A look at Bridge Housing Apartments in San Rafael

Bridge Housing Projects for Families in San Rafael



40 units at 55 Fairfax (Canal District)

Side view of 55 Fairfax behind security gates.

 

 

 

 855 C Street (Downtown) 60 units

Front View of 855 C Street (Downtown)

 

162 Belvedere St. (Canal District) 26 units

 

 

Real life doesn't always match marketing brochures.  That is why we visited Bridge Housing's three affordable housing projects for families in San Rafael. 

 

The largest and nicest in a Motel 6 style of architecture is 855 C Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets.  They seem to have approximately 120 parking spaces and most of them were full when we visited. If Marinwood Village is built, it will be 1/3 larger than this massive building.  Although Bridge housing has not committed to parking spaces for Marinwood Village, they tell us that low income people have fewer cars and don't  need much parking.  In the real world, Bridge Housing tenants seem to have plenty.

 

The next two apartment complexes at 162 Belvedere and 55 Fairfax are in the Canal district.  Despite the spiffy look of the Bridge Housing rental offices, the rest of the buildings are the same drab apartment buildings of early 1960s vintage as commonly found in the neighborhood. The properties appear to be properly maintained. Both complexes are teaming with generations of families.  Many apartments in the Canal district are crowded with two or more families per unit. The overcrowding of affordable housing is why the City of Pleasanton calculates that 3.1 school children per apartment and have been forced to build new schools to accomodate the new students.

 

The streets are congested with cars, food vendors, landscaping trucks and people making it very difficult to find a free parking spot.  The residents, mostly from Mexico and Central America tend to work in landscaping, construction, house cleaning and other labor which require a vehicle to reach the job site.  Even the large supermarkets with over 150 parking spaces were filled with parked cars.

 

Marinwood Village is too small for 83 units of affordable housing for families.  It will be Bridge Housing LARGEST apartment complex for families in Marin.  Judging from their other properties, we can expect s Miller Creek Avenue, Marinwood Avenue, Blackstone Drive to be crowded with Marinwood Village resident's cars and trucks.

 

It is our opinion that the retail businesses in Marinwood Village will have great difficulty surviving without easy access, freeway visiability and easy parking.  This is not surprising.  Bridge housing has little experience in retail property managment.  We fear that the commercial space will be converted to other uses like government offices and community rooms that generate no taxes.  We may be denied a market and other retail that will truely make us a walkable/bikeable community for all.

 

There are better locations for affordable housing than a prime commercial lot to the 101 freeway.  Let's make Marinwood Plaza a successful farm to table market,  restaurant, bike shop,  fitness studio, and make our community whole again.