Please note the time change of San Rafael Regular City Council Meetings to commence at 6:00 p.m. 

Archives: FAQs

How long will the smell last?

The smell may last for days or weeks, however it should not be greater than what one may experience while pumping gas at a gas station. Conditions should continue to get better as crews continue to remove impacted materials and vapors will continue to dissipate over time.

What is the environmental impact?

Crews were able to place absorbent booms and other materials to prevent the fuel from entering the Bay. At this time, no impacts east of Smith Ranch Road and Yosemite Road have been observed. Three agents with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife evaluated the impact area on Thursday and had no concerns that … Continued

Are there any public safety concerns or health risks?

There are no direct public safety concerns relating to this incident. Crews will continue to monitor the site and air quality until all remediation is completed. An Air Quality Specialist with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District evaluated the impacted areas on Thursday and had no concerns. Unfortunately, the smell of gas may linger … Continued

What is the City doing?

Following the immediate response, City staff have been working under the direction of the Marin County Public Works Hazardous Materials Program Manager. This has included efforts to minimize the impact of the fuel spill by placing absorbent materials on roadways and in nearby waterways, monitoring waterways for signs of impacts, coordinating with key partners, providing … Continued

What caused the incident?

The cause of the incident remains under investigation. The driver of the truck operated by Thompson and Harvey Transportation remained on scene and cooperated with responding units. At this time, drugs or alcohol are not believed to be contributing factors.

Housing Element Working Group

The City of San Rafael created a 13-member Working Group to provide feedback on new housing policies and programs for the city. Information on past meetings is provided on the Meetings & Events page. The meetings used a webinar format, with Working Group members on screen.  The public participated as “attendees” and provided feedback during … Continued

What happened at Northgate Dr and MTF?

Around 2:30am on Tuesday January 16th the trailer portion of a gasoline tanker truck rolled on its side when making the left hand turn from Manual T Frietas Parkway onto Northgate Drive enroute to the Shell Station at 950 Del Presidio Blvd. The driver’s cab remained upright and there were no injuries. Firefighters responding to … Continued

Housing Element Update Process – Draft Documents

Links to earlier versions of the Housing Element are provided below, along with a timetable of activities: On May 10, the City published an “Adoption Draft” 2023-2031 Housing Element for consideration by the City Council.  The Council adopted the document “as is” with no additional edits.    A clean copy and tracked change version appear below. … Continued

State Guidelines and Requirements for Housing

The requirements for the Housing Element are established by the California Government Code (Sections 65580-65589.8). The State has established detailed standards for evaluating local housing needs, identifying potential housing sites, and evaluating obstacles to building housing. Cities are required to adopt policies and programs that respond to the findings of these studies, ultimately making it … Continued

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