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Residents press council for clarity on county plans to remove BB‑2, request staff report on flood modeling and mitigation
Summary
Multiple residents asked San Anselmo officials for a staff report on the county’s plans to demolish bridge/structure BB‑2 and the SAFER project, expressing concern about excavation, tree impacts and lack of FEMA conditional approvals downstream.
Residents used open time at the Jan. 28 San Anselmo Town Council meeting to press for a public update on county flood-control work at BB‑2 and the broader SAFER project.
Ross Asselstine, who identified himself as a San Anselmo Avenue resident, showed drawings of the BB‑2 channel work and told the council “the goal is to make the hole bigger to allow more water to get through,” warning the revised design includes a “19 foot deep hole right next to the edge of the sidewalk” and could expose major root systems near redwood trees.
Ann Pollitzer asked the council for an agenda item and a staff report on the “status of the SAFER project of Building/Bridge 2” and on the county’s second application for a demolition permit. She requested details including what requirements the county has met, whether an arborist report has been submitted, and the status of any FEMA conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR). Pollitzer said she had been told the county used a new two‑dimensional hydraulic model and that FEMA had not approved the county’s downstream mitigation; she asked the town to provide clarity to the public.
Speakers raised three recurring concerns: (1) excavation and tree-root impacts next to sidewalks and adjacent parcels; (2) whether county modeling or mitigation meets FEMA requirements, especially downstream; and (3) transparency about what permits, reports and conditions the county has submitted. Several speakers asked the town to present findings from its own engineering reports; one speaker said the town’s engineers previously estimated a concrete plaza at the site could be repaired for about $350,000 rather than demolished.
Council members did not vote on policy at the meeting, but the public comments prompted a request from residents that staff agendize a formal update on county actions, SAFER project status, and any remaining obligations tied to San Anselmo’s exit from Flood Zone 9. The council directed staff to follow up on the public‑information request and to report back at a future meeting so residents can review the county’s documentation and the town’s assessments.
