C. BUILDING A VISION

The Trust for Public Land convened an intensive community engagement process in the spring of 2019 to educate the community about its project objectives, solicit feedback as to conservation-compatible uses for the property, and develop a long-term vision to guide future stewards of the land. Though not a public agency, TPL recognized the property’s unique public value and the importance of outreach to the community about its future. This section summarizes that feedback, and outlines the key considerations informing development of the Vision Framework.

Summary Of Community Feedback

By the end of 2019, the project team had identified seven major categories of community feedback (including a catch-all “Other” category). (Fig: Themes matrix with suggested uses)

1. Restoration: There is strong support in the community for habitat and ecosystem restoration on the San Geronimo property. Throughout the engagement process, the community expressed support for: restoring San Geronimo Creek to preserve fish habitat, daylighting Larsen Creek and its tributaries, protecting the Larsen Meadow and San Geronimo Meadow parcels as open space preserves, and creating wildlife corridors, especially from the San Geronimo Meadow parcel to the Clubhouse parcel.

2. Recreation: There is overwhelming community interest and support for multi-use trails on the property for passive recreational pursuits such as walking, bicycling, riding, and enjoyment of nature; trail connections to Roy’s Redwoods and surrounding open space areas; and safe crossings across Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. and Nicasio Valley Road. The community expressed a desire to see parks on the property, opportunities for outdoor nature education and interpretation, picnic and play areas, and active recreational uses specifically on the Clubhouse parcel.

3. Regenerative Land Management Practices: Some community members expressed a keen interest in using the property for farming and agricultural activities, while others strongly objected to these uses. Community suggestions for

Recreation

• Public recreational access

• Safe routes to school

• Connections from the school to the preserves

• Multi-use paths for walking, running, biking, and horseback riding

• Bike paths (flat)

• Back nine park

• Children’s playground

• Skate park

• Disc golf

• Fly-casting pool / Fishing pond

• Bocce courts

• Archery

• Safe crossing (Sir Francis Drake)

• Equestrian trails

• Tennis courts

• Batting cages

• Swimming pond

• Soccer field

• Camping

Land Management

• Community garden expansion

• Community orchard

• Demonstration farm/garden

• Local food growth (general)

• Regenerative farming/permaculture farm

• Hands-on stewardship

• Sheep/goat grazing

• Botanical gardens

• Food forest

• Sell locally grown food

• Fish restoration

• Restoration of riparian habitat/ Daylighting streams

• Creek restoration

• Remediation and restoration with native vegetation

• Open space preserve

• Hands-on stewardship

• Community hub

• Nonprofit hub

• Cafe/Locally sourced restaurant (farm to table)

• Community commercial kitchen

• Event center

• Education center

• Art Center

• Larson Creek restoration

• Pond removal

• Traditional cultural property area (coast miwok)

• Beer garden

• Bike repair self-help shop

• Kid/teen center

• Virtual reality golf lab

• Fire station relocation from Woodacre

• Fire refuge area

• Affordable housing co-located with a relocated fire station- especially workforce housing

• Carbon sequestration

• Additional restrooms

• Makers’ spaces

• Art installation

• None

• Waste water treatment and recycling

• Sculpture garden

• Natural burial site

• Local power grid (solar and wind)

• Labyrinth

• Additional parking

• Additional entrances

• “18 Holes of art”

• Affordable Housing regenerative land management practices that could be compatible with shared conservation, nature interpretation and public access goals in appropriate locations include community gardens, native plant harvest areas, demonstration spaces (for example, for rainwater capture and infiltration projects), and carefully managed and controlled seasonal grazing for restored soil health and weed and fuel management. Any such uses would need to be carefully considered for compatibility with water conservation, protection of sensitive habitat, and public safety, and located in suitable locations. In addition, community members encouraged the planning team and future owners to consider including permaculture principles into community decision-making processes regarding future uses.

4. Circulation (Trails and Pathways): Throughout the community engagement process the community clearly articulated a strong desire for safe, multi-use paths and safe routes through the San Geronimo Commons.

