Marin City marks beginning of flood-control project

Marin City residents gathered at a flood-prone intersection Thursday to celebrate the culmination of decades of advocacy work.

The event at Drake Avenue and Donahue Street was organized to kick off the Marin City Flood Resilience Project. About 75 community members attended the event with federal, state and local officials.

“This is so exciting,” said Terrie Green, a Marin City Community Services District board member. “This is a life-changing event.”

In August, Marin City was among 12 communities selected for a national pilot program funded by $120 million for flood infrastructure projects. The program aims to improve flood safety and health in historically and economically underserved communities.

The program is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 and covers 100% of project costs.

“This program was designed to make sure that underserved communities have a guaranteed seat at the table,” said U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, whose district includes Marin County. “They haven’t always had that.”

Marin City’s proposal was submitted by the Marin City Community Services District along with the nonprofit organization Marin City Climate Resilience and Health Justice. Marin City has experienced notorious flooding for more than 80 years.

Green, the executive director of ​​Marin City Climate Resilience and Health Justice, is credited with spearheading the effort to get flooding addressed in Marin City. She said the federal funding is a result of community persistence.

“You know what, we held on and said, oh no, we’re going to continue to do what’s just, we’re going to continue to do what’s right. Because why? We want to have a healthy community here in Marin City,” Green said.

Flooding is linked to injuries, displacement, waterborne diseases, groundwater contamination and mold-related illnesses, according to the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services.

Chinaka Green, the associate director of Marin City Climate Resilience and Health Justice, recalled her own experience with flooding in 2021. She was driving home with her son after a football game to find the Marin City exit blocked off because of stormwaters. They parked in Sausalito and walked through knee-high water in the dark to get home. Parents carried small children on their shoulders.

“It was the scariest day of my life,” Chinaka Green said. “We deserve better in Marin City.”

Green thanked Huffman for helping to make the project happen. Huffman said the area qualifies for reparations because the community has experienced historic institutional racism. He said the project is only the beginning of making up for decades of failing to meet Marin City’s critical needs.

“We’re going to get some wins for Marin City and we’re starting with the project, but there’s more to come,” Huffman said.

Some other flood projects are in the works, including temporary water pumps at intersections. Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters, whose district includes Marin City, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will expand on the current work to see what else can be done to reduce flooding in the community.

“I’m excited about the expertise they are going to bring,” Moulton-Peters said. “They tend to do very thorough and broad studies. They have, frankly, more resources than we do. I’m going to look forward to what they find that we could add to make this even more impactful.”

Joél Flannery, a project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers, said it will be between three and a half to four and a half years before shovels break ground on the project. In the meantime, there will be a feasibility study to determine the flood management options, along with community workshops and environmental analysis.

Natalie Broomfield, a resident of Golden Gate Village who attended the event, said the project is a sign of hope that change and action are possible.

“It’s good to see the great turnout today, that they are actually working on the pipe and it’s getting done instead of all the talk,” Broomfield said. “There’s no more talk, it’s actually action, and it’s good to say just never give up hope.”