Bay Area

Community Input Key to Marin City Stormwater Plan: Engagement is crucial element in identifying flood risk reduction solutions

This spring, the Marin City community is invited to share its own ideas and first-hand experiences with flood control specialists tasked with reducing flood risk and related inconveniences for the area. During storm season and high tides, the unincorporated neighborhood near Richardson Bay is regularly impacted by flooding tied to challenging drainage issues. During storm season and high tides, Marin City is regularly impacted by flooding tied to challenging drainage issues. A new stormwater plan will incorporate community feedback, and public meetings begin soon.

Published

3 years ago

March 27, 2023

Oakland Post

During storm season and high tides, Marin City is regularly impacted by flooding tied to challenging drainage issues. A new stormwater plan will incorporate community feedback, and public meetings begin soon. (Google Earth photo)

San Rafael, CA – This spring, the Marin City community is invited to share its own ideas and first-hand experiences with flood control specialists tasked with reducing flood risk and related inconveniences for the area. During storm season and high tides, the unincorporated neighborhood near Richardson Bay is regularly impacted by flooding tied to challenging drainage issues.

The Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is looking to maximize resident attendance and participation at community meetings as it begins work on its Marin City Stormwater Plan. The first of three community meetings is scheduled for June 1 at a location that has yet to be determined. Meeting information will be made available soon on the Marin Flood District website’s project page.

Meanwhile, a local task force will assure that community interests and concerns are taken into account during the 18-month development of the stormwater plan. The task force was created in collaboration with the Marin City community and includes representatives from the Gateway Shopping Center (which manages the Marin City pond adjacent to southbound Highway 101), the Marin City Community Development Corporation, the Marin City Community Services District, the Sausalito Marin City School District, Caltrans, Coast Miwok Tribal Council of Marin, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, Floating Homes Association, the National Park Service Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin Water, and Marin County Parks. Residents representing upper and lower watershed property owners, local students, and young people have been invited to the task force as well.

There will be a total of five task force meetings and three community meetings over the 18-month process. The first task force meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 3. Outcomes of the task force meetings and community meetings will be posted on the District website’s project page.

“Public safety and awareness are top priorities, so community engagement is key to the success of the stormwater plan,” said Berenice Davidson, Assistant Director of Marin County Department of Public Works and the District. “The task force is going to ensure that community interests and concerns are being heard and that potential design options are in alignment with that community input. The heightened focus on community engagement is what makes this plan distinct from past studies. By community, we mean property owners, residents, nonprofits and public agencies; collaboration is crucial.”

The geography of the watershed creates complex challenges for developing flood risk reduction measures. During storms, rainfall channels its way from the surrounding Marin Headlands into Marin City and out to Richardson Bay. The densely populated area was built upon wetlands and stormwater runoff can overwhelm the neighborhood’s aging drainage system and lead to localized flooding, particularly when storms and high tides coincide. The flooding can slow or prevent first-responders from assisting people in need and limit residents from accessing essential goods and services.

The Marin City Stormwater Plan will build upon findings from several prior studies, addressing the locations where water flow is hampered, and recommend improvements that reduce flood risk, improve drainage, and maintain public access. Plan completion is targeted for summer 2024.

Once complete, the stormwater plan will provide detailed recommendations for potential projects that could then be implemented by local or state agencies. The plan would also be used as a basis for grant funding applications and associated environmental review requirements.

The estimated $785,000 cost of the plan is funded by the District’s Flood Control Zone 3 (Richardson Bay) budget. The District plans to coordinate with Caltrans as it develops its sea level rise project for State Route 1 and U.S. Highway 101 between the Manzanita Park & Ride lot (owned by Caltrans) and Marin City.

For updates on the Marin City Stormwater Plan, please check the project webpage regularly for new information.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Newsom Unveils Restorative, Rehabilitative Vision for San Quentin Prison

Don't Miss

Biden Issues Another Executive Order Seeking to Curb Gun Violence

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.