5. Community: There is also a strong desire in the community to make the existing clubhouse building and surrounding areas available for community purposes, such as meeting rooms and event spaces for nonprofit and community groups, maker or artist spaces, social gatherings, and public art. There is also significant support for creating opportunities on the property for educational programs and nature interpretation where appropriate.

6. Fire Safety: The community has expressed concern over fire vulnerability in the area, and has consistently supported relocation of the Woodacre fire station to the property to ensure a ‘hub’ of fire resilience in the Valley. A shared goal of ensuring the property contributes to the fire and climate resilience of the Valley has been expressed through suggestions for conservation-compatible fuel management and restoration of significant portions of the property to well-managed native vegetation and open grasslands to sustain ecological health.

Based on these themes, the project team developed the following Site Planning Frameworks to identify shared priorities, understand necessary trade-offs, and focus the discussion of future uses.

Site Planning Frameworks

1. Restoration and Ecological Management: Prioritizing habitat and ecosystem restoration activities that enhance the region’s biodiversity and climate resilience and maximize the opportunity to restore the Bay Area’s last great Coho Salmon run in the greater Lagunitas Creek watershed

2. Recreation: Continuing to provide and expand upon passive recreational opportunities on the property, while supporting the health of its ecological resources.

3. Access & Connectivity: Ensuring safe access for all and better connectivity to adjacent public lands through a regional trail network.

4. Community: Supporting opportunities to create a social and community hub and related amenities on the property.

5. Fire Safety: Supporting fire resilience for the Valley by making space for a new fire station and ensuring that the uses of the property are consistent with fire and climate resilience.

6. Partnerships and Funding: Creating a vision that is financially feasible, creates opportunities for strategic partnerships, and furthers conservation, land stewardship, and public access objectives. The Site Planning Frameworks have served as the basis to determine how space on the property could be used in the future. They inform the location and extent of the conservation areas, location of circulation trails, site entrances, and other uses. The following two sections on Site Opportunities and Key Site Planning Considerations, summarize opportunities for future use, highlight possible areas of incompatibility, and provide specific guidance for addressing them in a future site plan.

Site Opportunity Zones

The San Geronimo Commons property includes three large parcels, which are the focus of this Vision Framework. Each parcel presents varying opportunities for restoration, conservation, circulation/access, recreation, and other community uses. Considerations for future use and conservation of the San Geronimo Commons begin by evaluating the property’s hydrological, ecological, recreational, and scenic attributes. Each of these features presents independent opportunities and constraints, and when intertwined, represent an integrated social and ecological environment. This section summarizes specific physical conditions in each opportunity zone that lend themselves to opportunities as well as constraints.

Priority Floodplain Restoration Zone

A core value shared by TPL and many in the conservation and local community is the unique opportunity that the San Geronimo Commons property offers for restoring the ecological health and function of the San Geronimo Creek and Larsen Creek floodplains. Through the visioning process, the project team has worked closely with experts, partners, and knowledgeable community members to identify areas of the property that hold the highest potential ecological benefit, focusing future restoration efforts on projects that will protect and restore floodplain functions and improve both spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids. These Priority Floodplain Restoration Zones are intended to reserve essential areas along the creeks and drainages of the site for current and future ecological restoration efforts, prioritizing their protection and enhancement. As such, infrastructure development should be minimized and recreational uses thoughtfully managed in these areas. To protect spawning and rearing fish as well as other sensitive species, care should be taken to ensure pets are prevented from entering riparian and floodplain areas, except on leash on specifically identified trails that ensure recreational connections to suitable pet-friendly areas.

