2 weeks Ago
Sausalito is gearing up for $14 million in ongoing and new infrastructure projects for the new fiscal year starting July 1. The to-do list, presented to the City Council on Tuesday, comes after an extensive review of deferred maintenance of 26 miles of streets and sidewalks, 42 stairways and steps, 15 parks, five buildings, its shoreline and other infrastructure. Officials also evaluated public safety needs.
“Based on that analysis, staff recommends moving forward with nine new projects,” Public Works Director Kevin McGowan said. “These projects include safety-related repairs to city infrastructure, including sidewalk repairs, street resurfacing and others.” “There are a couple of additions I want to highlight,” City Manager Chris Zapata said.
The Spencer Avenue fire station near Highway 101 could be restored as a wildfire-fighting hub, he said. It currently stores city records. The stretch of Bridgeway that runs along the boardwalk should be resurfaced, Zapata said, and its corner at Princess Street – a crowded tourist district hub – could be made “safer.
” The suggestions are part of Sausalito’s budgeting process for its upcoming fiscal year. Recently projects in the city include work on the ferry landing, various neighborhood stairways, sports facilities at parks, and work with PG&E on utility lines. The public works officials also deployed a new “Fix it” app in March 2024 that allowed it to quickly respond to more than 400 service calls.
Projects being prioritized include sidewalk repairs on specific streets, improved access for people with disabilities at the city library, creating more city office space, and replacing aged vehicles in the city’s fleet. Councilmember Ian Sobieski suggested Bridgeway could be repaved from the south end of town to Napa Street, not just resurfaced along a shorter stretch of bayfront. Councilmember Melissa Blaustein said fortifying city sea walls should not be postponed.
Vice Mayor Steven Woodside asked about retaining walls to prevent landslides on several roads. Other suggestions included filling potholes in heavily used parking lots, and inquiring when a study evaluating the city’s storm drains would be done. Mayor Joan Cox asked about funding.
She asked the staff to return with detailed breakdowns of local, state and federal sources on each project. Woodside asked if public-private partnerships might contribute. “Thank you for this presentation and the tremendous amount of work that you guys did to put this together,” Councilmember Jill James Hoffman said.
“This is informational. This is the scope of what we could be doing. Clearly, there’s more infrastructure work that needs to be done than what we have budget for.
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