Bay Area

$4 Million Dedicated to Affordable Housing in Fairfax: County loan allows nonprofit to purchase, rehabilitate apartments

The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a $4 million loan[PDF] from the County’s Affordable Housing Fund on January 31 so a nonprofit housing development and management company can buy and refurbish an 80-unit complex in Fairfax, preserving it for lower-income residents.

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2023

Oakland Post

Sherwood Oaks Apartments in Fairfax

San Rafael, CA – The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved a $4 million loan[PDF] from the County’s Affordable Housing Fund on January 31 so a nonprofit housing development and management company can buy and refurbish an 80-unit complex in Fairfax, preserving it for lower-income residents.

MidPen Housing Corporation[External] will receive the loan from the Affordable Housing Fund, designed to support multifamily projects throughout Marin that house those earning at or below 80% of the area median income, or about $149,100 for a household of four. Marin, one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, is experiencing a severe shortage of homes for lower-income households.

The funding is earmarked for Sherwood Oaks Apartments at 200 Bolinas Road in downtown Fairfax, walking distance from grocery stores, parks, and public transit and situated in a highly regarded school district. MidPen, based in San Mateo County, is seeking additional grants and loans to complete its first acquisition in Marin.

The County’s loan is coordinated by the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) Housing and Federal Grants Division. The fund helps the County leverage additional state, federal and philanthropic dollars to increase the supply of affordable homes in Marin. MidPen’s acquisition of Sherwood Oaks will make the units permanently affordable with restrictions to prevent future displacement of existing residents and add to inventory of homes deemed affordable compared with the rest of Marin.

With social equity and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as driving motivations, the County has a long track record of effective use of the Affordable Housing Fund. CDA strives to work with nonprofits that foster diverse communities and allow residents from all backgrounds live in dignity, harmony, stability, and respect. MidPen’s project aligns with the County goal of providing housing in high-opportunity areas, defined as places that already have strong economic, environmental, and educational outcomes for residents.

Affordable Housing Fund money has been distributed through the years to projects in Marin’s cities and towns as well as the unincorporated areas of West Marin. Recent allotments have gone toward the conversion of former U.S. Coast Guard multifamily housing in Point Reyes Station, an acquisition by BRIDGE Housing, and several projects managed by Homeward Bound of Marin.

Learn more about CDA housing’s program or the federal grants program on the County website.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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Chevron Richmond Installs Baker Hughes Flare.IQ, Real-time Flare Monitoring, Control and Reduction System

While the sight of flaring can cause concern in the community, flares are essential safety systems that burn pollutants to prevent them from being released directly into the atmosphere. They activate during startup and shut-down of facility units or during upsets or equipment malfunctions. The typical flare stack is about 200 feet high so that vapors are well above street levels.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Image courtesy The Richmond Standard.

The Richmond Standard

Chevron Richmond recently installed flare.IQ, a real-time, automated system that will improve the facility’s flaring performance.

The technology, developed by Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business, uses sensors to monitor, reduce and control flaring in real time. It collects and assesses data on refinery processes, such as temperature, pressure, gas flow and gas composition, and adjusts accordingly to ensure flares burn more efficiently and cleanly, leading to fewer emissions.

“The cleaner the flare, the brighter the flame can look,” said Duy Nguyen, a Chevron Richmond flaring specialist. “If you see a brighter flame than usual on a flare, that actually means flare.IQ is operating as intended.”

“A key element in Baker Hughes’ emissions abatement portfolio, flare.IQ has a proven track record in optimizing flare operations and significantly reducing emissions,” said Colin Hehir, vice president of Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business. “By partnering with Chevron Richmond, one of the first operators in North America to adopt flare.IQ, we are looking forward to enhancing the plant’s flaring operations.”

The installation of flare.IQ is part of a broader and ongoing effort by Chevron Richmond to improve flare performance, particularly in response to increased events after the new, more efficient hydrogen plant was brought online in 2019.

Since then, the company has invested $25 million — and counting — into flare minimization. As part of the effort, a multidisciplinary refinery team was formed to find and implement ways to improve operational reliability and ultimately reduce flaring. Operators and other employees involved in management of flares and flare gas recovery systems undergo new training.

“It is important to me that the community knows we are working hard to lower emissions and improve our flaring performance,” Nguyen said.

Also evolving is the process by which community members are notified of flaring incidents. The Community Warning System (CWS), operated by Contra Costa County is an “all-hazard” public warning system.

Residents can opt-in to receive alerts via text, e-mail and landline. The CWS was recently expanded to enable residents to receive notifications for “Level 1” incidents, which are considered informational as they do not require any community action.

For more information related to these topics, check out the resources included on the Chevron Richmond, CAER and Contra Costa Health websites. Residents are also encouraged to follow @chevronrichmond and @RFDCAOnline on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where additional information may be posted during an incident.