Priority Upland Wildlife Habitat Zone

Another exceptional natural feature of the property is its unique capacity for preserving, enhancing, and expanding wildlife movement across the Valley and between adjacent protected open space areas. A significant impediment to wildlife movement is Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. This threat to wildlife is likely to become more severe over time as traffic and infrastructure demands increase. Another, less tangible impact on wildlife movement can be the concentrated presence of people and their pets - which can reduce the willingness or ability for slower moving or sensitive wildlife through these more populated areas - and the related use of fencing to manage access and provide for public safety. Priority Upland Wildlife Habitat Zones recognize areas of particular value to wildlife movement within the property to ensure that land use, infrastructure, lighting, and public access within these areas are managed to protect and promote wildlife passage. Public access improvements within these zones should be carefully designed and managed to protect, and when possible, enhance current wildlife use, while also making these areas available for future restoration consistent with this value. The Vision Framework recognizes that in the event of the future widening or intensification of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, installation of a wildlife crossing may be desirable, and notes that a suitable location for such a crossing could be considered in the Priority Upland Wildlife Zone in the northeastern portion of the San Geronimo Meadow Parcel.

Future Potential Restoration Zone

Future Potential Restoration Zones designate areas that will contribute to the overall ecological health of the site and its ability to convey stream flow, support fish and wildlife, and rebuild healthy soils and native vegetation. While these areas may not be actively restored in the immediate future, they are recognized for their potential, and use of these areas will provide for future restoration by allowing for compatible recreation and nature interpretation activities. that do not require significant development of improvements.

Managed Natural Lands Zone

The Vision Framework recognizes that several areas of the property will be managed in an open, grassland setting to support both wildlife uses and a variety of conservationcompatible low-impact recreational uses, including picnicking, walking, birdwatching, and the quiet enjoyment and interpretation of nature. Managed Natural Land Zones include areas adjacent to homes and other structures where a higher level of fuel management is appropriate and called for in the property’s fuel management plan. These zones may also include small areas on the property that are maintained for picnic tables, benches, nature interpretation, and similar low-impact activities. While these areas may be more actively managed through mowing, ecologically directed seasonal grazing, and other low-impact approaches, use of impermeable surfaces or significant modifications to topography will be avoided. By contrast, the Clubhouse Parcel will allow for a broader range of recreational and community gathering spaces and uses.

Community Benefit/ Mixed Use Zone

While all areas and zones of the San Geronimo Commons property benefit the community through the restoration and conservation-compatible public access and recreational opportunities they offer, the Community Benefit/ Mixed Use Zone identifies the Clubhouse Parcel as the focal point for more intensive community-serving amenities and uses. Centrally located, with ample public parking and access, and utility hookups already in place, the Community Benefit Zone is the ideal location for community and educational programming, such as community classrooms, meeting spaces, workshops, farmers markets, outdoor concerts, art installations, community gardens, ceremonial spaces, and other community/social uses. The Community Benefit Zone is also the most suitable place for a new fire station. This zone has the potential to provide significant community and public safety benefits, and will serve as a recreational and social hub – the heart of the Commons– connecting all other parts of the property and surrounding open space areas through a network of trails and pathways.

Key Site Planning Considerations

Conservation Priority

The Trust for Public Land is committed to permanently protecting the property’s natural resource values, in particular fish and wildlife habitat, enhanced stream flows, publicly accessible natural open space, and circulation for both people and wildlife. Future uses of the San Geronimo Commons should support efforts to restore and enhance its natural resources, and be limited to activities that do not impair or interfere with the property’s ecological health or the strength and viability of its natural resource values.

Climate Resilience

Climate change has emerged as the world’s most critical environmental issue, as well as one of the most pressing social, economic, and health challenges of our time. While climate change is a global issue, its impacts are felt most acutely at the local level. From longer, hotter summers to record fire seasons, the impacts of climate change are very real for residents of California and the San Geronimo Valley. The Trust for Public Land is committed to addressing climate change through its work to ensure healthy, livable communities by creating parks and protecting and restoring land for people and nature. There is growing recognition that parks and open spaces are an important part of the climate solution: they reduce carbon pollution; slow and absorb floodwater; enable species to adapt to climate-related habitat loss, cool communities; and protect people and infrastructure from increasingly severe storms, sea-level rise, heat waves, and droughts. The San

Geronimo Commons offers valuable opportunities for sustaining and enhancing the climate resilience of the San Geronimo Valley through carbon sequestration; restoration of streams and floodplain habitat for droughtand temperature-sensitive aquatic and riparian resources; protection and enhancement of critical wildlife corridors, and by providing cool, quiet green spaces where community members can seek refuge and recreation during high temperatures.

