Witness the Destruction of the Rush Creek Open Space & Waterfowl Preserve.
There was another RV fire over the weekend. We are well into the double digits of RV Fires on Binford Rd and below are some photo’s from Toni S. She has also created a FOIA request to find out how much it cost us to clean this mess up.
It’s hard to believe leadership can’t do better than to allow this to continue!
Between 8-9PM last night I looked out the window and saw a plume of black smoke billowing up from the east less than 2 miles from my home with many, many homes between here and there.
I saw no fire alerts anywhere on-line at the time, and oddly I have seen no reports about the incident since.
Turns out it was ANOTHER vehicle that had caught on fire on Binford Rd! Apparently the resident was “cooking” something…
In the area around Binford, our homes are all adjacent to the Open Space which is extremely dry this time of year and could easily be caught on fire.
I am very concerned that the Binford residents are going to catch the Open Space on fire and burn down our homes!
If you live anywhere near Binford you should be as well, this continues to go on, and nothing is being done about it.
Can you imagine the massive damage that might have occurred if this fire got out of control?
Below are clips offered by neighbors and concerned citizens.
The city manager, Amy Cunningham emailed me and said it costs “thousands of dollars” to remove an RV (meanwhile the city gave 1M to the Habitat project by The Days Inn). She also said the RV has moved for several weeks. False.
I have consulted with an attorney regarding the RV parking indefinitely on Binford City Side.
I sent her the following city ordinance link and photos of the NO RV Parking Sign and said RV.
https://www.novato.org/government/police-department/temporary-rv-parking-permit
I am not overly optimistic as she said unless I am personally damaged by this I can’t make the city do their job.
I will get a second and third opinion of course, but it is frustrating and so unfair.
The city did remove the tent that popped up on the left hand side of the city side as you drive to Gnoss Airport. However, two large cuts were made for access in the chain linked fence.
Onward!
Good thing it’s wet out, otherwise it might have started a larger fire engulfing Rush Creek Open Space, as well as the adjacent trailer park and neighborhoods.
Here is a message from Toni Shroyer who surveyed the scene this AM:
You can see the remnants seeping into the Wildfowl Sanctuary.
**Note there was also an assault reported on Binford today but no arrest report has been filed so far.
From Toni Shroyer
BINFORD Road (City Side): The Novato City Council and NPD are allowing the wetlands to become a permanent garbage dump and are not enforcing the law. This should concern you.
The latest trailer full of garbage abandoned on the city side of Binford Road! How sad that our “leaders” have allowed our city to become a dumping ground.
Email thread below:
From: Eric Lucan <[email protected]>
Date: June 26, 2024 at 5:17:11 PM PDT
To: nancy abruzzo <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: How much longer are you going to ask us to tolerate this?
Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out. Despite the arrest, progress continues to be made at Binford.
These numbers are as of June 1st:
Eric Lucan
Marin County Supervisor, District 5
San Rafael, CA 94903
3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 329
(415) 473-7339
From: nancy abruzzo <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2024 7:35 AM
To: Eric Lucan <[email protected]>
Subject: How much longer are you going to ask us to tolerate this?
These arrests are occurring on a regular basis. What are the chances this addict will bail out and return to the wetlands? Binford Road has become Novato’s ghetto. It’s getting worse on your watch. So much for throwing money at the problem. Clear the road once and for all.
Sent from my iPhone
Email Disclaimer: https://www.marincounty.org/main/disclaimers
An RV resident based out of Binford Road, a heavily populated area for unhoused people in Marin County, obtained a temporary restraining order against a Marin County Sheriff’s Deputy hours before a planned tow on Friday.
….
Full story from KRON4 below:
Just how long will this go on?
Alert: Assault reported less than 1.6 miles from your home
| We found this violent crime in your area: An Assault has been reported near 80XX BINFORD RD less than 1.6 mi from your home:  Share with a neighbor: From local police records: Crime Type: Assault Address: 80XX BINFORD RD Description: ASSAULT – OTHER. ASSAULT Click for police report |
Marin County has received the green light from a federal judge to keep managing an encampment of recreational vehicles along Binford Road by removing residents’ personal property for storage or disposal.
Legal representatives for encampment residents filed a request for a temporary restraining order last week seeking to stop the county from clearing the area.
The county contends it needs to ensure water quality at the Rush Creek Preserve and maintain safe public access to the two-lane road and its unpaved shoulder north of Novato. It runs parallel to U.S. 101, between the preserve to the east and businesses to the west.
A county program collects property that cannot be safely stored either inside, underneath, or on top of an RV at the site. Property is stored or destroyed with permission from the owner, according to the county.
“County staff removes dangerous or excess materials accumulated along the public right-of-way that present safety concerns or are environmental hazards,” said Marin County Sheriff Jamie Scardina.
County records show the encampment began with about a dozen vehicles in 2020 as people’s income and living situations were challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. By August of last year, it had grown to 115 residents and 150 vehicles, including personal vehicles.
Efforts to provide services and rehousing options were adopted by the Board of Supervisors in August. By December the encampment had been reduced to 101 residents and 132 vehicles. As of Friday, a county spokesperson said there were 90 people living at the encampment at 50 sites.
“Our goal all along has been to help individuals attain safe housing and provide key supports and services with a coordinated, compassionate and service-oriented response.”Lisa Warhuus, Marin County Health and Human Services
A grant in April for more than $3.7 million from the state’s Encampment Resolution Fund is bolstering the county’s plan to house residents. The county is seeking to rehouse at least half of the residents at the Binford encampment within two years and the rest within three years.
Lisa Warhuus, director of the county’s Health and Human Services Department, said the county has helped provide other housing for 25 former encampment residents since August, with 12 more already identified for other housing.
“Our goal all along has been to help individuals attain safe housing and provide key supports and services with a coordinated, compassionate and service-oriented response,” Warhuus said.
District 5 Supervisor Eric Lucan, who represents much of Novato, said the county was prioritizing both rehousing residents and protecting local water quality.
“We must focus on helping residents transition to safe housing while working to protect the sensitive habitat along the water,” he said. “We’ve made progress, but our goal remains to identify housing options with an open, collaborative and humane approach.”