Marinwood Association

MONTHLY MEETING

The monthly Community Meeting for August will be held on Wednesday, the 24th, at 7:30 P.M.
The monthly meetings are held in the back classroom of the Marinwood Community Center. Several of the Community Reps who are working on the Marinwood Village Plan will be present to discuss the planning process and answer questions.

GROCERY STORE SURVEYS

The community survey will be used to help us persuade a grocery store to locate in our community.
We have printed up 1000 survey forms. Our goal is to survey residents from each of the streets within the larger community (Marinwood, Lucas Valley, Lucas Valley Estates, etc.). The survey takes a few minutes to complete. We need volunteers from each of the streets in the larger community to distribute and collect the surveys. The survey includes a cover letter which explains the reason for the survey.
The task of the volunteer is to distribute the survey to neighbors and keep a record of the street address numbers where each survey was delivered. We will provide you with a form for entering this information. Options for returning the survey are explained in the instructions. It is important that you return the address list where the surveys were delivered as this will allow us to verify that the survey reflects the views of the larger community. If you can help out by distributing surveys in your immediate neighborhood, please email your name, address and phone number to marinwoodplaza@comcast.net Please indicate how many survey forms you need. We will deliver the forms, cover letter, instructions and envelopes to your front door, just like Fed X.

WEST MARIN FARM TOUR

If you want to be on the list of residents who would like to participate in a tour of several West Marin Farms please email your name and phone number to marinwoodpolaz@comcast.net Helge Hellberg, Executive Director of Marin Organic, will be leading the tour.

CASA MARINWOOD

Our thanks to the Casa Marinwood Homeowners Association Board for their help in setting up an outreach meeting with the Casa Marinwood Community. The meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13th at 7 P.M. in the Casa Marinwood Community Room.
Four Community Reps will be present to discuss the Marinwood Village Planning Process with the residents of Casa Marinwood.
A special thanks to Board President, Jim Dunham and Board Secretary, Pat McCarthy who are making a special effort to be sure a flyer goes out to all the residents to announce the meeting. And thanks, yet again, to the three Casa Marinwood residents who have volunteered to distribute Market Surveys within the Casa Marinwood Community.

RESPONSE COMMENTS

MARKETING SURVEY

The Community Reps are conducting a market survey to help us recruit a grocery store for our new Village Center.
The survey is a one page document. We need residents to help distribute the survey. If you can help distribute the survey please contact us at marinwoodplaza@comcast.net and include your name and phone number and someone will get back to you. We will provide you with survey copies, return envelopes and explain what you should tell the residents who agree to participate in the survey.

We have a goal of 400 completed surveys. The community marketing survey is an important part of the process for recruiting a grocery store. Your help in distributing and collecting the surveys will get us closer to recruiting the right grocery store for our community.

MARIN FARM PRODUCTS

Recently, we met with Steve Quirt and Helge Hellberg. William is the Organic and Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator for the UC Cooperative Extension, Marin County. Helge is the Executive Director of Marin Organic, an organization which represents the Marin producers of organic products. The purpose of the meeting was to explore opportunities to establish an outlet for Marin farm products at the Marinwood Village Center. Steve and Helge extended an invitation to Marinwood residents to participate in a tour of some of the farms and process sites where the Marin brand is produced. The tour group is limited to 20 people. If you are interested in joining the tour please respond to marinwoodplaza@comcast.net and include your name and phone number. We will get back to you when a date for the tour has been established.

COMMENTS RESPONSES

August Update

This note is longer than usual. Please take the time to look at each subject as they are all important to our community.

We received the following note for publication:

“It is exciting to walk through Marinwood these days! I see newly painted houses, new windows, new fences, new retaining walls, new landscaping. I feel a renewed community spirit in the planning for a “Marinwood Village”. I continue to marvel at the beauty of our hills and open space. I also see something wrong with this otherwise lovely picture. It is the increasingly prevalent piles of stuff stacked on curbs with a hand lettered “FREE” sign propped next to it. These piles are appearing more and more frequently, and at some houses, regularly. I have seen used sinks, toilets, cans of old roofing tar and paint, furniture, appliances and boxes of obvious junk. When did this become acceptable in our neighborhood? It has not. Is this the image of our community we want to project? It is not. Although we do not have overly restrictive CC & R’s, we do have a sense of pride. Please do your part to maintain it”.

“Nancy Dods”

CC&R’s
In a recent newsletter we introduced the idea of possible CC&R enforcement within Marinwood. Some asked to have “CC&R enforcement” explained. The non-professional version is each property owner while closing title agreed to abide by a set of covenants, conditions and restrictions on the use of their property. The title company is supposed to provide a copy to the new property owner upon closing title. We will be posting copies of the CC&R’s that cover Marinwood on the www.MarinwoodAssociation.org web site as soon as we have copies. These CC&R’s were developed at the time our homes were constructed and contain information regarding items such as fence height, building height limits, structure to lot coverage limits and other items. Some items relate to appearance and cover such things as yard maintenance, storage of boats and trailers and exterior siding. Because there was no active local design review board a number of houses are in violation of the CC&R’s. Perhaps nothing can be done to fix these houses but current and future owners might appreciate guidance when contemplating changes to their houses. Guidance that allows the homeowner flexibility but insures community enhancing changes.

Recently I took a tour of the neighborhood with Catherine Munson owner of Lucas Valley Properties. She is a long-term resident and business owner living in Upper Lucas Valley. She has a deep appreciation of what must happen for a neighborhood to maintain its character and therefore its value. Through her eyes I was able to gain a glimpse of the possibilities for our community if we had an active design review board. We are seeking local residents interested in forming a Design review committee of Marinwood Association. Two people have already stepped up and said they want to participate – Do you?