Carbon Sequestration

Human activities, for example the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil, have increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, amplifying Earth’s natural greenhouse effect. The annual rate of increase in annual carbon dioxide over the past 60 years is 100 times faster than previous natural increases, such as those that occurred at the end of the last ice age 11,000 to 17,000 years ago. Parks and open space areas have a signiicant role to play in mitigating the risks of climate change. For example, it is estimated that tree canopy in urban parks and along streets sequesters more than 90 million metric tons of carbon and removes 711,000 metric tons of air pollution annuallyequivalent to removing more than 19 million cars from the road for one year. Trees also filter particulate matter from automobiles and other vehicles, and wetlands are considered to be among the most important ecosystems available to counteract climate change through carbon sequestration. By virtue of its enormous conservation and restoration potential, the San Geronimo Commons property provides an opportunity to mitigate climate change impacts through enhanced green spaces and biological carbon sequestration.

Habitat Impacts and Adaptation

In general, wildlife corridors protect species by providing access to essential resources like food, water, and shelter; mitigating habitat fragmentation; and maintaining biodiversity by increasing gene flow between small and fragmented wildlife populations. Climate change can result in a loss of natural habitat, requiring species to quickly adapt. In these circumstances, wildlife corridors and connectivity promote climate resilience by allowing species to move over time to cooler temperatures and moister soils, and follow plant and insect populations as they too adapt. A climate-resilient future for the San Geronimo Commons property includes robust protection, enhancement, and expansion of wildlife habitat and corridors.

Water Conservation

Higher temperatures caused by climate change increase evapotranspiration from vegetation, land, surface water, and oceans. More water in the atmosphere caused by a warming climate leads to more precipitation, and an increased risk of flooding. It also results in more precipitation in the form of rain rather than water-storing snow. A warmer climate also increases the risk of longer and more severe periods of drought as is evidenced throughout the West Coast. All of this may contribute to an increased demand for irrigation and greater water scarcity in California. The Trust for Public Land stopped irrigating the San Geronimo Commons, in particular the meadow parcels, in 2018, and future uses of the Commons similarly envision restricted irrigation to conserve water and return it to local reservoirs and creeks.

Fire Safety

Climate change is a key factor in increasing the risk and severity of wildfire. Hotter temperatures, less dependable precipitation, and snowpack that melts sooner leads to drier soil and parched vegetation. In California, climate change has doubled the number of extremerisk days for wildfires according to climate scientists (Mulkern 2020).

The Vision Framework contemplates addressing such impacts locally by managing the San Geronimo Commons property for climate and fire resilience, and by creating space for a new Marin County fire station. The Marin County Fire Department’s current headquarters in Woodacre, built 80 years ago, is badly outdated, too far from major roads, and too small to effectively serve the County and the San Geronimo Valley. The San Geronimo Commons provides an opportunity to remedy this situation.

Recreation and Amenities

The Trust for Public Land is committed to protecting and envisioning recreational opportunities that are compatible with restoration goals and priorities for the San Geronimo Commons. Of the five planning zones, the Community Benefit Zone on the

Clubhouse Parcel offers the most opportunity for active recreational and community-serving uses, public safety infrastructure, community gardens, regenerative land management practices and demonstration spaces, and other social and community programming. The San Geronimo Meadow parcel has high restoration value and is most suitable for natural open space, low-impact trails, nature interpretation, habitat restoration, and future trail connections to Woodacre. The Larsen Meadow parcel also has meaningful restoration potential, and would support a variety of conservation-compatible recreation and outdoor activities such as multiuse trails, and outdoor educational and interpretive opportunities. Future use of the San Geronimo Commons shall protect natural resource values and restoration priorities, while enabling public access and engagement with the natural environment as well as compatible community amenities. Below are further factors for consideration relating to recreation and community uses:

• Areas of high ecological sensitivity should be protected

• Recreational uses should be directed to areas of lower ecological sensitivity

• Wildlife corridor protection should be prioritized

• Dog access should be managed to protect sensitive habitat areas

• Linkages to adjacent public lands should be identified and enhanced.

