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May 9, 2008

Lincoln Avenue Undercrossing to Reopen
The Lincoln Avenue Undercrossing, closed for the past several months to accommodate construction, will reopen on the morning of May 15, 2008. Caltrans closed the undercrossing in November in order to safely build new highway lanes above the street. No further long-term closures of the undercrossing will be necessary. However, on the morning of May 19, Caltrans must again close the nearby Linden Lane Undercrossing, in order to safely finish work on the new highway lanes. The Linden Lane Undercrossing will stay closed for a period of 140 days, roughly until early October. Detours can be found on the Caltrans web site at: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/marin101hov/images/detour_lindenlane.pdf

20th Annual Business Showcase
On May 14th the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce is hosting the largest business showcase in Marin County. It will take place from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Marin County Exhibit Hall. It will include 130 exhibitors for local businesses and will feature a Health & Wellness Hall. This fun and informative event is free to the public. Don't miss the silent auction, giveaways, and drawings, including a 42" HDTV. The City of San Rafael will also have a booth full of information regarding City services and programs. Come check it out!

Online City Services
Did you know we have a full menu of City services that are available on-line? Here's just a few:

  • Our ePermits online allows you to check on the status of both building permits and planning applications.

  • Sign up for summer classes, programs, camps and activities offered by the Community Services Department. Enrollment is still open for many of the offerings. Call 485-3333 for more information.

  • You can make a tax deductible donation online to our Pickleweed Community Center or to Camp Chance, a camping experience for kids whose families are not ordinarily able to afford summer camps.

  • And lastly, I hope you never need this one, but you can pay your parking tickets online.

To see the full list of online services, go to http://www.cityofsanrafael.org

Upcoming Events

Car Parade May 17th Greg Borrelli's 21st Annual May Madness Classic Car Parade and Rockin' Street Dance is Saturday, May 17th on Fourth Street in Downtown San Rafael. The Parade is at 6:00pm but you can start viewing awesome autos at 12:00pm until 9:00pm. At 6:00pm, over 150 timeless vehicles will cruise Fourth Street and everyone can re-live those carefree "happy days" of endless summers and cheap gas. Nationally acclaimed speaker and car enthusiast Michael Pritchard will be entertaining us as Master of Ceremonies. For a high-energy flashback, dance and sing along to all your favorite tunes provided by The Unauthorized Rolling Stones. Come hear a tribute to the greatest Rock in Roll band in the world in the City Plaza immediately following the parade. This is a free event for the whole family. For more information go to http://www.downtownsanrafael.org/ 
classic cars driving by 

Young Performers in Grease. The fast, fun, musical will close this weekend at the San Rafael Community Center, but tickets are available for Friday night, Saturday matinee/night and Sunday matinee performances. Visit the Center at 618 B Street or buy tickets at the door. The Young Performers Theater stages three productions per year featuring all student casts. The next production in July will be High School Musical.
two star performers of local performance

 

May 1, 2008


33 San Pablo Appeal 
 
Next Monday night at 8 p.m., the City Council will consider an appeal of the Planning Commission approval of a proposed new residential project in North San Rafael.  The project is located at 33 San Pablo Ave. and is planned to be 82 units of housing, 16 of which will be restricted to affordable price levels for workforce housing. The proposed housing would replace the existing office building on the site. The reasons cited for the appeal revolve around General Plan consistency and appropriate review of the impacts of the project based on state laws. The staff report can be read on-line through the City’s Clerk’s web page (City Clerk) or by obtaining a copy in the Community Development Department office in City Hall.

artists rendition of new housing 


Taking Good Care of Your Dog

Did you know that dog licenses are required for all dogs in Marin over the age of four months?  It is easy to do and is a great way to ensure that you can identify your dog should he or she roam away from home. You can even add a microchip ID for additional assurances. For more information, go to http://www.marinhumanesociety.org/ 

Downtown Art
 
The next "Second Fridays" takes place on Friday May 9th. Art Works Downtown and Artisans Art Gallery provide this monthly Art Walk at the galleries and many retailers along Fourth Street to feature new exhibits and hold receptions. Next week’s event will include the “Rising Stars” exhibition at Artisans. This show presents art from Marin’s nineteen high schools. The gallery will be packed with some of the best and brightest art from these up and comers. These are painters, printmakers, photographers, sculptors, potters, and digital artists that, in a few years time, will leap onto the national art scene. For more information go to  http://www.artisansartgallery.com/

 

Small Business Week 
San Rafael has a delightful mix of small businesses in Terra Linda, Bret Harte, Canal, West End, Eastside and Downtown neighborhoods. We appreciate the service, commitment and congeniality of all who own and operate them.   The City Council will honor San Rafael small businesses by declaring May 7-14 Small Business Week.  Congratulate your favorite dry cleaner, printer, jeweler, barista, shopkeeper and waiter,  and please, continue your support of these local businesses. 

 

West End Fourth Street Improvements 
The surge to life of this long awaited project began this week. The landscape and hardscape is changing daily. Thanks for your attention to the parking adjustments, and the caution you show as you drive through the construction area on Fourth Street between D and Miracle Mile. The neighbors, business owners, construction team, and City project staff met last week as part of their collaborative effort to communicate the progress and impact of the work. The engagement of the community contributes greatly to the efficiency of the project. Don’t forget to support the West End merchants during construction – all will remain open for business. 

Don’t Cancel Your Trip to Boyd Park
Contractors are replacing support posts on the play castle at Boyd Park at Mission Avenue and B Street this week. Some interruption in the availability of the children’s playground is expected, but the work will be complete next week. The park still holds enchantment for young ones. Explore with your child Turtle Pond at the top of the path.  Take a favorite picture book and sit underneath the Story Tree by the playground. To find the park go to Parks Map

 

childrens castle

April 24 2008
  

New Connector Ramp to Open in Marin County

Caltrans has announced the new connecting ramp from southbound Highway 101 to eastbound Interstate 580 will open to traffic at about six a.m. Sunday, April 27. The new ramp will have two lanes, as opposed to one lane on the old ramp. However, only one lane will open on April 27th. The old ramp must be demolished before the second lane can open. The second lane is scheduled to open in mid-September. The new ramp is an essential element of the Highway 101 HOV Gap Closure Project. When the project is finished, Marin County commuters will have one continuous car pool lane (or HOV lane, for "High Occupancy Vehicle") running through the most populated segment of Marin County. The entire project is on schedule to finish in December of this year. The Transportation Authority of Marin has put together a very complete and visual description of the Highway 101 Gap Closure Project. I urge you to take a look before hitting the road next Monday.  For more information, please contact Bob Haus with Caltrans at 510.286.5576.

Mall Renovation Gets Council Approval

I think the word "exciting" was used a dozen times during last Monday's City Council Meeting when residents, housing advocates, bicycle enthusiasts and local organizations all came together to support the planned renovation of the Mall at Northgate. Council members voted in favor of the project that will give the Mall a great new look, something that everyone expressed is long overdue. In its presentation before the Council, the Mall owners, Macerich, said it will embark on comprehensive housing studies within five years, a change in the development agreement that came at the urging of housing advocates. Construction of the 725,000-square-foot shopping center is expected to begin this summer. The plan is for the revamped center to be finished just in time for Christmas shopping in 2009. The Mall will be open during the renovation.

Artists rendition of Mall redesign

West End Village Constructing to get Underway

Residents, Businesses and City staff are gearing up for construction to begin on the Fourth Street West End Village project. Beginning Monday, April 28, crews will initiate removing 98 Liquid Amber trees that have caused sidewalks in the area to crack and become uneven and unsafe. The locally impacted community agreed that it would be best to take the trees out all at once and move on to the sidewalk enhancement phase of the project. We will replant trees that are aesthetically pleasing and not invasive to the environment, such as Sycamores, Red Maples and Crape Myrtles. Demolition of the sidewalks is scheduled to being on Monday, May 5. After a series of meetings with business owners and residents, we are incorporating their requests in our construction plan. We will work quickly and efficiently in segments to make sure there is parking space available for customers, and that they know that shops are open during construction. The project is expected to take 12 months to complete. Throughout the process we will be updating residents and businesses on the status of construction. The Public Works Department will also have the latest information available on its city webpage 

Earth Day Success

It was great to see so many people participate in this year's Earth Day celebration at Pickleweed Park. The City coordinated the multi-lingual event which included a park and shoreline cleanup. It was followed by family activities - Aztec dancers, a bicycle treasure hunt for children as well as educational booths and activities focusing on the environment. Cory Bytof, who coordinated the event, said many different segments of the community came out to have fun and learn about what they can do to protect the environment. We look forward to another successful year in 2009.

