Lawsuit stopping MMWD biking plan is very unfair
After reading about the lawsuit against the biking pilot program on Marin Municipal Water District land (“Marin judge blocks expanded bike access on Mount Tamalpais,” Oct. 5), I say enough with the histrionics and discrimination against a large contingent of Mount Tamalpais recreational users. I’ve been hiking, running and biking on Tam for years and find the arguments against the program bogus.
One concern is sensitive bat colonies being disturbed by “the high pitch sound of the e-bikes’ mechanical engines.” I suspect that was written by someone unfamiliar with class 1 e-bikes (the type that would be used). I don’t ride a pedal-assist bike, but I see them regularly and they are certainly more quiet than the average family of four out hiking.
Another concern is plant species being trampled by bikers going off-trail to avoid obstacles. Anyone who rides Tam knows that sticking to the trail is the best way to avoid injury or a serious case of poison oak. Where go-around areas exist, they run parallel and adjacent to the trail. If the concern is the plants, why not close the trail entirely? I often see hikers go off-trail.
The oddest concern comes from horseback riders, about the dangerous speed of cyclists. My bike weighs 30 pounds. It is powered by me. I control where it goes and how fast. The average quarter horse weighs 1,000 pounds, is incredibly powerful and has a mind of its own. I’ve spent enough time around horses to know they can pose a serious danger, not just to their riders but to others nearby. And, unlike horses, mountain bikers don’t leave manure all over the mountain.
MMWD manages 150 miles of trails not open to cycling. It proposes opening 4.6% of these in its pilot program. Opposition should be called out for what it is, selfishness disguised by misinformation.
— Phil Schulz, Kentfield
Revoke bonds to stop Marin City housing project
On Oct. 8, grading work began at 825 Drake Ave. in Marin City. The construction zone for the large apartment building is a narrow street with no parking for the workers. It sits just below senior housing and directly above the only park in town where children and the community gather.
Many of the nearby tenants with concerns about the project are nondrivers. They were unable to attend early meetings about the building. Many did not meet with project staff until Sept. 24. There still are no guarantees that construction mitigation efforts such as air filters, noise abatement or emergency-service access during the work.
Some of these seniors use oxygen tanks. Others are living with cancer, asthma, lupus, anxiety or diabetes. Living in a construction zone could be too much for them. The county may have offered to provide air filters, but it did not agree to pay the increased electric costs to run them.
On Oct. 8, the deafening noise of construction began. One sobbing resident was moved to a hotel, paid for by a kind neighbor. Others plan to leave if they can.
Currently, the builder has a permit to build a five-story, 74-unit building covering the entire property. The county supervisors approved $40 million in nontaxable bonds for the builder. Marin County Superior Court Judge Stephen Freccero has tentatively ruled the approval inappropriate. The supervisors could revoke the developer’s permit and rescind the bonds. I hope they do.
— Barbara Rothkrug, Mill Valley
It’s worth the effort to attend Marin live shows
It is with great disappointment, but sadly no surprise, to read that the venerable Mountain Play is taking a hiatus next year (“Marin’s 111-year-old Mountain Play goes on hiatus,” Oct. 13). Just the week before, the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda announced its demise. Performing arts nationwide are still struggling to recover from the pandemic. Ticket sales are vital for the financial viability of live shows. Without supportive audiences, sadly, we are likely to even lose more arts organizations.
We can fix this: Please go see a show. Since the pandemic, it seems folks have become accustomed to staying at home and watching all the entertainment options available to us in our living room. I say nothing beats a live show.
I am a veteran producer of performing arts in the county, including the 39th annual Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival on Saturday at the Marin Center. I know how supportive Marin audiences can be. Our performing arts need your help and how better to help than by treating yourself to an entertaining evening of a live theater or music performance?
— John Neal, San Anselmo
