The debate over how San Rafael and greater Marin County respond to homelessness just took a significant turn. A Marin County Superior Court judge rejected an attempt to halt the city’s planned interim housing site on Merrydale Road.
The ruling clears the way for San Rafael to purchase 350 Merrydale Road. Now the city can move forward with a cabin-style shelter project that could reshape how the county handles encampments along the Mahon Creek Path and elsewhere.
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Judge’s Ruling Keeps San Rafael Interim Housing Project on Track
The legal challenge focused on whether San Rafael officials broke California’s open-government law, the Brown Act, in their push to buy the Merrydale Road property. Residents opposing the project argued that city leaders signaled support at an October news conference before the public really got a chance to weigh in.
The court disagreed. By denying the temporary injunction, the Marin County judge basically said the city’s closed-session real estate negotiations were allowed under the Brown Act, which lets officials negotiate property deals privately if the public still gets a chance to participate.
San Rafael is now set to close escrow on the site after years of back-and-forth discussions. The decision has sparked plenty of reaction in the community.
Brown Act Compliance and Public Transparency
For people from San Rafael to Novato and Mill Valley, the Brown Act isn’t just legal jargon. It’s a big deal for government transparency in Marin County.
The city’s approach at 350 Merrydale Road is under a microscope. Neighborhoods in Terra Linda, the Canal, and downtown San Rafael are all watching, since concerns about homelessness and public process often clash here.
Critics pointed to the October news conference, saying it showed decisions had already been made. Since then, the city’s held community meetings and promised more in December and January, hoping to figure out how the site will actually run—from security to services to neighborhood impacts.
What 350 Merrydale Road Will Look Like on the Ground
The Merrydale Road property sits near major transportation corridors and isn’t far from civic centers in San Rafael. It’ll host an interim housing village instead of a traditional shelter.
This model is popping up everywhere, from Santa Rosa to Oakland. Marin officials say they’re using lessons learned from smaller programs in Larkspur, Corte Madera, and Fairfax.
Cabins, Services, and Security: The Interim Housing Plan
The interim project includes 65 private, lockable cabins, each with electricity and heating. Residents will share restrooms, showers, and common spaces.
The site can serve up to 70 people, focusing on unhoused individuals now camping along the Mahon Creek Path. That area has become a flashpoint for central San Rafael residents.
The city’s plan includes:
Once the cabins open, the Mahon Creek Path encampment will close. Neighbors from San Anselmo to Greenbrae have pushed for this for months.
The interim village must shut down by June 30, 2029. It’s meant to be a bridge, not a permanent fix.
County Money, City Commitments, and the Long Game on Housing
The Merrydale project is more than just a San Rafael story. Marin County’s supervisors, representing communities from Ross to Sausalito, have put real money on the table by using the county’s Affordable Housing Trust.
$8 Million County Investment for a $12.5 Million Project
Marin County has committed $8 million toward the project’s $12.5 million price tag. In exchange, San Rafael agreed to a binding housing commitment that could shape the bigger regional housing conversation from Tiburon to West Marin.
Under the deal, San Rafael must:
The Merrydale property is planned in two phases. First, it’ll be a managed, time-limited cabin community for unhoused neighbors. Then it’s supposed to become a long-term affordable housing development.
For Marin residents in places like Belvedere and San Geronimo, who are often wary of dense housing, the San Rafael experiment might be a sign of what’s possible when county funding and city obligations actually line up.
What’s Next for San Rafael and Marin County Residents
In the coming months, San Rafael plans to hold more community meetings. They’ll ask for feedback from folks living along Merrydale Road, Mahon Creek, and nearby neighborhoods.
These meetings will dig into program design and site rules. There’s a tricky balance here—how do you show compassion, keep people accountable, and make sure neighborhoods stay safe?
Marin County still faces visible encampments and sky-high housing costs. State housing mandates aren’t making things any easier, honestly.
The 350 Merrydale Road project sits right at the crossroads of policy, politics, and the daily lives of real people. Whether you’re in downtown San Rafael, up in Fairfax, or out by the bay in Mill Valley, what happens here is going to matter.
Can the county help folks move from tents to keys, from temporary cabins to real homes? That’s the big question, and it’s one the whole community will have to answer together.
Here is the source article for this story: Judge denies injunction, letting San Rafael proceed with interim housing site purchase
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