Dear Captain Garrett, Ed Morton, Greg Martinelli and Matthew Shanley,
The below RV resident is very much in the wetlands on Binford Rd. This photo was taken today. This is one of the many RV residents who have lawn chairs, couches, debris etc. in said wetlands. On your website it states to report polluters “serious crimes”— and there are rewards in doing so. If you are not following the law, please take down the following on your website as this is false advertising, which is illegal, and we have laws against such.
Eric: There are about two small berms on the wetlands side of the road on Binford. The berms that were being implemented today are on places where RVs were not parking because of the topography. Please berm the very few small spots that are vacant on the wetlands. This should be a priority. Meanwhile more RVs and cars/vans are permanently parking on Binford Rd. The inhabitants are increasing.
Should I collect the used condoms, bloody tampons (with the slightly blood-streaked applicators) and human feces that are in the wetlands and send them to you— as some of the Fish and Wildlife employees have not been on Binford Rd and only want photos of Binford?
Thank you in advance for your help,
Pollution
As California’s population swells, the ill effects of pollution and habitat destruction are increasingly detrimental to our natural resources. Fish and Wildlife considers incidents of agricultural pollution, dumping of household waste, industrial spills and illegal marijuana gardens to be serious crimes, as they devastate native species and the habitat they need to survive. To combat polluting, concerned citizens who become aware of such acts can become involved and report their observations.
I used to park at the airport and bike back and forth on Binford Road getting in a little safe workout. I used to also part at the airport and run to Rush Creek trailhead to lengthen my run. I am not safe to do so today. Weekly there are assaults and gun fire reported from the RV’ers on Binford Road. I no longer feel safe to go on a road that is paid for by tax payers.
We’re told the county doesn’t have the money to tow the abandoned vehicles. Today’s IJ talks about the extra $44.4 million extra. The County DOES indeed have the funds to tow.
Since the IJ ran the big article and you stated what all you are going to be doing, the RVs are now up to 90, and parking on both sides of the road.
City of Novato did a great job by the library in taking care of their tented people, supplying them what they need, while making the general population nearby feel safe and proteced.
I am writing to you today to express my deep concern about the people living in inhumane conditions and the damage being done to the wetlands as a result. While I appreciate the Sheriff’s Department’s efforts to remove abandoned cars and RVs from the area, there is still much more work to be done in regards to personal items and hoarding spilling into the wetlands.
I understand that there has been talk of “grandfathering” the existing RVs at Binford Road. That’s ridiculous. It is simply not acceptable for people to continue living in such poor conditions, especially when it is causing damage to the surrounding environment. Additionally, it has come to my attention that Binford Road is being used as a free storage facility for boats, jet skis, a Harley Davidson, and even an expensive Chevy Nova. This is clearly an abuse of the situation and must be addressed immediately.
Furthermore, I am concerned about the slow progress being made in putting up berms to prevent further damage to the wetlands. With three more RVs/vans now occupied and open spaces on the wetlands side soon to be occupied, this situation is only growing more urgent. The berms that have been installed at the end of Binford have already been flattened out by DPW in some spots, allowing tents to pop up.
I strongly urge you to take action on these issues as soon as possible. The RVs need to be relocated to the former Honor Farm or back to the Civic Center where the Supervisors drove them out. This will not only help the people living in these conditions but will also protect the wetlands from further damage.
After getting out of jail with a 25K bond from his arrest from having a ghost gun, fentanyl etc, this Registered Sex Offender, ran back to Binford Rd. He then skipped his court appearance and was sent back to jail, where he currently is sitting. Meanwhile he has left an RV and a car on Binford Rd. This is after the county had to pay for clean up of the hoarding he left at the end of Binford costing the taxpayer thousands of dollars.
Will the county of Marin be soft on him again and let him out to cause more criminal acts?
A Novato resident reached out to us and shared some photos of what once was on Binford Rd. Artists, photographers, bird watchers and pedestrians can no longer walk on the county part of Binford Rd as the RV residents have taken over.
The RV residents have abused the situation with bad behavior. Living ON and IN the wetlands is not a solution. Having the wetlands as their personal playground is illegal and wrong.
Once shared with you how beautiful Binford once was and I’ve literally taken thousands of pictures there. We’ll never see birds in the water actually drinking the water, or geese lying eggs and the little hatchling swimming behind their parent in tow.
I’m sharing some photos I took 4 years ago that came up in my memories.
After having no luck with Greg Martinelli of Fish and Wildlife who refuses to fix the fences on Binford as the RV residents will continually cut them down—
I hunted down (no pun intended) Ed Morton from Fish and Wildlife. He was going to meet me and Deputy Thompson next week to discuss Binford Rd at Binford Rd. He was called off by “his chain of command” and cancelled the meeting. He then referred me to the Cal Tip Line at 888-334-2258 to report problems on Binford. This is the number that Rick Williams has called repeatedly for months with no action.
