Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for July 23, 2022

Costco gas station in Novato is unnecessary

I am writing in regard to the recently published story about the proposed 28-pump gas station at Novato’s Costco (“Novato, Costco get unfavorable ruling on gas station plan,” July 16).

The plan is ludicrous and ridiculous. Novato has a population of fewer than 54,000 residents. The whole of Marin County has just over 259,000 residents.

Statistically, Marin’s population puts it somewhere in the middle of California’s 58 counties. Where are the customers for Costco’s enormous gas station? There are 16 gasoline pumps at Safeway in Ignacio a few miles away. There are also a number of gas stations close by Novato’s Vintage Oaks mall. Matt and Jeff’s Car Wash and Detail Center across the street also has fuel pumps.

This is not the 1950s when all Americans drove gas-guzzling vehicles getting 6 or 7 miles to the gallon. In fact, Americans are being encouraged to get rid of their gasoline-powered automobiles. We are being advised to buy electric or hybrid vehicles right now.

Why on Earth does there need to be 28 gas pumps at the Costco facility? Members of Novato’s City Council and Costco officials have to think into the future. A 28-pump gas station in a tiny little town and county is an already obsolete and absurd plan. It needs to be completely eliminated.

The future will not include gasoline-powered vehicles.

— Pamela Lunstead, Novato

Limit public access to MMWD’s important land

The Marin Municipal Water District watershed is one of the most beautiful things that the Bay Area has to offer. However, with our fourth year and counting of drought, MMWD should borrow a page from the San Francisco Water Department. Except on rare occasions, the SFWD watershed land at Crystal Springs along Highway 280 remains closed to the public.

When I first worked for SFWD, I cut fire trails on that watershed. Coupled with cutting fire trails, I was asked to help fight fires that sprung up on the perimeter of the watershed. That particular summer, we had about 20 fires — most of them were likely started by folks dumping lit cigarettes or matches.

In short, the Bon Tempe and Lagunitas parts of the MMWD watershed are special and beautiful. If MMWD wants to remain open to the public, it should limit visitors to no more than 25 per lake. Visiting time should be limited to three hours, with the watershed closing every day no later than 4 p.m. MMWD should hire 20 guides to help the rangers police the watershed.

Leaders for the cities of Fairfax and San Anselmo disputed California housing mandate numbers by stating that the fire danger in those areas features a “one way in and one way out” road and would only be exacerbated by adding more housing. These two cities should have followed up their argument to the Association of Bay Area Governments with a request to tighten up access to the MMWD watershed lands.

— Rick Johnson, Novato

Desalination plants work well on Catalina Island

Desalination is working. Southern California Edison is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their first desalination plant built in 1992. It provides 200,000 gallons of drinkable water a day to Santa Catalina Island. A new desalination unit, connected to the original one, was built in 2016 to provide an additional 125,000 gallons of water a day.

Those units are working very well and were built in response to the past and current emergency drought conditions faced by Catalina Island.

— Arnaldo Dallera, Tiburon

Heavy water users should build catchment systems

There’s a lot of money swishing around Marin. Some people have large estates that use a lot more water than the average household.

I used to work at the Marin Municipal Water District. Fairly often, people would call in because they’d received a much larger bill than usual, typically due to a big irrigation leak. My bill was always under $100 per month, if memory serves (two people, two dogs and a medium-sized suburban garden), but sometimes I’d get a call from someone whose bill had gone from, say $2,500 per month to $3,000, or from $3,000 to $4,800. I was grateful that their remittances were paying my salary, but at the same time resentful that they were using so much more than what I saw as a fair share.

It would be fantastic if those who could afford it built large catchment systems for their estates. They could use that water for irrigation throughout the year and for fire protection during the dry months. They could be underground, hidden inside buildings or even in the form of water towers. Alternatively, they could make potable water storage and fill it up during the rainy season.

It would be a great way for them to contribute to the resiliency of the community and, perhaps, by placing a small sign out front, they could have a large and beautiful garden without feeling the resentment of others or reducing others’ ability to have small ones.

— Jean Arnold, Mendocino

Government should not have say in abortions

Abortion and its legality is not our government’s business. It does not belong in politics, nor should it be decided by state legislatures, as the U.S. Supreme Court just mandated.

Abortion belongs in the realm of faith and morality. It is a decision to be made by a woman, her doctor and her conscience. It must be readily accessible.

— Basia Crane, Kentfield

Men with no choice sacrificed all to serve

I am writing in response to Eleanor Sluis’ letter published July 17. She asserts that men prevented laws that would have restricted their bodies, while the Supreme Court, with its recent abortion decision, relegates women to second-class citizens.

Her letter led me to think about our national cemeteries in Honolulu and Colma, with rows and rows of deceased servicemen who gave their lives to protect this country. When men were drafted into a war, we rarely (if ever) heard anyone say “my body, my choice.” They responded when called. Many gave their lives or came home with devastating physical and mental injuries. On top of that, her assertion that women are being treated as second-class citizens just goes too far.

We should consider a woman’s right to a first-trimester abortion. After that time has passed, the mother should have the responsibility to make sure her unborn child is cared for and nurtured to a happy healthy delivery. The birth should be followed by the woman considering her right to give that child up for adoption, if she chooses.

I’m not a religious person, but this is about right versus wrong. Maybe it’s time this country revisits religion.

— Mike Allen, San Rafael

Supreme Court pulling America back in time

From my perspective, it seems that conservative Republicans are consistently attempting to drag us back in time to an era with more traditional values, while liberal Democrats are acting more mature and embracing new values.

What is wrong with growing up as a country? We grow from kids to adults and this is the same idea.

With the latest (probably not the last) horrific decision by the Supreme Court regarding the abortion debate, I think we can no longer call our country the United States of America — we are no longer united.

— AR Danielson, San Rafael

Sausalito cannabis vote continues Marin pattern

For many years, Marin County has continually voted to legalize and sell cannabis. Yet it never seems to really happen. Many delivery or medical marijuana startups have been forced to close.

Maybe, finally, Sausalito can give the voters what they’ve been voting for with possible recreational marijuana storefronts (“Sausalito approves 2nd cannabis proposal for ballot,” July 16). If not, you can count on someone in Marin County putting it back on the ballot again.

— Sandra Macleod White, San Rafael