In Your Town for June 14, 2024

ROSS VALLEY

Property deal closes
for children’s center

The nonprofit Seiderman Legacy Children’s Fund has closed escrow on a $2 million purchase of the property occupied by the Fairfax-San Anselmo Children’s Center.

The fund has offered the center a long-term lease at the site at Deer Park in Fairfax.

“We are diligently working with our construction team to design and permit improvements to the facility,” said attorney Andrew Giacomini, head of the nonprofit. “We have a commitment from Marin Community Foundation of a loan for $2.5 million towards the design and construction of the improvements. Once we have a clear idea of the costs of those improvements, we will be launching a fundraising effort to raise the additional monies we will need to complete them.”

The Ross Valley School District, which sold the property to the nonprofit, confirmed the close of escrow on May 28 in a filing on the board of trustee’s May 29 agenda.

The school district and the center had been in talks on some type of purchase arrangement for several years, without success. The Seiderman Legacy Children’s Fund stepped forward earlier this year to rescue the deal after the school district moved toward eviction proceedings.

SAUSALITO

Police accuse suspect
of fire-setting spree

Police arrested a suspect who allegedly started four fires in Sausalito. No injuries or building damages were reported.

The series of fires began around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday with a brush fire near Bridgeway and Marinship Way. After the fire was extinguished, authorities received a report of a trash can fire at Sausalito Yacht Harbor, police Lt. Brian Mather said.

More fires were later reported in the day at a carport on Second Street at Sausalito Boulevard and at a site on Alexander Avenue. Marin County and Southern Marin firefighters extinguished the fires, Mather said.

During a search on Alexander Avenue, a police lieutenant recognized a bicyclist from prior encounters and contacted him. The suspect made incriminating statements and possessed incriminating evidence, Mather said.

Nicholas Mejia, 59, of San Francisco was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of arson. His bail amount was set at $50,000.

WEST MARIN

New home proposed
at Nicasio property

The county planning office is reviewing a proposal to build a 5,449-square-foot residence on a vacant 24-acre property at 5760 Lucas Valley Road.

The project also would include a pool, septic system, landscaping and water tanks, according to the Marin County Community Development Agency.

No hearings have been scheduled on the proposal. Project details are available at shorturl.at/nuRe4.

SAN RAFAEL

Power outages strike
Civic Center vicinity

Two power outages in the Marin County Civic Center area on Thursday affected about 4,000 customers, according to Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

One outage happened shortly after 8 a.m. The outage affected about 3,000 customers at its peak, including the Civic Center itself, said Megan McFarland, a utility representative. Power was still out for about 200 customers late in the afternoon. The cause of the outage was not available.

The other outage happened at about noon and affected 941 customers, McFarland said. She said the outage happened on the type of line designed to shut off quickly in risky wildfire areas if a fallen tree or other hazard hits the line. The outage continued into the late afternoon while crews investigated what triggered the shutoff.