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Residents press for clarity on Flood Zone 9 projects, fish ladder removal and flood walls
Summary
County flood-control updates produced limited new information and residents urged the council to request more detailed briefings, raising concerns about homes left out of projects, the fish ladder removal, costs and potential vegetation removal along proposed flood walls.
Ross — The council received an update on Marin County Flood Control activities in Flood Zone 9 but staff had little new substantive information to report. Multiple residents used the time for public comment to press for clearer, timely information from the county and raised multiple technical and community concerns.
Charlie Goodman, who lives near the confluence of Ross Creek and Corte Madera Creek, said much of the historical context is difficult to convey inside the chamber and offered to meet individually with council members to walk them through local issues and long-standing arrangements with the Army Corps of Engineers and the county. He noted there are houses north of Sylvan Lane and other streets that he said are not covered by either of the current flood-control projects and asked the council to follow up.
Jeff Crude criticized the flood-district assessment that only five houses were at risk in the Ross Valley, calling it “absurd” and arguing the county’s approach has led to community distrust. He also warned that plaza demolition and other measures could increase downstream flooding and questioned whether the county is pursuing demolition options residents do not want.
Gerald Page urged the town to obtain more detail about the planned fish-ladder removal and to confirm the extent of new flood walls in the Corte Madera Creek flood-risk management project; he raised concerns about a possible 30-foot no-vegetation requirement where new walls would be built and asked whether large numbers of trees would need removal. Page recommended the council secure technical briefings and consultant input to evaluate hydraulics and tree impacts before project decisions proceed.
Staff said the county’s staff report (the town had transmitted the county’s material) is from February and there have been no substantive, up-to-date project milestones to convey. Several commenters urged the council to ask the Flood Zone 9 representative to provide a formal update to the town once funding and a FEMA consultant’s work clarify a schedule.
Next steps: Council members suggested inviting a county representative to brief the council when the county has a clearer funding and schedule picture; staff committed to relay new information when the Flood Control District is able to provide it.
