The City of San Rafael is presenting two proposed fire prevention ordinance amendments for first reading at the City Council hearing on February 1st. These proposed amendments address items 1, 2, and 3 in the Wildfire Action Plan (August 2020) to establish citywide vegetation standards, and also to establish the a 'parking box' program on select streets to ensure safe access for emergency vehicles.
- Click here to offer comment before or during the meeting, and to register to attend the virtual meeting monday night
- Click here to read the proposed vegetation standards ordinance -The vegetation standards ordinance would extend many existing defensible space vegetation standards to apply throughout the entire city of San Rafael. While the vegetation standards are consistent with FIRESafe Marin, National Fire Protection Association or local fire officials, many of these proposals would affect homeowners.
Notably, the ordinance would require property owners to remove combustible vegetation, trim grass, remove vegetation that overhangs roadways or is within ten feet (10′) of any highways, city streets, or private streets and remove all Junipers), Bamboo, Acacia and Italian Cypress.
The new rules, if passed, would likely be implemented over a one year period by April 1, 2022.
- Click here to read the proposed 'parking box' ordinance - This would restrict parking in certain narrow, hilly streets to ensure that Fire, EMS, and other emergency vehicles can travel in the event of an emergency.
