Residents press council on parks, playground upgrades and transportation safety; request evacuation analysis for downtown

Several residents used the Feb. 5 public-comment period to press the Tiburon Town Council for clearer timelines and greater detail on the Parks and Recreation master plan and the town’s Transportation and Infrastructure Study. Commenters also asked the town to ensure the transportation work includes emergency-evacuation analysis for downtown.

Beth, a Tiburon resident, asked when the final version of the master parks and recreation plan (approved with contingencies) will be finalized and publicly posted and whether any feasibility studies for existing playgrounds such as Cypress Hollow and South of Knoll are available in the public archives. “I was referencing a specific document,” Beth said. “I just wanted to make sure that if that was, like, done or if there’s, like, another meeting when that’s coming up and you’re just gonna get, like, stamped and put in the archives there.” Staff said the town manager will provide answers to her questions after the meeting.

Chelsea, a resident of the Bel Air neighborhood, said she is encouraged by recent small improvements and urged the town to prioritize lower-cost, high-impact upgrades — for example, improved seating and shade in Blackie Pasture and Lineal Park and small amenities such as hammocks, shaded seating, a basketball court and sand volleyball at the sanitation-pond area. “Small things like that could be a huge improvement,” Chelsea said, while acknowledging larger projects such as an inclusive playground or community pool would be longer-term and more expensive.

Several commenters raised concerns about the town’s transportation survey and the upcoming Transportation and Infrastructure Study. Julie Jacobs, a Tiburon resident, urged council and the town-hired transportation consultant to include expert analysis of emergency-evacuation routes from downtown to Dressel Glen and of emergency vehicle access to local hospitals, citing recent wildfires in Southern California as an urgent reminder. Jacobs said a pending application to add high-density housing downtown could introduce at least 120 units and “possibly 200 vehicles” and that the study should consider that additional load for evacuation scenarios. She also suggested the town ask state housing authorities to reconsider the RHNA allocation for the locality.

A resident who identified herself as a transportation planner said she was concerned the online survey did not allow respondents to record multiple daily trips along Tiburon Boulevard; she said downtown residents and commuters often travel the corridor multiple times per day, and the survey options (once a day, once a week, once a month) undercount that behavior. Beth and the transportation planner both suggested the survey reach nonresidents who commute or visit downtown for work.

Jane Gould, Tiburon’s appointed member on the Council on Aging, said the council on aging is producing a resource guide to be published online and is sponsoring a May workshop on social determinants of health, with transportation a key focus. “We don’t have a senior center, but I like to encourage people to use our resources, which are the public library … and the village’s network,” Gould said; she also noted the commission will continue to explore transportation options for residents who cannot drive.

Town staff and the mayor said staff will relay the residents’ questions to consultants and confirm opportunities for public input on the master plan and transportation study; several commenters were told postponed agenda items related to transportation will return at a future meeting when additional council members can participate.

The council did not take action on the master plan or the transportation study at this meeting; public comments were recorded for staff and consultants to address in follow-up.