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How to Apply for an Outdoor Dining Permit

"... . Outdoor Dining License Agreement form completed as follows ... : Do not enter a date in the License Agreement form at the top as it will be dated when ... ., “John Jones, an individual, dba The Widget Shop,” or “XYZ, Inc., a corporation,” or “348 Broad ... Street LLC, a limited liability corporation,” or “Jones and Jones, a partnership,” or “Small ... One-time Application Fee of $1,845 (2025) (Current fees per Fee Resolution can ..."

Submit the following documents to the City of San Rafael, Planning Division. Apply to Planning Online! Review and complete the General Application Form Site Plan showing location of outdoor seating including: Number of tables and other personal property. Removable improvements for which approval is sought, for example tables, chairs, umbrellas, planters and any proposed barriers. Details...

Do I need an encroachment permit?

"... permits are required if you plan to do any construction work in the public right ... , parks, city facilities) or in the street. Common reasons you'll need one: Utility ... Sidewalk dining Debris boxes Fences/walls Construction staging ... and applications are followed and that work is done safely with minimal impact to nearby property and pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle travel. ..."

Encroachment permits are required if you plan to do any construction work in the public right-of-way. Meaning, any work in the sidewalk area, in an easement, on city owned property (median islands, parks, city facilities) or in the street. Common reasons you'll need one: Utility saw-cuts Excavation News stands Bicycle racks Sidewalk dining Debris boxes...

What are the differences between a Specific Plan, Precise Plan, Master Plan, a Community Plan and a Neighborhood Plan? How do each of these Plans relate to the citywide General Plan?

"... is that it combines a policy document (ex. goals, policies and programs) with a regulatory document (zoning ... and citywide zoning ordinance for the Specific Plan area.  By law, a Specific Plan is required to include ... . This Precise plan will include all of the elements and content of a Specific Plan (including a zoning ... Plan, a Community Plan is not a regulatory document. Community Plans do not include zoning ... and does not include zoning regulations or development standards. As a Neighborhood Plan may or may ..."

While there are similarities and overlap, each Plan type is distinctive and have different elements and purposes.   The purpose of all these plans to is conduct future planning.  The different plans look at a finer level of detail for future planning a specific geographic area.  The following is a description of each Plan type and...

Something is hanging from, or tangled in, the Utility Pole wires

"... The City does not maintain the utility poles. These are maintained by various agencies - you ... . These are maintained by more than one agency - most likely AT&T or Xfinity.  You can call either ... one and they will investigate the issue. AT&T: 1-800 ... (note: you do ..."

The City does not maintain the utility poles. These are maintained by various agencies - you will want to contact them directly to let them know of the issue: The wire/pole is closest to the ground: These are communication poles. These are maintained by more than one agency - most likely AT&T or Xfinity.  You...

Frequently Asked Questions for the Proposed East San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program

"... ) permits per household. For Zone 1, while each household may purchase up to one (1) permit, there are more ... and the current number of cars parking in the area, we do not anticipate there being any additional ... permit provides an allowance to park within the permit’s zone; it does not guarantee ... do guest passes work ... : If I have visitors staying for the weekend, do I need to purchase multiple guest passes ..."

General Parking, Program Rationale, and Timeline  Q: What is the purpose of the proposed Residential Parking Permit (RPP) program?  The proposed RPP program aims to rebalance residential parking demand by encouraging parking in the Commercial and Kerner areas through safety improvements and incentives.   Q: How will this program solve parking shortages?  Analysis of parking conditions...

Outdoor Grills

"... setting up, using and cleaning your BBQ grill. Unattended cooking remains the number one cause ... and condominium apartments within 10’ of combustible construction. Do not operate a grill right ... sources. There are also electric charcoal starters, which do not use fire. Be sure ... by a professional before using it again. If the leak does not stop, call the fire department ... . If you smell gas while cooking, immediately get away from the grill and call the fire department. Do not move the grill. ..."

It is anticipated that many backyard barbecue’s will be in use during a power outage. Please exercise extreme caution during these times of elevated fire risk and keep safety in mind when setting up, using and cleaning your BBQ grill. Unattended cooking remains the number one cause of fires and fire related injuries in San...

Downtown Historic Preservation Information

"... plans and zoning rules for Downtown were written almost 30 years ago.  In 2018, San Rafael received ... issues.  It also includes new zoning regulations for Downtown ... . How do I know if my building is historic ... as historic landmarks, about 50 buildings that were designated as eligible landmarks in a survey done over 40 ... historian and public hearings before the Planning Commission.  The standards do not generally apply ..."

Downtown Historic Preservation Information This page provides comprehensive information on historic resources  data collected through the Downtown Precise Plan program.  It includes the following components: Access to the Summary Report Webinar Information (Feb 23, 24, 25) Frequently Asked Questions DPR Forms May 2021 Revised Summary Report The Historic Resources Report published in December 2020 (see...

Fences, Signs and Other Applications

"... to 4 feet in height provided they do not obstruct vehicle sight distance at driveways or intersections ... Dining Public Property We require an outdoor dining license agreement for businesses ... or business location changes. For more information regarding Outdoor Dining on Public Property ...  Outdoor Dining on Public Property Handout ... Occupations The home occupation requirements are from Chapter 14 (the Zoning Ordinance) of the San ..."

Note: All Planning applications use the same application form. Fences Fences and walls located in the front and street side yard may be up to 4 feet in height provided they do not obstruct vehicle sight distance at driveways or intersections per §14.16.295. Side and rear yard fences may be up to 7 feet without a...

How will I know I need to leave?

