visit our wiki  to read an expanded version of the challenges. These challenges include:

• creating safer routes for walking, biking and driving;
• protecting the Miller Creek watershed;
• preparing for a major emergency
• deterring an increase in crime;
• creating additional community space for activities;
• creating a vibrant shopping area that serves the community’s needs;
• creating opportunities for our local public workforce to live in the same community they work in;
• enhancing the appearance of our community;

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, of course Marinwood has a couple of major challenges in the pending litigation over a land slide and the pending negotiations with San Rafael to provide emergency services to San Rafael’s northern most reaches but the details of those issues are complicated and are being addressed by our elected officials. Other challenges may also come to mind, if so feel free to let the author know.

Many in our community are already involved in projects aimed at meeting these challenges. We are blessed with many intelligent, active volunteers in Marinwood. It will take more to meet all the challenges.

A few of the challenges can be met with the completion of a village center as described in the Marinwood Village Center concept document. That concept was developed in a facilitated process over a period of two years by a task force consisting of the property owner, the county development department and ten members of the community.

Some of the challenges can only be met through additional taxes or fees. Example: The Marinwood CSD has as a latent power the ability to provide surveillance services to its residents. If it chooses to implement that power the funding likely will include an assessed tax or fee component.

Some of the challenges can only be met if various county, state and national agencies participate. Example: The county public works department and Liz Lewis were instrumental in obtaining an $85,000 grant to form the Marinwood Watershed Stewards program and produce base-line documentation on the entire length of Miller Creek.

And to meet the challenges we will need the support of our County Supervisor. Example: The process of creating the Marinwood Village Concept was partially funded from Supervisor Adams’ community fund.

Some of the challenges can be met by outside assistance or grants. Example: The creation of a beautiful welcoming theme in the new traffic circle could be funded by an art grant.

The key is to have the right entity in place to ask for and accept the funds or assistance needed to meet these challenges. It is the goal of the new working committee to make sure Marinwood has that entity in place – a Marinwood CSD Development Commission.

Action Item

The formation committee needs to hear from you. What are your thoughts? Do you want to participate in the committee or the eventual commission? Contact the 2008 Marinwood CSD Board President, Bruce Anderson at 492-1699 or email bruce@home2150.com with your comments or just post them here for all to view.