Depot Plan: Monday 6 PM Council meeting, BE THERE!
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 Dear Friends of San Rafael History,
 
The Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District is currently scheduled to present the status of the Downtown Transit Center project to the San Rafael City Council, Monday, March 4th at 6 PM. AGENDA HERE.
 
Project status:
  • The design is at conceptual level and and will be subject to many detail refinements as it proceeds.
     
  • Many perceive the project is moving in the right direction, however, the devil is in the details and there are many decisions to be made that can help this project go from good to great.
     
  • The current design proposes to demolish the Whistlestop/Vivilon building but preserve and retain the existing 1929 Depot arcade facing the railroad and the 1929 Depot and Baggage Building west facade and reuse these elements on the west and east sides of a new open courtyard, part of a new building extending south toward 3rd Street and north toward 4th Street.
     
  • The new building will be on the west side of Tamalpais Avenue. Tamalpais Avenue will be moved to where the Whistlestop/Vivalon building is now and will serve as part of the Transit Center for bus stops.
     
  • The existing site plan doesn’t provide sufficient width to reconstruct the 1929 Depot Building. An additional 6 feet is needed to make this possible.
     
  • There are many design and technical issues to be worked through to have this project meet all stakeholder needs and become the catalyst for the post-Covid renaissance our Downtown direly needs.
     
  • Conformance with the National Environmental Policy Act is required to secure federal funding for the project. This means finding no significant impact following the review of an Environmental Impact Statement. The project budget is now estimated to be between 50 and 70 million dollars and the current funding sources aren’t sufficient.

This is a rare once in a generation investment in public and active transportation and in our Downtown. We all need to get this right.

Here's what you can do:
  • Show up at the City Council Meeting and comment at the appropriate time. You will each have a total of two minutes to speak. Rehearse and time your comments. 
     
Some ideas to emphasize and expand:

      * San Rafael Heritage became active with the help and guidance of Cynthia and Hugo Landecker to preserve the 1929 San Rafael Northwestern Pacific Railroad Depot. This is very important to us and to our City.

      * We are excited about the Downtown Transit Center project and support the incorporation a reconstructed 1929 Depot building utilizing the existing historic arcade and west elevation of the depot and baggage building

      * We support rebuilding the exterior of the 1929 depot and designing the interior of this new building to accommodate the Transit Center’s contemporary needs.

      * We recommend recreating the space that once was the main waiting room to serve as both a cafe/retail space similar to the Mill Valley Depot and as the public face of the transit providers. This 20’ x 40' interior space will also be an excellent place for public art such as new murals depicting the contributions of different cultural groups to our city. These can be created and installed through donations even after the building is completed and occupied.

      * We do not support a courtyard concept and wish to see this space enclosed in a reconstructed 1929 depot.

      * We support a compatible contemporary design for the District services building south of a reconstructed 1929 Depot and recommend conformance with Secretary of Interior standards for construction of new additions to historic buildings.

     * We want to see the site plan modified to accommodate the reconstructed Depot building. We understand this would require an additional 6 feet of width.

      * We stand ready to continue to participate with other community stakeholders to provide input as the transit center design proceeds.

     * This project is of tremendous importance to transit users and our city. What we create here will be in service for many years and will serve as our front door.  We support inspired modern designs combined with a recreated 1929 Depot.

Let’s make this a project we can all be proud of.

With much appreciation for your continued involvement in the preservation of this iconic building,
 
Onward!
 
San Rafael Heritage Board
 
Contact us at [email protected]

About San Rafael Heritage

Our mission is to promote the preservation of San Rafael’s historic resources and architecturally significant buildings and to support other historical and preservationist organizations.
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San Rafael Heritage participates in B Street Station dedication

​Members of SRH joined the Native Sons of the Golden West ceremony to commemorate one of San Rafael's remaining railroad buildings, the former B Street station, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. SRH President, Leslie Simons was one of the speakers and told of SRH's mission to focus on the retention of historic sites, like this depot.
Photos by Sherry LaVars & Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal), Jim Draper, Doug Murray
Read the story in the Marin IJ

Photos from the June 11th tour at China Camp State Park. 
​Friends of China Camp Board Member  Ed Lai
Discussed the history of this settlement and the Chinese diaspora

Watch Annual Meeting Replay

​San Rafael Heritage Steering Committee Summer/Fall Soirée
​with guests - September 25, 2021

Cityscape Award winners receive their certificates

Photos by Susan Adler

San Rafael Heritage Annual Meeting, 2021

Winners of the 2020
San Rafael Heritage Preservation & Cityscape Awards

San Rafael Heritage happily announces the 2020 Preservation and Cityscape award winners.  We are very excited about honoring fine architecture, cultural sites, and innovations in our town based upon members’ keen observations of San Rafael’s heritage and cityscape.

Description of Awards
  • The Preservation Award recognizes structures or sites of import in our city with significant restoration and/or improvements that maintain the historic character of building or site. Recognition is open to buildings and resources spanning pre-history to mid-twentieth century.
  • The Cityscape Award recognizes exemplary new projects that enhance our city. This is an opportunity to honor innovative design and new projects in San Rafael. The caliber of the nominations will dictate the number of winners. 

Preservation Awards
Photos by Susan Adler & Leslie Simons

709-711 Fourth Street    (The Tavern on Fourth)
Bar Proprietor/Restorer:  John Radovich
Building Owner: Glenn Koorhan
The building was built c.1889 for Thomas Nichols, who ran a downstairs saloon and lived upstairs. There is a stained-glass window in the door with an "N" for the name of the original owner. Mr. Nichols had formerly been the proprietor of the German Hotel at the northeast corner of B and Third.

The saloon owner has recently upgraded the now-impressive facade in a manner fitting its listing on the San Rafael Architectural/Historical survey. The saloon interiors were also cleaned and upgraded from what had been for many years an uninteresting space.

Besides its restored beauty, the most important and urgent reason for recognizing this building is its proximity to San Rafael’s station area and the impact and pressure of high-rise development in this part of the downtown district. There have even been suggestions within the city government of relocating the NWP depot across Tamalpais. If that were to happen, this building with its active business would be displaced or demolished along with what is believed to be the taxi office for the depot and ferry ticket office for the Richmond - San Rafael Ferry, which was built between 1925 and 1932.

27 Quarry Road, San Rafael
Dan & Virginia Mardesich, Owners

This beautiful Queen Anne mansion is one of those hidden secrets of the City of San Rafael. Constructed in 1882, the original owner of the completed home was George D. Boyd (no relation to Louise Boyd or her family), who had a connection to A. W. Foster, owner of the Fairhills estate. The current owners, who bought the building in 1967, are only the third owners.  They have been meticulous in their care for this beautifully maintained building.

According to the San Rafael Survey, the house features a wide wraparound porch with a pedimented, arched entrance with a carved floral relief. Profuse applied decoration is found all around, which include snowflakes and a sunburst in the gable. A horseshoe detail adds to the overall elaborate detail on the second floor, and leaded windows are carried through to the eave line.

Additions to the original structure include a garage with a deck and pergola attached to the side. The landscaping includes large exotic trees and a rock walled terraced garden. The original carriage house still stands, although it has been altered into another gracious and grand family home.

127 San Rafael Avenue
Sonja Velez, Owner

This house is an elegant example of the Italianate style in California.  It was built in 1883 and was restored by the Landecker family from 1972 to 2017.  Efforts were made to preserve both the exterior and the interior structures as much as possible. 

The new owner, who acquired the house last year, not only has honored that work, but has planned extensive rehabilitation of problem areas such as the foundation and electrical connections.  It has now been beautifully re-painted, and the house and grounds are "a gift to the street."

Cityscape Awards

Fire Station 57  at Marin County Civic Center
Owners:  City of San Rafael/County of Marin

The original Fire Station 57 had to be demolished and rebuilt in order to conform to safety standards.  Marin County Measure E funds were used for this project.  The resulting 2019 station was a City/County collaborative effort, as the station is owned by the City and sits on County property.   The design was important as an architectural endeavor, since all structures on Marin Civic Center land must be licensed by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. The resulting Station 57 captures the spirit and some of the arced lines of the Marin County Civic Center, which is reminiscent of the arched Pont du Gard in southern France, said to be Wright's inspiration for the Civic Center.

80 Forbes Avenue
Jennifer & James Dutro, Owners

This was a c.1900 home that never received the typical decorative features or fenestration common for the era in which it was built. Before its total remodel it was a plain box with a long straight staircase to the sidewalk's edge and a small landing at the front door. It was so homely that, even with its age and size, it was not even considered for the 1978 San Rafael Historical/ Architectural Survey.

The only remaining notable feature of the original front facade is the oval window on the top floor. The prior owner, Dan Magdanz, made most of the exterior alterations bringing the building to the level of a "gift to the street" that it is now. The changes began with the addition of a garage on Quarry Road side and new foundations. Then slowly the wrap-around porch grew, the shingles were added and the feel of an elegant turn-of-the-century home emerged. This once-ugly duckling is now a fine addition to an already beautiful and gracious neighborhood. The current owners have completely restored the redwood interiors that in the past had been painted over.