• Environmental education and stewardship opportunities should be provided

• Equal, ADA-complaint access should be provided

• Specific site needs, sensitivities, and resources available to potential future owners or management agencies should be considered.

• Access points, limitations, and regulations should be clearly defined with signage; primary entry points identified; and site maps provided to discourage formation of social trails that adversely impact restoration areas.

Trails and Access

The San Geronimo Valley is in the geographic center of Marin County. The Commons property is similarly at the heart of over 100,000 acres of existing public lands. Its parking lot, pathways, tunnel, and bridge are the perfect launching pad for adventures into this remarkable landscape. It will be important to ensure that future use of the property for public access and recreational opportunities is compatible with restoration goals, by integrating trails and trailheads that support low-impact recreational uses such as walking, bicycling, riding, and enjoyment of nature. Other key considerations will be to avoid impediments to creek flow and/or conservation corridors in the location and design of trails; and to minimize and maintain creek crossings, periodically checking them for debris or other impediments.

Vision Concepts

Building upon the Site Opportunity Zones and Key Site Planning considerations, the project team developed vision concepts that further explore the interrelationship between site ecology, conservation areas, landscape, circulation/trail patterns, and compatible community uses - to create opportunities for memorable and meaningful experiences on the property.

San Geronimo Meadow Parcel

The San Geronimo Meadow parcel is bounded by Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to the north, San Geronimo Valley Drive to the south and west, and the Marin Municipal Water District Water Treatment Plant to the east. Immediately adjacent to the parcel, on the west and south, are single family homes, a church, nursery and other community services. The Gary Giacomini Preserve is in close proximity, to the south.

The San Geronimo Meadow parcel supports a significant reach of San Geronimo Creek, which runs east-west through the broad valley floor, flanked by a mature riparian corridor and majestic heritage oaks. Adjacent open meadow areas reflect a transition from former irrigated golf uses to a more natural grassland community type, interspersed by four small constructed irrigation ponds supporting wetland habitat. San Geronimo Creek connects to the broader network of streams in the Lagunitas Creek watershed, the largest watershed in the region and of state-wide significance for protected aquatic species. The San Geronimo Valley is one of the most ecologically important areas for salmon recovery in California. San Geronimo Creek provides vital habitat for endangered Central California Coast Coho Salmon and steelhead trout because it has not been dammed and there are fewer barriers than other streams in the watershed.

Because of the critical role that San Geronimo Creek plays as a primary spawning and rearing area for Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout, restoration of San Geronimo Creek and its floodplain is a priority for this parcel. This Framework envisions extensive creek and floodplain restoration for the San Geronimo Meadow parcel with an emphasis on habitat restoration for

Coho Salmon, Steelhead, and other aquatic and riparian species that are supported there. The protection and enhancement of wildlife corridors will also be a priority. Complementary public access and quiet, low-impact recreation such as walking, natureviewing, and nature interpretation may co-exist here, but active recreation, agricultural activities, or structures of any kind are not compatible. Pet and horse access should be limited to specific through-trails to protect sensitive wildlife habitat, spawning and rearing fish, and other sensitive resources. Use of livestock for weed management should be closely monitored, and should avoid all riparian areas.

Conservation and restoration opportunities on the San Geronimo Meadow parcel include:

• Restoration and enhancement of floodplains

• Improved, more complex instream habitats that function across a range of future potential conditions for salmonids and other aquatic species

• Riparian corridor conservation and enhancement for habitat protection, wildlife movement, and ecosystem resilience

• Restoration and enhancement of wetland habitats

To minimize impacts to the natural resource values, these conservation and restoration priorities should inform future public access, placement of trails and pathways, and recreational and community opportunities on the San Geronimo parcel. Conservationcompatible programs and activities on this parcel may include the following ideas suggested by the community and public stakeholders:

• Well-designed and managed primary and secondary trails and tertiary footpaths, for example, a multi-use trail running parallel to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and outside of sensitive ecological areas to accommodate hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders; and tertiary footpaths that allow for quiet contemplation of nature.

