On December 9, the City of San Rafael hosted a community engagement session to gather input on the proposed Interim Shelter at 350 Merrydale Road. Attendees included neighbors, service partners, individuals with lived experience of homelessness, and community members who wanted to learn more about the project. Attendees shared that safety, enforcement, and transparency are among their top priorities, and requested clear details on how the Code of Conduct and Good Neighbor Policy would be enforced in practice.
Additional concerns included site design elements like fencing, lighting, and waste management; the potential for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements; coordination between the City, SMART, Caltrans, and the County; daily operations such as eligibility criteria, staffing, services, and Housing First philosophy; and ongoing multilingual outreach to Latine communities, residents of nearby apartments, and local businesses. Attendees also requested public reporting through a dashboard showing crime trends, program performance, and outcomes.
The next engagement session is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14, location to be determined. We encourage the community to join the conversation and help shape the project’s development.
Major themes from the discussion are summarized below.
Safety, Security, and Enforcement
Safety was one of the most consistent themes across conversations. Residents expressed interest in how program rules would be enforced, not just what the rules say.
Key points included:
- How safety incidents will be handled and which entities would respond.
- Clear expectations regarding weapons, prohibited behavior, and zero-tolerance items.
- Consistent enforcement of the Code of Conduct and Good Neighbor Policy, including consequences for serious or repeated violations.
- How staff will distinguish between minor behavioral issues and activities that could lead to removal from the program.
- A desire for trained staff to be present at all times and for response protocols to be clear and reliable.
- Expected response times from SRPD and the SAFE Team, and the hours and types of support each provides.
Overall, many residents emphasized that the shelter’s success will depend on day-to-day oversight, predictable and consistent enforcement, and transparent communication about how safety concerns are addressed.
Good Neighbor Policy
Residents raised detailed questions about how the Good Neighbor Policy will be implemented and how neighbors can raise issues if they arise.
Residents asked for:
- Clear points of contact for neighbors and businesses to report concerns or request information.
- A simple process for reporting, tracking, and resolving neighborhood issues.
- Distinctions between the responsibilities of shelter clients, program staff, and members of the surrounding community.
- Consistent use of key terms such as “residents,” “program participants,” and “surrounding community.”
- Alignment between the Good Neighbor Policy and the Code of Conduct to ensure consistent expectations.
- Assurance that issues occurring outside the site but connected to shelter clients would be addressed.
- Policies regarding drug and alcohol use, clean-and-sober expectations, police presence beyond onsite security, and how the City would prevent individuals who were dismissed from the program from lingering in nearby neighborhoods.
- Information about how the City will discourage loitering, address activity seen on security cameras, and maintain a clean environment using tools like SeeClickFix or similar reporting systems.
- Additionally, some residents encouraged making the Good Neighbor Policy more operational and less abstract.
- SRPD-monitored cameras in the Meadows area beyond the immediate site.
Site Design and Physical Layout
Attendees reviewed the preliminary site layout and raised practical considerations related to physical design and functionality.
Key themes included:
- Fencing, lighting, and visibility around the site. Residents wanted more information about fence height, materials, and whether fencing would be tall and opaque enough to limit sightlines from within the shelter into nearby homes and backyards. Residents also requested additional lighting around the site perimeter and nearby streets to improve nighttime safety and visibility.
- Placement of individual units, shared buildings, and outdoor common areas.
- Noise impacts from the highway and adjacent streets.
- Waste management, site cleanliness, and preventing litter from accumulating outside the site.
- Design elements that can reduce loitering.
- Accessibility for people with disabilities.
- Beautification opportunities, such as increased street sweeping, more trees, City-owned trash cans, and landscaping improvements along Merrydale Road.
Several commenters noted that design choices should support safety, dignity, and orderliness around the site.
Traffic, Parking, and Pedestrian Safety
Traffic operations and pedestrian safety were important topics across multiple tables.
Residents asked about:
- The need for a safer crosswalk near the bus stop.
- Potential traffic calming measures or signage at Merrydale Road and Los Ranchitos Road.
- Parking needs for staff, service providers, and visitors. Residents asked that shelter program participants do not park along Merrydale or the Redwood Highway frontage.
- Current traffic challenges and how this project fits into broader traffic planning.
- Proximity to the SMART train corridor and how rail activity, sight lines, and pedestrian behavior would be managed.
- How the City will ensure consistent operations although nearby land is managed independently by the City, County, SMART, and/or Caltrans, especially near Highway 101 ramps and the state-controlled right-of-way.
- Residents also asked how SMART train activity and pedestrian connections to transit would be communicated and integrated into the physical layout so residents can safely navigate nearby streets, crossings, and transit routes.
- How frequently transportation services operate, and what transportation options will be available to shelter clients.
- How the program will coordinate transportation for program participant appointments, services, and daily needs.
Services and Daily Operations
Residents asked detailed questions about program access and daily operations.
These included:
- The application and referral process and who is eligible to enter the program.
- How shelter program participants will be prioritized.
- What services will be provided onsite, how often they will be available, and which services may occur offsite.
- Staffing structure, staff roles, and how residents and neighbors can reach the appropriate contacts.
- Comparisons to other local programs, including Casa Buena Vista and The Arks.
- Daily routines such as case management, laundry, and shared space use.
- How services will support program participants in transitioning to permanent housing.
- Questions about Housing First, including how it operates in practice.
- Substance use policies and how the shelter will manage related concerns.
- Requests for greater transparency on program funding, budget allocations, and operating costs, including whether these materials can be published on the City’s website.
Several residents expressed interest in understanding the “Housing First” program philosophy and practical implementation.
Outreach, Equity, and Accessibility
Residents raised questions about who the program will serve and how the City will continue outreach to nearby communities.
Themes included:
- Outreach to Latine community members and residents in surrounding apartment complexes.
- Ensuring language access and culturally appropriate communication.
- How neighbors will continue to receive updates throughout planning and operations.
- A desire for ongoing engagement rather than one-time events.
Data, Transparency, and Accountability
Residents expressed strong interest in consistent monitoring, reporting, and transparency.
Key feedback included:
- What data will be collected related to safety, operations, and program outcomes.
- How often updates will be made publicly available and where they will be posted.
- How success will be defined and measured over time.
- How the City will continue to incorporate community feedback into program adjustments.
- Requests for a public dashboard summarizing crime trends, program performance, and interagency coordination.
- Clarification on how the City, County, SMART, and Caltrans will work together when incidents involve shared jurisdiction.
Several residents noted that trust will depend on clear, consistent, and ongoing public reporting.
Reporting Back
At the meeting, the City also provided an update on how community input has already influenced the program. The updated Good Neighbor Policy reflects many suggestions from neighbors, including no loitering on the property, in nearby neighborhoods, or on SMART-owned land; restrictions on alcohol and illegal substances onsite; quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; and 24/7 points of contact for community concerns. Additionally, the City has included plans for additional security cameras and lighting to ensure visibility and safety, strengthened visitation procedures, and developed a new policy that Registered Sex Offenders will not be permitted in the program. The preliminary site plan now includes a main entrance at 3833 Redwood Highway rather than 350 Merrydale Road, and the City is developing additional policies to address concerns about camping and overnight RV or car parking in the surrounding area. Click here to view the full presentation.