CSD events
Upcoming events in Marinwood put together by the fine members of your Community Services District recreation department.

Movie Night in the Park – Friday, August 26, 8:30 pm in the park – “The Black Stallion” rated G.

Marinwood Flea market – Saturday Sept 10, 8:00am to 2:00pm in the park– Follow Nancy’s advice and don’t put it in on the curb bring it to the Flea Market

Children’s Toy and Clothing Sale – Saturday Oct 1, 10:00am to 4:00pm at the center

CSD looking for finance committee members
Have you seen the poster asking for volunteers for a finance committee to support your CSD board? Here is an opportunity for you to participate in local governance. We are facing a critical time over the next few years what with San Rafael canceling a fire protection agreement that provided much needed revenue and the State taking local funds the previous two years. This is an opportunity for you to help us make some of the hard decisions about ongoing expenses in the CSD. Submit a letter to Tom Horne, CSD District Manager with your desire to participate on the committee along with a short statement of what talents and/or experience you intend to bring to the committee.

Grocery store survey
Have you completed your survey yet? We need to get your response as soon as possible. We will be handing out copies of the survey around the neighborhood and at the plaza over the next few weeks. The results of which should help tremendously in attracting the “right” grocery store to the new village center. To get your copy click here.

“6th annual taste of Marin”
The following is posted at the request of Marin Organic
“The 6th annual “Taste of Marin”– September 9th, 6:30-9:30pm at St. Vincent’s in San Rafael

It’s time again to gather and celebrate Marin’s agricultural bounty by honoring the people who bring it from the fields to our tables. The Taste of Marin will feature local farmers and ranchers, and showcase local celebrity chefs from restaurants such as Manka’s Inverness Lodge; Insalata’s; Comforts; Fish; Olema Inn and Restaurant; Sol; Marin Sun Farms Butcher Shop & Eatery; William Tell Restaurant and Bar; Station House Café; Indian Peach Food Company; Fairfax Scoop; Small Shed Flatbreads; and Sam’s Anchor Café. Chefs will offer a variety of specialties made from organic produce, grass-fed beef, cheese, seafood, local wines, and even locally produced organic ice cream!

This year’s Taste of Marin will be held at one of the most spectacular locations in Marin County, St. Vincent’s in San Rafael. Special highlights will include an auction of one-of-a-kind prizes such as an organic BBQ for eight at a local ranch, a weekend at a spectacular Point Reyes B&B, and a one-day nature camp for kids. There will also be live music by a surprise guest and some of the most phenomenal food you’ve ever eaten, all in the magical atmosphere created by an Indian summer evening in a 19th century mission style courtyard.

This 6th annual Taste of Marin will again bring together Marin’s world renowned farmers, ranchers, cheesemakers, bakers, and vintners, but instead of a sit-down dinner, guests this year will roam among tables filled with delectable treats prepared by noted local chefs.

The celebration of local food, local farmers, and local chefs, is presented by Marin Organic, co-produced by Marin Agricultural Land Trust, and co-sponsored by the Marin County Farmers Market Association.

Admission to Taste of Marin is $125 for Marin Organic or MALT members, and $150 for non-members. St. Vincent’s is located in San Rafael just off the Marinwood Exit.

Pre-registration is required. To register, please call MALT at 415/663-1158. For more information, please call Marin Organic at 415/663-9667.”

Coffee and tea meetings.
We have found that one good way to inform people of the happenings around the Village Center is to organize and attend a small gathering of neighbors at someone’s house. Is your house next? Please take the time to organize a small gathering at your house of your neighbors and one or more of the community reps will attend to let people know the latest activities and gather input on our progress. Just send me an email to schedule a time.

4th Wednesday
It is that time again. It is almost the 4th Wednesday of the month, a chance to directly communicate with your community representatives and provide feedback to the various projects underway in our community. Meeting time is Wednesday August 24, at 7:30 pm in the small conference located in the rear of the community center.

Dues, donations and ads
It is not too late to pay your 2005 dues ($10) or make a donation to the Marinwood Association (Any amount – we received a $500 donation already this year). You can make a direct donation or buy one of the cute Marinwood thingies located here or place an ad on our web site. The money is being used to finance a number projects within Marinwood. Did you know the community was responsible for contributing almost $6,000 to the Marinwood Village Project? Your funds in action! But we need more. We had to dip into reserves to make our commitment and are seeking to not only replace the amount we paid the county but also finance the other worthwhile activities such as creating safer routes to our schools and protecting Miller Creek.

Comments – Email - Join Association - Attend Meeting
We are making it easy for you to give us feedback on the various activities underway. Under some items above is a line of clickable text. Just click on “comments” to go to our online forums and post your note. Click on “Email” to send us an email. Click on “Join Association” to find out how to pay your annual dues of just $10. Click on “Attend Meeting” to find out what meetings are scheduled.

“The views expressed in this newsletter are those of the author and may or may not reflect official positions established by the Board of Directors of the Marinwood Association.

Tear off and mail with your check

To: Marinwood Association
c/o Geoffrey Mack
2742 Heatherstone Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903

From: ___________________________

Email address ______________________

Street Address______________________

______________________

Phone number ______________________

â–¡ Dues $10 For all the many representations and planning efforts provided and to support our community’s efforts at self improvement I/we hereby submit payment of our 2005 Marinwood Association membership dues in the amount of $10.

â–¡ Donation $__________Marinwood Association is a non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible