Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for June 5, 2024

Memorial Day breakfast was a hit in Mill Valley

Memorial Day is meant to acknowledge those who gave their lives so that millions of people, here and abroad, could live in freedom. Each year, ceremonies all over Marin are held so that we don’t forget the sacrifices made by many. This acknowledgment is often followed by parades and other events that serve to bring our communities together.

Our society continues to change and evolve since the original Decoration Day was founded in 1868, with Memorial Day being defined as a federal holiday in 1971. In our town, an annual flag-raising ceremony occurs at Lytton Square, which is named after our first World War I casualty, Lytton Barber.

Barber was a member of Scout Troop 1 which served only boys during his membership. Fortunately, the Scouts of America now includes girls as well. Although the Mill Valley Volunteer Firefighters group is a founder and sponsor of the Memorial Day pancake breakfast, its numbers have dwindled in recent years. However, it has been supplemented by scouts from Troop 1. At this year’s event, they staffed almost every station —wearing distinctive uniforms in the bays of the firehouse — along with their adult mentors. It was a heartwarming sight and a link in building a sense of common purpose and community.

Thanks to the Mill Valley Volunteer Firefighters and the girls and boys from Scout Troop 1 for serving at what has become a wonderful tradition in Mill Valley.

— Joan Murray, Mill Valley

Marin supervisors need to listen to county residents

What is going on with the Marin County Board of Supervisors?

First, the board acquiesced to the state’s ridiculous guidelines meant to entice developers by approving what I thought was always an inappropriate plan for an apartment building in Marin City (it would have had 74 units, but only 24 parking spaces). According to state rules, the new building would have had “affordable” units, even though recent studies show that many current residents of Marin City could not afford to live in the proposed affordable housing.

I think outrage from Marin citizens surprised the supervisors, so they began a discussion with the developer. Somewhere along the line, a smaller project was discussed as a possibility (“Bid to shrink Marin City housing project criticized,” May 29). The supervisors’ response was just not good enough.

Additionally, the supervisors decided community plans should not be an integral part of our planning process (“Marin judge rules against county in housing power struggle,” April 15). That prompted more outrage from unincorporated communities in Marin, which use the plans to guide planning and building.

There are 20 in the county. Each of them has a legitimate reason for using them. For instance, the Tamalpais Area Community Plan governs a neighborhood with significant water issues due to tidal action. That issue impacts a large number of residents. It has always been considered in the planning process.

Other communities have different issues which must be addressed. Marin is a diverse area and really cannot operate with a one size fits all planning process.

I don’t know who the supervisors are listening to, but it is certainly not the residents of Marin County.

— Linda Rames, Mill Valley

Inclusionary zoning helps to address housing issues

I am writing about the big problem of affordable housing in Marin County and how we can combat this issue. Many families can’t afford to live here, and it’s getting increasingly worse for everyone, including essential workers and young people like me who want to stay in this community, as median rent has over doubled since 2010.

One of the most effective solutions we should focus on is inclusionary zoning. This policy would require new housing developments to include a certain percentage of affordable units. Doing this would assure that people with diverse incomes can live in the same neighborhood. This would help create more affordable housing quicker than our current pace while also making our community more diverse.

We also need to encourage and make it easier for people to build accessory dwelling units. These small homes, often built in backyards, provide a great way to add affordable housing without altering the character of our community. We can simplify the permitting process and offer incentives for more ADUs. Doing this will make homeowners more likely to make them, offering more affordable units and speeding up the affordable housing development in Marin.

While these are not the only actions we can take to increase the rate of affordable housing development, inclusionary zoning and building accessory dwelling units are the most practical ways to address the issue of affordable housing in Marin County. By focusing on these strategies, we can start to make a real difference in Marin County as a place where anyone can live.

— Cole Kramlich, Mill Valley

Richmond Bridge needs true third lane westbound

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is a vital freight and employment link for Marin County and the East Bay.

As an East Bay resident commuting to Marin, I know that, on any given weekday, the westbound toll approach is backed up with commuters, service providers and freight. The adjacent bike lane is usually empty, with the occasional road cyclist.

Hundreds of tons of emissions (with far too many workers burning unproductive hours) are spent in this queue every week. There is no resilience to a breakdown or accident and emergency services cannot reach the incident when both lanes are blocked.

The proposed solution of moving the barriers at peak times and/or adding a moveable barrier eastbound would not actually free up a drivable lane, but would only provide a partial lane for traffic to squeeze around a disabled vehicle.

The bike lane only benefits recreational cyclists whose numbers do not justify the true cost of the lane. The data will not show any significant use of the bike lane for commuting or life necessities, rather, those users are stuck in traffic and they bear the brunt of the cost of this $20 million cyclist amenity.

There is no future where masses take to bikes to make this trip. It is logistically and geographically infeasible. It’s a 5.5-mile bridge over one of the windiest spots on the bay. The origin and destination points of the bridge users are far from the bridge itself, suggesting the need for a motor vehicle.

We would be money-ahead if we removed the barrier and opened the third lane, then asked cyclists to use the Golden Gate Transit bus system as a bike shuttle to the other side.

— Randahl Hagen, Danville

State can’t clear camps if amendment passes

Would the proposed Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 to change the California Constitution and make housing a “right” ameliorate the homelessness crisis?

As a former Marin County resident, I know the ever-enlarging encampments can be breeding grounds for crime, infectious diseases and drug use. Despite spending billions of dollars a year, the problem is seemingly worse. Far too many taxpayer dollars (better spent on public safety and other essential services) have been diverted to nonprofits with little accountability for results.

Cities have a duty to protect their citizens from the scourges of these encampments, but the court decision Martin vs. Boise has hampered these efforts, as Gov. Gavin Newsom and many city mayors acknowledge. Even if Martin is overturned by the Supreme Court, ACA 10 would take its place. The result would be endless litigation without addressing the problem.

The vast majority of the encampments are filled with men who have refused treatment for their mental illness or addictions. Their rights do not supersede law-abiding taxpayers and their children. The camps need to be cleared with their occupants given a choice between treatment or jail. That cannot be accomplished with a “feel-good” measure.

— Michael Hartnett, Bloomington (Indiana)