• Trailheads and connections to existing trails in adjacent open space areas, and connections that support safe routes to schools.

• Low-impact recreational activities including trail use, picnicking, outdoor gatherings and play in managed natural areas.

• Natural, historical, and cultural education and interpretation programs. Interpretive panels and use of existing structures for lowimpact nature education, including ecological, natural, historical, and cultural education and interpretation programs.

Larsen Meadow Parcel

The Larsen Meadow parcel is bounded by Nicasio Valley Road to the east, West Nicasio Road to the north, and Lagunitas School Road to the southwest. West Nicasio Road is a private road that provides access to the French Ranch residential community and contains a public trail easement on its southernmost edge. Marin County open space surrounds the Larsen Meadow parcel. To the north is the French Ranch Open Space Preserve. The Maurice Thorner Memorial Preserve bounds the parcel to the south. Across Nicasio Valley Road to the east is Roy’s Redwoods Preserve, and the Lagunitas School and San Geronimo Valley Community Center border the southwestern edge of the property.

Larsen Creek and its tributaries are the primary features on the Larsen Meadow parcel. Additionally, there are open meadows, perennial and intermittent streams, and seasonal wetlands. Larsen Creek and its tributaries are an important part of the effort to restore the broader Lagunitas Creek Watershed. While Larsen Creek, in particular, supports salmon and steelhead populations, there are other special status species that occur there as well. By virtue of its location amid three open space preserves, the Larsen Meadow parcel allows for uninterrupted wildlife movement. With deliberate restoration efforts, there is a significant opportunity to create wildlife corridors that connect the preserves together and support wildlife movement and migration. The Larsen Meadow parcel is envisioned to be a quiet restorative place in a natural open setting, with significant restoration potential, and opportunities for multi-use trails, outdoor education, nature interpretation, and low-impact facilities such as picnic tables and benches.

Conservation and restoration opportunities on Larsen Meadow parcel include:

• Creek channel and floodplain restoration including creek daylighting

• Improved stream flow for salmonids and other aquatic species

• Riparian corridor conservation for habitat protection and wildlife movement

• Wildlife corridor enhancement

• Restoration and enhancement of wetland habitats

To minimize impacts to the natural resource values, these conservation and restoration priorities should inform future public access, placement of trails and pathways, recreational and community opportunities on the Larsen Meadow parcel. Conservationcompatible programs and activities on this parcel may include the following ideas suggested by the community and public stakeholders:

• Well-designed and managed primary and secondary trails and tertiary footpaths, for example, a multi-use trail traversing the Larsen Meadow parcel from access points at the Clubhouse parcel and Lagunitas School Road, and footpaths to appropriate picnic areas

• Trailheads and connections to existing trails in adjacent open spaces areas, and connections that support safe routes to schools.

• Recreational activities in appropriate areas, including trail use, picnicking, bird watching, and outdoor gatherings and play in managed natural areas

• Nature education and interpretation

• Native plant propagation and harvest, and similar indigenous cultural practices

• Natural, historical, and cultural education and interpretation programs

• Fly casting ponds in suitable locations away from streams and drainages

• Managed dog access outside riparian, wetland and aquatic habitat areas

• Low-impact facilities such as limited picnic tables and benches, nature play using unpaved surfaces, and a restroom facility

Clubhouse Parcel/ Community Commons

The Clubhouse parcel is at the intersection of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Nicasio Valley Road. Historically, it has served as the entrance to the property, marked by a gateway sign. This is the most developed area of the property with an existing clubhouse building from the former golf course, access roads, and a parking lot for 200 cars.

Because of its location between the San Geronimo Meadow parcel and the Larsen Meadow parcel, it plays an important role in connecting the northern and southern meadows of the property. This function is supported by the pathway tunnel under Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and the pedestrian bridge over Nicasio Valley Road.

When the property was a golf course, the Clubhouse parcel served as a popular venue for weddings, fundraisers, and other community events. More recently, a local group started a community garden on the northeastern part of the parcel. While the San Geronimo Meadow and Larsen Meadow parcels have the greatest conservation and restoration potential, the Clubhouse parcel presents the most opportunity for recreation and other communityfocused programming. Because of its location on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, safe and easy accessibility, distance from neighboring homes, and limited restoration potential, the Clubhouse parcel is also the most suitable location for a new Marin County fire station.

Possible future uses on the Clubhouse Parcel may include the following ideas suggested by the community and public stakeholders:

• Stand-alone Marin County fire station and related amenities

• VERG refuge or safe space area in event of emergencies

• Multi-use trailheads, trails, and connections to existing trails in adjacent open space areas, and connections that support safe routes to schools

• Active recreation such as bocce courts, archery, kids’ playground, etc.

• Outdoor art and sculpture installations

• Garden and regenerative land management opportunities under two acres:

• Existing and/or new community gardens

• Native harvest garden

• Pollinator gardens

• Demonstration sites for rainwater capture, regenerative land management, permaculture practices, and related projects

• Fenced dog area

• Outdoor community events:

• Farmers’ markets

• Outdoor concerts and local music venues

• Indigenous cultural, educational, and ceremonial uses

• Commons area for organized and spontaneous social and recreational uses, such as family picnics, pop-up food spots,

• Community-serving uses in the former golf course clubhouse:

• Administrative space for the Marin County Fire Department

• Local nonprofit meetings and administrative space

• Community classrooms and meeting space

• Community Center programming, including job skill and youth services, art and cultural events, and social service programs

• Business incubator space

• Teen center

• Nature education programming

• Maker spaces, artist studios and/ or galleries

• Museum/historical/cultural exhibits and uses

• Reference library

• Wildlife Corridors

The Former Golf Course Clubhouse

Re-purposing of the existing Clubhouse building presents a possible venue for integrated fire and community functions, with portions of the building potentially accommodating Marin County Fire Department administrative and storage needs, and portions serving mixed-community functions. For example, the former clubhouse could serve as a space for meetings and trainings, educational programming, nonprofit and/or community center programming, maker and artist studies, etc. The Clubhouse could also serve as an anchor for outdoor events, such as farmers’ market, community celebrations, and recreational events. Given its central location within the valley, accessibility, large parking lot, and adjacent public open space opportunities, the Clubhouse location is ideal for such uses.

Community Benefit Zone

Tied to the use of the Clubhouse building is the area of the property most heavily devoted to communityfocused uses and amenities. Here, the parking lot could act as the primary setting off point and trailhead for park and open space users, and the community gardens would further define this space as a social hub. Across the driveway, open space areas could be set aside for activities and community programming that are not appropriate for the more ecologically sensitive San Geronimo and Larsen Creek Meadow areas. This is the most suitable area for a future fire station, which would serve as an important community asset in this area. Plantings and visual enhancements could provide a buffer between community and fire department spaces.

Primary Parking Area / Trailhead

The main parking area adjacent to the Clubhouse would continue to serve as the primary setting-off point for visitors to the property. With a capacity for close to 200 vehicles, the existing parking area provides abundant space for users of the open space and community areas. Consideration should be made for stormwater runoff at the parking lot, which could be managed or treated through the introduction of retention basins or filtration gardens surrounding the paved area.

Community Gardens and Regenerative Land Management Area

As a well-loved asset already existing on the property, the Vision Framework seeks to protect and potentially expand the area of the community garden within the Clubhouse parcel to accommodate additional gardens, a native harvest garden, pollinator-friendly plants, and/or demonstration sites for regenerative land management activities such as rainwater capture, infiltration, carbon sequestration, and other demonstration projects focused on soil health, stormwater management, and aquifer recharge. This area would be integral to the social and community nature of the Clubhouse parcel, and representative of the community’s values, including land management and ecological stewardship, nature education, and the importance of communal gathering and interaction.