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San Rafael staff outline timeline, security and fundraising plan for 350 Marydale interim shelter
Summary
City staff said construction documents for site work are complete, the bid package will be posted in June with contract approval targeted at the July council meeting, and a Marin Community Foundation MOU will allow tax-deductible donations to support the interim shelter and future affordable housing.
City staff told the San Rafael homeless subcommittee on May 19 that construction documents for site work at the 350 Marydale site are complete and that the city will post a public bid package in June, with a target of city council contract approval in July and construction starting in August.
The update matters because the site is the planned interim shelter that will house up to 70 people while the city pursues longer-term affordable housing. Assistant City Manager Stefanski and project lead Daniel said the city has completed the design steps that precede bidding and is coordinating with police and public works on site security after recent vandalism.
"We have our construction documents complete after lengthy review by staff for the site work," Daniel said. "The bid process is slated to begin in June with a target for the July city council meeting for contract approval after the bidding process concludes." Stefanski added that the city is upgrading cameras to pan-tilt-zoom units and increasing site patrols to reduce trespassing and vandalism.
Staff also reported progress on fundraising. Marin Community Foundation (MCF) is preparing a memorandum of understanding to host a field-of-interest fund that would let donors give tax-deductible contributions to support the interim shelter and, if funds remain, future affordable housing projects.
"What we're proposing is a field of interest fund designated for supporting the Marydale interim shelter but then also the future affordable housing projects," Stefanski said.
Staff said they will hold a neighborhood town hall, tentatively scheduled for June 16 at Eastview Valley, and will mail postcards to nearby residences and businesses. The meeting will include staff presentations and time for residents to ask about both the interim shelter and the longer-term affordable housing process.
On operations, staff estimated the shelter’s annual operating budget at just under $2 million if run at the 65–70 person maximum; that includes one meal a day, transit passes, case management and janitorial services. Staff cautioned that site-preparation costs are estimates pending the June bid openings and that any capital contingency will be set when bids are received.
The subcommittee asked about outreach to health systems and foundations; staff said outreach to hospital systems, including Kaiser, is on their radar and that staff would pursue philanthropic and grant opportunities as the project progresses.
Next steps: the city will post the bid package in June, the project is expected to be on the July city council agenda for contract award, staff will finalize the MCF MOU, and the June 16 town hall will provide further community detail.