I called the Cal Tip Line last night. The dispatcher took my report and said a warden would get back to me but she didn’t know when.
Below is Tuesday’s photo of the continued encroachment of the wetlands with our government doing nothing and allowing it.
I took a photo (not attached) on Tuesday of a man building a tent on the wetlands. He got on his bike when I drove back from the airport parking lot and got really close and said, “I want to ask you something” partially blocking my car. I drove away and reported it to Deputy Thompson. He obviously did not like his photo being taken.
Last Saturday morning a Binford resident was arrested for driving a stolen car…Wharton is back in jail after posting 25K and not showing up to his court appearance.
The Chronicle article spins Binford situation as a homeless issue and blames it on Marin housing prices.
Not to sound insensitive to the humanitarian issues, but as local Novato residents know, this is secondarily a homeless issue as there are plenty of places for these people to go elsewhere in the county.
The County Supervisors are not taking appropriate action and the law is not being enforced while the taxpayers are footing the bill for this mess. Many of the these people live this way by choice, most of them are certainly not from Marin County, and the Chronicle has found a couple of people for their story to make a case instead of doing proper investigation.
This is, however, a MAJOR POLLUTION ISSUE that is totally destroying our sensitive Wetlands! Many of the vehicles are not occupied, only being stored free of charge and are leaking fossil fuels into our Wetlands. There are RV’s dumping human waste into the wetlands, trash, and other toxins. Check the updates and photo’s on this site, it is well documented.
Free Unlimited Camping – RV, car, bus, tent, or just make a shelter from some old doors & tarps. Some of the residence have been here for many years.
Tax Free Living – no need to pay taxes when you can live here on the beautiful Rush Creek Open Space for free, Marin County residents are picking up the bill.
Free RV, Old Car, Boat & Bus Storage – you heard that right! Even though Marin RV Storage is right on Binford, there is no need to pay those guys! You can park here on Binford for an unlimited amount of time. The vehicle can even be on blocks, rusting out, or just hidden under a tarp.
Restroom Services – The County is proudly providing a few porta potties for dozens and dozens of Campers so it may get a little crowded, but don’t worry, the Waterfowl Preserve is there for camper use.
Trash Pickup – Another benefit at Binford, all you have to do is put your trash in a pile and the County will pick it up. You don’t have to pay anything, that’s right, nothing. Again the residents of Marin County are picking up the bill.
This morning Jim and I met for 30 minutes with Eric Lucan.
He believes the RVs should have a place to go if they were moved.
He does not like our ideas of where to move the RVs onto county owned properties (Abandoned Honor Farm at 301 Smith Ranch Road (with existing infrastructure), back to the Civic Center where the Supervisors sent them to Binford, or to the former San Geronimo Golf Course that the county paid 8 Million for and has a very large parking lot. These three areas are not on or next to sensitive wetlands.
Lucan said he has no solutions on where they can go.
From my understanding, he wants to Grandfather the existing RVs (which have increased under his leadership) in and to have the RVs moved to the other side of the road (I don’t think there is room).
The berms are going up slowly and approximately 16 abandoned boats and cars have been moved. Eric believes this is good progress. He has ignored my repeated requests over the last three weeks, to have the berms put immediately on the beginning of Binford Rd, on the wetlands side, where an RV has moved (I believe it is because I reported his long sewer pipe going into the wetlands). About 4-5 RVs could easily move in at anytime and fill that spot.
The RV with Nevada Plates with the sewer tube going into the wetlands is still there. Eric said he would contact EPS, however, I am more efficient and effective, and I will contact them before he does and bcc you.
Jim and I had a nice conversation with a person who works at the airport. Their knowledge and history of the situation is vast. They mentioned the good residents who were down on their luck, have or are moving away, because bad people are moving in from other counties and states —-that have driven them out. Hence, the people moving in are not law-abiding people and are living there now.
They said one cat and one dog have been hit and killed by cars.
79 cars of airport patrons have had nails and screws put in them as the residents have thrown them into the roadway.
The RV fires have been sprayed with carcinogenic foam to put out the fire and that foam has been washed into the wetlands.
With the upcoming summer months, it will start smelling like a sewer in the area.
Deputy Thompson is back from a two-week vacation. He is the one deputy who actually does something. The other two in his absence were nice people, but completely useless.
Lucan did say with a smile that he has been getting emails about Binford Rd and he is happy to receive more.
We will have to keep making noise in the community. Noise we have made!
Everywhere we go in Novato, people walk up to us and thank us AND are very unhappy with Lucan and Binford.
