Well said, Michael. It is sad how tethered people are to their cell phones, tablets, etc. Some…Read More cannot even wait a few minutes to do their "brown business" in a public restroom without talking on their cell phone.
“People still make fun of Twitter and the nerd aspect, but it’s not that anymore.…Read More It’s becoming an important part of living,” he said. “[If you’re not on Twitter] you might miss out on some breaking news or something going on in the world.” An important part of living? Wow what a statement. I am amazed at how many people never tweet yet somehow manage to live an active, full, informed and communicative life. A technology like Twitter is only important in ones life if that person decides to make it so. If Twitter went away today the world would not end. The problem I see with it is that those using it regularly do not dive very deep into any subject. Everything is in bits and pieces. Reading full sentences, paragraphs and stories, books or articles is still a very important part of the human experience. There is an incredible amount of misinformation spread via tweets as we recently found out with the Boston bombings. Remember that just as everything that is on the internet is not necessarily true (just because it is o the internet) same goes for all of those tweets. Remember to pick up the phone each day and actually communicate directly with people in real time. Or better yet have a face to face chat. Amazing how different a person's perspective is when they are face to face with others they communicate with.
Just to keep up with CPI inflation, the 2-cent gas tax in 1913 should now be 47 cents. A 'sin tax'…Read More is entirely warranted on the fossil fuels that are disrupting our climate and destroying our planet. Anyone wanting to avoid this tax (and save a ton of money on gas), might consider buying or leasing an electric car.
Check with the San Rafael planning commission and get the low-down on why they turned down a…Read More developer who submitted his plans to demolish and rebuild a mixed commercial/residential building at 2nd and B. That's directly across the street from SVDP, and a notorious loitering spot. It's currently a run-down box building that's long past its prime. The developer came in with a beautiful plan, and it was denied for, among other things, because it was not in keeping with the "Victorian era" of the others, and because the city was afraid people would store their bikes on the balconies. Take a look at it. It's the most run-down corner in the downtown area.
A great way for a small town to thrive and achieve an identity, is to get people living there. The city makes it extremely difficult with their rigid design board, and archaic operations that remind me of private industry in the 70s. Oh, and then they approved Target - completely disregarding the data from our neighbors up north, as well as other small towns.
Tim, I am aware of many who want to increase the housing density downtown. I am also aware there…Read More has been objections particularly around the bus and future SMART station. It seems having commercial use at street level and housing above is favored by the city. It would definitely help bring people downtown. Other elements besides safety, includes maintenance, on going activities and marketing. I made reference to Healdsburg which is a good case study. They endorsed a study by urban planners around 1990. It took until 2000 when Hotel Healdsburg opened and then the downtown took off. They have one big asset and that is their city park which is where they have ongoing activities. Public Spaces such as this offer a sense of place and acts as a magnet. If you go two or three block away from the park, Healdsburg is just another sleepy little town of 11,000. Sure the wine country is a tourist attraction, but according to the County Visitor's Bureau Marin has 12 million visitors a year who enjoy our natural environment and 80% leave and go elsewhere in the evening.
Thank you all for your interest in this topic. Scott, are you aware of any new multifamily or mixed…Read More use housing in downtown on the horizon? Someone in another article mentioned the need for greater density in the downtown area. It seems like greater density could make San Rafael a more attractive place to bring business. Maybe it's me being optimistic, but certain areas seem ripe for development which could be a catalyst for improving downtown. Just curious if others had any perspective of this issue.
San Rafael Police: Top Ten in the U.S. in Twitter Followers
Do you tweet? The San Rafael Police twitter account has earned national recognition for its Twitter presence.
2 Comments Recommend Jessica Mullins (Editor)