San Rafael Heritage 4th Annual Meeting and Preservation Awards were held March 14th
 See Photos & Awardees Below

The Preservation/Cityscape Award Winners

Chez Bornia, San Rafael Joe's 
Beautification of an Important Community Asset

Ben & Peggy Burtt, 1637 Fifth Ave 
Creative Enhancement of a Historic Home

Mo Mashoon, 924‐26 B Street 
Creative Enhancement of a Historic Resource

Justin Barnett and Hugh Murphy, 633 and 637 Fifth Avenue
Preservation, Upkeep and Adaptive Reuse of Victorian Neighbors 

Mara Passetti, Gateway Bus Ctr 851 Irwin Street
Esthetic Architecture and Creative Landscaping

1850 Fourth Street
Protection of Decorative Elements on a Commercial Building

Christopher B Smith Rafael Film Center​, 1118 Fourth Street
Preservation and Restoration of a Cultural Asset

Donate to San Rafael Heritage in Hugo's Honor
​From the Marin IJ, September 12, 2017

SAN RAFAEL
Hugo Landecker, city activist from Gerstle Park, dies
By Keri Brenner
[email protected] @KeriWorks on Twitter

Hugo Landecker, a longtime San Rafael booster, volunteer and community organizer, died Sunday after a six-month battle with an aggressive form of lung cancer. He was 78.
Mr. Landecker, one of the cofounders, with wife Cynthia, of the Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association, died at 2:26 p.m., just as the neighborhood group’s annual picnic, which he started at the then-new organization in the 1970s, was getting going. The Gerstle Park group is San Rafael’s oldest neighborhood association. 

“I texted Amy (Likover, a close friend) ‘He’s gone,’” Cynthia Landecker said. “Then the band played ‘Say Goodbye,’ and everyone was crying.”
Gina Silvestri, president of the neighborhood association, said it was especially poignant that Mr. Landecker died “just as the community was coming together” at the picnic, she said.

“He was all about community,” Silvestri said. “He was a gem.”
Cynthia Landecker said her husband of 49 years, a San Rafael “Citizen of the Year” in 2014, was devoted to improving the city and preserving its heritage. He spent decades removing Scotch broom from the area’s open spaces, freeing up trails that were formerly closed.

“He believed that you could work together with others, and that you don’t have to be help-less,” she said. “He said if you established relations with city officials and others, then you can work together to make your life better and enrich the community as well.”

In later years, Mr. Landecker took up the cause of downtown merchants who were troubled by the actions of a growing homeless population — earning himself both controversy and praise. His daily email blog on homelessness issues, The San Rafael Group, went out to 500 people.

“A lot of people thought he was evil; he wasn’t,” Cynthia Landecker said. “He just didn’t want the city destroyed.” 

San Rafael Mayor Gary Phillips said he and Mr. Landecker disagreed about how to approach homelessness problems, but Phillips said he appreciated the interchange of ideas. Phillips said he invited Mr. Landecker to his office to discuss the issue on multiple occasions.

“He had the best interests of San Rafael at heart,” Phillips said Monday. “I’ve always respected that.”

Likover, interim chair of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods, said both Landeckers also served with her on the board of San Rafael Heritage, a historic preservation advocacy group that the Landeckers cofounded in 2015. “He worked tirelessly to champion the city he loved, and was a mentor to many of us about public engagement and the importance of the individual as a change-maker,” she added.
Silvestri said Mr. Landecker’s love of historic preservation extended to him being the one to offer reviews and consultations when homeowners in Gerstle Park needed to make renovations.

“He was such a wealth of information and knowledge,” she said. “It’s rare that you find someone who had that many different gifts.”

Hugo Carl Landecker was born in San Francisco in December 1938 to Laura Miller Landecker and Hugo Landecker. He left high school to join the U.S. Navy, and spent three years on the destroyer USS Lofberg, where he learned navigation. After the Navy, he became a journeyman machinist at Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard, later shifting to Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo after the Hunter’s Point facility closed.

The Landeckers moved to San Rafael in 1968, where they raised daughter Julie, who lives in Santa Rosa. Mr. Landecker retired in 1991.
​
Mr. Landecker had a longtime love of sailing and took many sailing trips with his family.
Services are pending. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Gerstle Park Neighborhood Association, San Rafael Heritage or the Marin Conservation League.

Highlights from SRH 2nd Annual Meeting
​
San Rafael Heritage held its Second Annual Meeting
Thursday, February 9, 2017 at the historic San Rafael Elks Lodge. Our guest speakers were Paul Jensen, head of San Rafael's Community Development Department, who gave us highlights of current city planning regarding SMART
​and the San Rafael Station area.

Also, Laura Ackley, award-winning author of “San Francisco’s Jewel City:  The Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915” gave a talk entitled “Farewell to the Fair.” She highlighted the last day of this great Fair, the dismantling of its site, and how a preservation effort saved a few of the structures - including some that we cherish in Marin! 
​
Laura Ackley with SRH President Cynthia Landecker and  
our late Vice-President Hugo Landecker
Paul Jensen, head of San Rafael's Community Development Department