Lion dance in park

Getting the Dirt Out

In anticipation of the centennial of the Downtown Library's Carnegie wing in January 2009, the Friends of the Library hired an art conservator to clean the marble plaque above the fireplace. The plaque had not been cleaned since its installation in 1913. After conducting various tests, conservator Bonnie Baskin discovered the best method for removing grime was a Pink Pearl eraser. Baskin spent about 15 hours literally erasing the accumulated dirt. The plaque commemorates Andrew Carnegie's donation of $25,000 in 1905 to build the library as well as the sixty-one residents who purchased the lot on which the library was built. Next time you are in the Library, check out the ‘unveiling' of this plaque.

Community Events and Reminders

Town Hall Meeting on the State Budget

Senator Migden will be hosting a Town Hall meeting on the State Budget on Tuesday, April 29, 5 p.m. at the Marin Center Exhibit Hall in San Rafael. She will be accompanied by Senator Denise Ducheny. If you have questions or need more information, please call Senator Midgen's San Rafael District Office at (415) 479-6612.

Art Talk

San Francisco's most beautiful museum is the subject of an illustrated art talk at 1 p.m., Wednesday, May 7, at the City Council Chambers. Renee Dreyfus, curator in charge of ancient art and interpretation for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, will speak on "Alma Spreckels' Vision." Dr. Dreyfus' presentation will focus on the history as well as the highlights of the collection, and those wild and sometimes crazy donors who brought magnificent works to the museum. This free event is sponsored by the Friends of the San Rafael Library. For more information, call 485-3321.

Spring Tea Party

Kids will love the fun and food at the Mad Hatter tea party on Saturday, April 26th & Sunday, April 27 at Falkirk's cultural center. You can enjoy the theatrical company of characters in original costumes, as they entertain and amuse the little ones. This event sells out; please make your reservations now. For more information and reservations, please call 415-485-3333.

April 17, 2008

Lane Changes

The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) will be meeting on Monday, April 21, 7 p.m. at City Hall to explain upcoming lane changes on Highway 101 and the opening of the new eastbound 580 connector.

Photo of 101 580 Interchange

On Sunday, April 27 the new 580 connector will be open to traffic and crews will begin tearing down the old connector.  At that time drivers will notice other changes taking place on the SB and NB lanes of Highway 101. Crews will be repaving and rebuilding the lanes for the next six to eight months.  Dianne Steinhauser, Executive Director of TAM says they will not be closing any lanes, rather they will be relocating lanes as construction is taking place.  It will be important for drivers to be very aware through this process as the lanes will switch back and forth. 

In addition, improvements to the 580 west/101 north connector will be presented.  This work, which is a separate project independent of the two freeway segments under construction through our City, will provide two northbound connecting lanes from the east bay.  Steinhauser would be happy to answer questions regarding all of the freeway work from the public at the special study session on Monday.

Mall Vote

The City Council will decide at its meeting on Monday, April 21 whether to approve plans for a renovation of the Mall at Northgate.  The Planning Commission voted in favor of the project last month with little opposition. If the plans for a mall makeover move forward, construction could begin as early June. 

Access to Public Projects

You don't have to wait for Snapshot to find out the latest on the City's important Public Works projects. Here's a new link that will take you to the Department of Public Works homepage to get current information on projects taking place in our neighborhood and business districts.  This new page will have additional projects added over the coming months.

Community Events and Reminders

Earth Day 2008

Photos of Earth DayCanal residents, neighborhood organizations, businesses and volunteers are gearing up for an Earth Day celebration to take place at Pickleweed Park on Saturday, April 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  This year's Earth Day program will begin with a litter cleanup of the Park and the adjacent neighborhoods. The rest of the day will be dedicated to activities, entertainment, food and educational opportunities. The event is multi-lingual and open to people of all ages.   A partial list of partners includes San Rafael Clean, Boy Scout Troop 2000, Canal Youth and Family Council, Pickleweed Advisory Board, Canal Welcome Center, Safe Routes to Schools, and The Vietnamese-American Friendship Group.  Pickleweed Park is located at 50 Canal Street at Kerner. Those who wish to volunteer can call 415-485-3407 or go to http://www.sanrafaelclean.org/

Disaster Training

Registration is still open for the spring session of our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trainings. Classes start on May 6 and are comprised of seven weekly meetings.  During the course you will learn basic skills that are important to know when a disaster strikes.  CERT educates you and your neighborhood about what it means to be ready, rescuer safety and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. For additional information or to register for the class call 458-5002 or email sanrafaelprepare@cityofsanrafael.org.

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