Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for April 10, 2024

Second Northgate plan adds too many residents

As a longtime resident (27 years) of San Rafael’s Terra Linda neighborhood, I am very concerned about the second set of plans for the redevelopment of the Northgate mall (“San Rafael mall submits expanded redevelopment proposal,” March 24).

While I agree that more housing units are needed, the proposed plan can only be called excessive for this small valley. Originally, the proposal was for 1,422 units. The second plan expands it to 1,865 units. Only a tiny percentage will be designated as affordable.

If the expanded plan happens, it could add as many as 5,000 new people (many with cars) to the neighborhood. For a suburb of approximately 10,000 people, this is unsustainable for a host of reasons. How does a small community absorb, care for and supply services (police, fire, schools, water and more) for an increase of as much as 50% to its current population?

Manuel T. Freitas Parkway is the only direct freeway access to the heart of Terra Linda from Highway 101. It is used by the vast majority of Terra Linda residents. The access is just two blocks from the proposed housing units.

The other access is at North San Pedro Road. But that is at the very southern tip of Terra Linda and is not easily accessible for the majority of residents. Evacuation of the valley, in the event of fire or earthquake, could be catastrophic.

I was happy to see that the second plan enlarges the retail footprint. But where will customers park if most of the area is for housing units and resident parking?

— Kate Twitchell, Terra Linda

2008 Miller Creek squad preceded Kent perfection

Congratulations to the Kent Middle School girls basketball team (“Kent team caps a three-year unbeaten run,” April 2). The recent article about the team brought back memories of another Marin middle school girls team to go undefeated over three years.

In 2008, the Miller Creek Middle School eighth-grade girls’ basketball team captured the Marin County championship, culminating in a third consecutive undefeated season. This Miller Creek girls’ team won the Marin basketball championship in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades — a perfect three-year run.

Standouts on that team were future Marin high school and college basketball stars. Emily Easom played at Marin Catholic and was a three-time Marin all-league player. She was MCAL Player of the Year in 2012. She then played at Portland State and Sacramento State.

Hannah Caine played varsity at the Branson School for four years and was a two-time all-MCAL player. Madison Tye played at Terra Linda High School and later was part of a UCLA women’s soccer team that won the NCAA championship. Miller Creek’s Brittany Nielsen also went on to play at Terra Linda.

— Gary Caine, San Rafael

Bill to roll back solar rates deserves support

Assemblymember Damon Connolly, who represents Marin County in the state Legislature, is coauthoring Assembly Bill 1999 with 19 other Democrats (“Connolly bill proposes boost in residential solar incentives,” Feb. 21).

It would roll back the latest net energy metering rules (known as NEM 3.0), which raised rates on rooftop solar owners and decreased the amount paid back to rooftop solar owners for the kilowatt-hours of electricity sent back to the grid.

Many owners of rooftop solar panels rely on that NEM 2.0 program to help defray some cost of the initial investment. The California Public Utilities Commission’s recently proposed big utility tax is exactly why legislators need to pass AB 1999. I would like to thank Connolly for his work to address this issue.

— Ron Ford, Santa Venetia

Opening Alto Tunnel for cyclists makes sense

It was really exciting to read the Marin Voice commentary by Chris Tufts (“Open Alto Tunnel to cyclists, pedestrians,” March 13). The project would transform our community and would have such a benefit to connect communities from San Francisco to Novato (and beyond).

My 7-year-old daughter would, hopefully, be able to utilize the tunnel by the time she reaches high school. She may attend Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley (we live in Corte Madera). The thought of her riding her bike up the steep roads to the Horse Hill bike path or up (and down) the steep Camino Alto roadway is terrifying when there is a direct, safe route possible through the Alto Tunnel.

We just need to make this route a reality. I hope Tuft’s essay brings more awareness and support to this no-brainer project.

— Mike Strasser, Corte Madera

DMV must step in with rules for ‘e-motorcycles’

I am writing about recent coverage regarding electric-assist bicycles and so-called “e-motorcycles” being used by young people in Marin County.

IJ political cartoonist George Russell captured one aspect of the situation well with his drawing published April 1. “No pedals? I dunno, son,” said the dad, as his son countered with, “Pedals are old school, dad.”

I was also impressed with the Marin Voice commentary by Redwood High School students Jace Harms and Isabelle Davis (“High school students call for more e-bike safety regulations,” April 1). They’re in a position to offer excellent advice on the dangers of riding “undercover motorcycles.”

Yes, parents are responsible for their kids until they turn 18. They must figure out ways to keep kids and the community safe. Nobody under 16 years old should be riding e-motorcycles on the street, since they’re too young to have motorcycle licenses.

The bike lanes in most towns now seem like a gray area since they are meant for bicycles. Yes, they should include safely operated e-bikes, but what about electric motorcycles? This needs to be sorted out by law enforcement and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Children deemed old enough to have e-motorcycles must be trained in the rules of the road and consequences for disregarding those rules. Those lessons are taught in driver-education classes, but kids have to be 15 to take that as they start driving with learner’s permits.

Over the years, the DMV has done an excellent job of easing newly licensed 16-year-olds into the car culture we live in by a gradual loosening of restrictions in the year after licensing. Now it is faced with the conundrum of how to deal with these new vehicles invented by an industry that favors disruption and sales over safety.

— Diane Lynch, Tiburon

Trump has created a new tier of justice for himself

For a long time, the United States has had two tiers to our justice system, one for the rich and one for the poor. A poor person can languish in jail for months waiting for a trial, while a rich person can make bail for the same offense with the lost change under his couch cushions.

Recently, we seem to have added a third tier, which makes Donald Trump immune to the consequences of decades of misconduct. He can insult the court as much as he pleases, and he never spends a night in jail.

— Charles Kelly, Fairfax

Donald Trump presidency went poorly the last time

Former president Donald Trump spins a fantasy repeatedly to his followers that all was “perfect” during his reign. Some fact-checking is warranted.

He was impeached because there was credible evidence that he attempted to trade U.S. aid for political dirt on his opponent and then he was impeached again for his behavior when a weapon-carrying mob of his supporters attacked the Capitol. It is clear to me that, among world leaders, Trump was not respected.

Looking back, the war in Afghanistan, which was initiated by Trump’s fellow Republican George W. Bush, had a withdrawal timeline that some military leaders say was set in motion by Trump’s deal with the Taliban in 2020 promising a complete removal of U.S. troops.

Trump left the economy in shambles after his disastrous minimal “response” to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with his ill-conceived stimulus and tax cuts for the wealthy that dramatically increased the deficit.

— Bob Brown, Novato