The 415
Marin eyes more Russian River water
High-end wine isn’t the only liquid Marin imports from Sonoma—and water users in the 415 are hoping to increase their flow of Russian River H20. At least that’s the plan for the Marin Municipal Water District, whose board Feb. 25 voted to move forward with plans for a new pipeline that would draw additional water from Sonoma County aqueducts to Marin. The plan is part of the county’s goal of fortifying its supplies in the event of another drought, according to the Marin IJ , which first reported the MMWD board decision. Marin water officials estimate the district would need about another 6,500 acre-feet, or 2.1 billion gallons, of water a year to withstand another drought. About 25% of Marin’s water supply flows through channels from the Russian River watershed, with a lot of excess water going into the ocean, the IJ reported. The $168 million project would install a 3-foot -wide, 13-mile-long pipeline to bring more water to the reservoir in Nicasio. District officials estimate the project would take about four years to complete.— JW
Call it: The Precedence Precedent. At least that’s how one might look at a recent Marin Superior Court ruling requiring the County of Marin remove so-called “precedence clauses” in its countywide plan, which allowed county housing plans to override language in community plans for some established unincorporated neighborhoods. The precedence clauses were added to the countywide plan in 2023 to demonstrate the county’s resolve in furthering state fair-housing requirements. But a local resident Bruce Corcoran, who lives in the unincorporated community of Strawberry, last year filed a suit taking exception to the clauses, and Superior Court Judge Sheila Shah Lichtblau agreed. Choosing not to challenge the ruling, county supervisors voted in March to remove the clauses. Still, county officials added language specifying its commitment to conduct yearly outreach to property owners promoting housing “opportunity,” as well as addressing constraints to multifamily development and “promoting housing choice and affordability in higher resource areas,” as reported by the Marin IJ . “The court required removal of specific language in the Housing Element and other parts of the [countywide plan], but to stay legally compliant the amendments need to include replacement language indicating how the County will promote expansion of housing options in all unincorporated communities,” county officials said in a statement.— JW Marin swaps ‘fair housing’ language in county plan
The state cemetery oversight bureau will be keeping more than $50 million in endowment funds formerly controlled by the Mount Tamalpais Cemetery and Mortuary in San Rafael, a judge ruled in February. Endowment-care funds are charged when cemetery spaces are purchased—they are meant to be invested and managed by a third party in order to generate income for the maintenance and care of the cemetery. The state seized the funds in 2023 when the cemetery’s owner moved to transfer oversight of the funds to an alleged nonprofit religious organization, Evergreen Ministries, which would be exempt from state regulation. In his ruling, the judge said it was unclear if Evergreen Ministries was an actual religious organization, or merely one created by cemetery owner Buck Kamphausen to avoid state oversight and paying state taxes. The ruling said Kamphausen used the funds for purposes other than maintenance, including keeping the funds in liquid accounts meant for personal expenditures. Opened in 1879, the cemetery is home to such notable residents as baseball hall of famer Lefty Gomez, multi-sport athlete Ernie Nevers, musician Ali Akbar Khan, June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters, Giants broadcaster Russ Hodges (“the Giants win the pennant!”) and legendary Sausalito mayor and bordello madam Sally Stanford. Judge blasts San Rafael cemetery’s religious filing
April 2025
NorthBaybiz 13
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease