Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Monday, May 11, 2026Official site

The Planning Commission approved a resolution reporting to the City Council that ten newly proposed Capital Improvement Program projects for Fiscal Year 2026/27 are consistent with the Novato General Plan 2035. The projects include improvements to transportation, drainage, parks, recreation, community services, and municipal buildings.

About this meeting

Government Body
Planning Commission
Meeting Type
Planning Commission
Location
Novato, CA
Meeting Date
May 11, 2026

Published excerpts

Only published remarks appear here. The full transcript is not published.

13 sections

19:13 – 19:37•Zachary Griggy

Yeah, just a quick couple of questions. First, on the pedestrian improvements, I might have missed it. It's just those like handful of projects that were on the slides, correct? Or am I missing that there might be like additional, or is it like the road improvements where some of the projects haven't been identified yet? I just wanted to confirm.

20:00•Zachary Griggy

Yeah, going forward a slide. Just wanted to confirm that those are the four projects that are...

20:24 – 21:08•Zachary Griggy

Perfect. Just wanted to make sure. And then on the Samaritan Drive improvements, do you have, are there any, I was a, full disclosure, I'm an alumnus of Samaritan High School, so I know the pedestrian challenges there well. I have seen... Many of former classmates almost get run over at San Marin Drive and San Carlos, kind of going between the high school and across the street towards the church across the street. Are there any improvements envisioned for that intersection? I mean, the idea of a roundabout, I think, is really intriguing for that intersection, because that's often the source of

22:03 – 22:30•Zachary Griggy

Excellent. And then my final question is, Late last year, we had a number of residents from the neighborhood off of Davidson Street testify in front of the Planning Commission about pedestrian safety challenges in the neighborhood. Is there any plan? I didn't see any mention of that here, but in the short to medium term of making improvements in that neighborhood.

24:02•Zachary Griggy

Excellent. Thank you so much. Those are my questions. I'm really excited about the stuff that is before us tonight. Some really exciting projects.

24:16 – 25:19•Tim Roche

Commissioner Roach? So I have a few questions. And I know this is just a sip, but look, if we can't get it now, when do we get it? Couple of questions dialing way back to the projects that have been gone, going Novato, Boulevard in particular, between DeLong and 7th. I'll believe it when I see it. Okay. Is that going to be completed this year? No, sir. Okay. I have a really hard time that we can't even get some sidewalks in for people that need them more than anybody. I see people, ladies, pushing their kids in strollers. And the city comes across, as far as I'm concerned, as indifferent to th

26:09•Tim Roche

Do we see any more houses being taken or not?

26:30 – 27:14•Tim Roche

It's not directed to you, but it's just nuts as far as I can see it. And that's really how I stand. On that three-way, we're talking about three lanes, is there going to be an island with a curb in the middle? Or is it just going to be flat? And if we're talking about white paths, is that going to just be a line painted on the road? Or is there going to be a designated path there? Same thing holds true for sidewalks. I mean, this is years on. I've lived in this city for 15 years. I lived on the corner of Pine and Nevada Boulevard. I know it. And I just don't get it. And it's frustrating to tel

28:15 – 29:10•Tim Roche

So elementary school kids ride their bikes on that road to school in the morning. I just don't get it. And that's where I stand with it. Two years, wow. I tell you what, six months should have been done. Where are we going jumping forward? There were three other outstanding ones. How long has this been in play? For 10 years is it? When did it finally get going and when was the study? And I tell you what, when I heard all these commit, we're going to do a study for $300,000, another study for $300,000 when I was listening to this and I'm thinking, wait a minute, are all of those studies for $30

30:32•Tim Roche

And is that where the road narrows to one lane?

30:37 – 30:49•Tim Roche

But OK, so with that and the Spirit River that you're talking about there, we're holding off because the impact of what you're talking about there is all along there? Or where are we going with this?

31:48 – 32:08•Tim Roche

So with that said, is it asking too much that we have to wait for this study, a $300,000 study, to get crosswalks at San Andreas and San Marin? That is just so base. And is that going to hold up even taking these most basic and elemental measures to make common sense approaches to that street?

32:27 – 33:41•Tim Roche

Right, action like a crosswalk painted. That's not asking too much. And when we're doing these initiatives, we're going to be asked to approve here tonight. It just, come on, man. Okay, powers that be. That's where it's at. Big picture, I get it. But Simmons, there's the study. I don't see $300,000 to remedy the obvious, and it sounds like we're not gonna have anything happen at a basic intersection, which is San Andreas and San Marin that we're talking about, if we're talking about high school and stuff, let alone the people that we need to cross that road, which is a very wide road. And I do

These excerpts are remarks by officials whose identity a person confirmed, from a transcript generated automatically from the official public meeting video and presented unedited. Accuracy may vary; view the original recording for reference.