"... at AlertMarin.org. If you set your phone to Do Not Disturb or silence your ... ring tone, make sure you ...  Red Flag Days. If you receive notice to evacuate and time allows, notify your neighbors and ask them to do the same for you. ..."

Make sure you are opted into our County Emergency Alerts at AlertMarin.org. If you set your phone to Do Not Disturb or silence your ring tone, make sure you create a bypass for Alert Marin messages. In addition to Alert Marin, have a redundancy, such as a friend or neighbor that will check on you, a NOAA Weather...

How to Cancel a Pool Reservation

"...  Refund back to the same payment method (please do not choose return to Account ... will need to do this for each person. Please email ... requests may be requested between people on the same account, as long as the request is done in writing ..."

If you are unable to make your reserved swim time, you may either cancel your reservation online and receive a 50% refund or you can transfer your reservation to another member within your account. Requests for cancellations must be made a minimum of three hours prior to the start of a swim reservation to receive...

Business License Division

"... zoning map ... must be reviewed and approved by our Planning Department for zoning regulations. Your ... tax certificates are evergreen.  That means they do not display an expiration date so they can ... of paying any required business tax or related fees.  It does not mean that a business is in compliance ... with any other legal requirements, including zoning and fire codes ..."

The City of San Rafael requires most businesses operating within City limits to apply for and maintain a business license, which is a local tax.

I Need To Remove A Dead Tree or Cut Vegetation Around My Home. Who Can I Hire to Do This Work?

"... in wildfire preparedness. Any licensed tree company or arborist should do fine for tree removals. We don't ... a landscaping service is fine, too. Be sure they carry insurance. Grass cutting should be done with string ..."

See https://www.firesafemarin.org/contractors for a list of contractors who've completed basic training in wildfire preparedness. Any licensed tree company or arborist should do fine for tree removals. We don't typically recommend specific contractors, and have had good experiences with nearly every tree service you'll find in the "yellow pages" or Google. Ensure that they are a...

Art

"... the Public Safety Center is near completion across the street. Parking & City staff wanted to do ... , alluring, more stylish one ... of the beautification was done in collaboration with City Parks Supervisor, Aaron ... simple, careful expression of how to beautify the parking facility made it so that none ... , was done ..."

Fifth & C St. Parking Structure Re-Design & Art Project If you haven't walked or driven by the downtown San Rafael corner of Fifth & C Street recently, you must! And prepare to be delighted! In November, the City’s Parking Division completed a rehabilitation of the parking structure there, including local public art, a new creative succulent...

Cause for Eviction

"... Zone ... . 6. How many days' notice do I need to give to my tenant ... if the Tenant has resided in the unit for one or more years and at lest 30 days of notice if the Tenant has ... resided in the unit for less than one year. For "For Cause" terminations such as failure to pay rent ... , you do not need to file an Eviction Notice. Your tenant will be expected to vacate the unit ..."

What is "Cause for Eviction"? Cause for Eviction (or "Just Cause") policies are intended to provide stability for households who rent by regulating the grounds for eviction. San Rafael's Cause for Eviction Ordinance is intended to promote greater awareness of the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants and to provide a clear and transparent...

Takeout Containers and Sustainability

"... and over again plastics that go into the recycling stream are “upcycled” or “downcycled” into just one ... ugly. So, what’s a person or business to do? Reusables are the best! If you ... . If you don’t have an easy way to wash dishes you can rent them and let someone else do the washing. San ... forget to shop local! There are several places you can go to buy compostable products, just do a web ... of corn, potato or sugar cane. None of it can be composted here. Can it be recycled? One ..."

County Reusable Foodware Ordinance The County of Marin adopted the Reusable Foodware Ordinance on May 10, 2022. In 2021, various outreach efforts were conducted by the County to garner countywide feedback from residents and businesses. During the food vendor site visits, businesses were informed of the ordinance features, provided outreach materials, and offered free technical...

Use Permit

"... zoning ...  your Zoning District by entering your street address or APN.  A box ... will pop up with a line item that lists your Zoning type, which falls into one of the four following ... that corresponds to what you want to do it may not be a permitted use in that Zoning District.  Alternatively ... if you find a use that corresponds to what you want to do, but your zoning column remains blank ..."

What is a Use Permit? The City of San Rafael Municipal Code (SRMC) contains several zoning districts which identify uses that may be permitted,  are not permitted or are conditionally permitted within each district. A Use Permit is required in order to establish a  “conditionally permitted” land use. There are a few steps we’ll need to...

What does the Finance Department do?

The Finance Department provides financial information, policy analyses, and recommendations that help the City Council and all City Departments make decisions about how to allocate resources. They account for those resources and discloses the financial condition of the City and the results of its operations in the year end Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and also prepares...

What does the Library Department do?

The library offers full physical and digital collections with books, movies, television shows, and music for all ages. In-library services include computers and WiFi, events and classes, and research and homework assistance. Their digital branch offers downloadable eBooks and eAudioBooks, cover-to-cover magazines and newspapers, live homework help, and tons more. The library also extends beyond our...

What does the Parking Division do?

"... safe and convenient parking with prompt, courteous, and professional service. They are a one-stop shop ..."

The Parking Division provides safe and convenient parking with prompt, courteous, and professional service. They are a one-stop shop for all your parking needs, including payments, appeals, and requests like abandoned vehicle tows and meter bag reservations.

What does the Police Department do?

The Police Department works with members of the community, community groups, and other City departments to proactively address crime, quality of life issues, and to enhance a feeling of safety for our residents, business owners, and those who visit this great City.

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