Friction builds over San Rafael homelessness plan

Indignation is welling up in a San Rafael community over a city plan to address homelessness.

Last month, San Rafael and Marin County officials dropped a bombshell on the Rafael Meadows neighborhood when they announced a partnership to build a village of 65 cabin shelters with homeless support services on a 2.3-acre lot at 350 Merrydale Road.

On Oct. 28, officials held the first community forum about the plan. The session was conducted via webinar and attended by nearly 200 people.

“It was advertised as a meeting, but it was a presentation — a highly-controlled presentation with no opportunity to really interact or provide input,” resident Ken Dickinson said. “I thought it was a sham. That’s the word I would use for it — a sham.”

Eoin Sheeran said the proposal “seems like a done deal.”

“It was basically a presentation of what the city has already decided the project is going to be,” said Sheeran, a husband and father of two living in the neighborhood. “It’s very clear they have no intention of taking any public comment or concern into consideration.”

City and county officials announced the plan on Oct. 15. Officials said there have been no approvals and agreements are pending.

The San Rafael City Council is expected to consider agreements at its meeting on Nov. 17. The county Board of Supervisors will do the same on Nov. 18.

“We take the community’s feedback seriously,” John Stefanski, assistant city manager, said in response to an inquiry about the criticism. “Every email, call and comment is reviewed by city staff. The city will continue to engage with neighbors — not just now, but throughout the life of the program.”

The community is invited to provide comments on the final “good neighbor” policy, safety and security measures and site design, Stefanski said.

An in-person meeting is set from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday at Osher Marin JCC at 200 N. San Pedro Road in San Rafael. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with staff, provide comments and learn more about the project.

The webinar started with introductions from officials, including San Rafael Vice Mayor Maribeth Bushey and Marin County Supervisor Mary Sackett, whose districts include the neighborhood.

“We show up because we care, and we know that you care, and that’s why we’re here to bring as much information as we possibly can tonight,” Bushey said.

Bushey said the project “is a way for San Rafael to help address the unhoused residents among us who need help being brought to a level of stability so that they can help themselves.”

Participants also heard testimony from Alicia Owens, a San Rafael resident who was homeless before being housed through the county’s coordinated entry program. She called her period of homelessness “one of the most difficult times of my life.”

“Every day was a repeat of constant uncertainty, tremendous loss paired with fear and a loss of hope,” Owens said.

Owens now serves as a community liaison for the county’s Lived Experience Advisory Board.

“This project at 350 Merrydale is not just about housing,” she said. “It’s about creating a pathway to stability and healing for our community within our community.”

Officials provided an overview of the city’s response to homelessness over the past few years. The period has included camping restrictions, sanctioned camping areas and legal challenges.

Officials also discussed the proposed agreement between the city and the county, as well as information about how the shelter site would operate. The presentation was followed by an hourlong question-and-answer period in which officials responded to presubmitted written questions.

The project cost will include $7.3 million for land acquisition and $1.6 million for startup costs, officials said. It will cost approximately $2 million a year to operate. The county will provide $8 million to acquire the land and to cover the startup costs. Operations are also supported by a state grant program.

Officials have funds to operate the site until June 30, 2027. The agreement includes two options for one-year extensions, meaning the shelter site could exist through June 30, 2029.

That said, the agreement would commit the city to entitle the property by June 30, 2028, paving the way for an affordable housing complex with a minimum of 80 apartments.

If agreements are approved, it is expected to open in early 2026. The existing city-sanctioned encampment at the Mahon Creek Path would be wound down by April. Camp residents who are interested would be transferred to the Merrydale Road property.

Officials addressed a question about why the shelter operation could not be constructed at the Mahon Creek Path campsite.

Daniel Cooperman, the city’s community services division director, said 350 Merrydale Road is a flat, accessible lot large enough to fit the 65 cabins, and the cost was within the city and county budget. Also, the site has structures for office and meeting space, and it has electricity.

The property is also listed in the city’s planning documents as a suitable place to develop into dwellings, he said.

Residents asked about the cabin structures, amenities and services.

Officials said the cabins will be prefabricated structures with insulation, a door with a lock, electricity and heating. There would be a designated pet area with veterinary support. The site would include shared bathrooms, showers and laundry.

Food would be provided, but no cooking would happen onsite. Residents would be assigned case managers and provided with referrals for social services that cannot be performed on site.

When asked about safety and security, officials said there would be round-the-clock security, staff-controlled entry, perimeter fencing and lighting. There would be regular police and fire safety reviews at the site and a code of conduct required for all residents. Police also will patrol the neighborhood.

Officials said they would establish a “good neighbor policy” to ensure good standing with the surrounding community.

Officials said the City Council will consider new restrictions in the spring to ban camping at the Mahon Creek site and within a certain proximity of the new cabins. The city would also consider parking restrictions to prevent camping in vehicles in the Rafael Meadows area.

Staff touted the success of the camp at Mahon Creek Path. Prior to the camp and its restrictions, there were 256 emergency calls for service in the area. That dropped to 49 after the sanctioned camp was established, Cooperman said. In the nearby Andersen Drive and Lindaro Street area, calls for service decreased from 65 to 32, Cooperman said.

The city says 15 people who went through services at the camp have been permanently housed; 48 are working with case managers; 35 have secured employment or financial assistance; 53 are enrolled in benefits; and 15 people requested substance use treatment or mental health services and received referrals. Forty-nine people live at the camp now.

Residents asked why the project planning was done in closed session.

Cooperman said 20 properties were vetted and it took more than two years to find a suitable site. Under the Brown Act, which regulates public meetings in California, the city has the authority to discuss property negotiations in closed session, he said.

“This protects taxpayer funds by establishing leverage and price negotiations,” he said. “And until a tentative agreement was reached, there was not enough information to share.”

After the meeting, participants complained that they had more specific questions about safety that were not addressed. One of the big ones is whether people with a criminal history or sex offender status would be allowed to live there, resident Ashley Frost said.

“As a mother, my child’s safety is my highest priority,” she said. “The idea that someone with a serious offense record could be walking through the same streets where my toddler lives and plays is deeply unsettling.”

After the meeting, city officials said they addressed more than 50 questions during the session and that staff have developed a frequently-asked-questions web page with 33 responses. It was expected to be updated with more.

Stefanski said safety is a top priority and the code of conduct would prohibit “violence, illegal activity or behavior that threatens others’ safety.”

“We are working with the county and service providers on developing criteria for participation in the program and will have more information to share with the community,” he said. “Individuals who do not follow the code of conduct will be removed from the program, and the city will ensure that those individuals do not reestablish encampments near the site or otherwise violate the city’s camping ordinance.”

Several residents said they want the city and county to slow down.

“The main thing is we want a say,” Sheeran said. “I don’t think it should be up to the mayor and council to tell us what is best for us.”

Dickinson agreed.

“I think what we’re asking is reasonable,” he said.

Project information and updates are at cityofsanrafael.org/merrydale.