Sausalito Taps $250K Reserve to Fast-Track Gate 5 Flood Defenses
City Council • SausalitoSeptember 15, 2026
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Sausalito's City Council voted 4-0 on Sept. 15, 2026, to release up to $250,000 from the city's emergency reserve for interim flood protection at Gate 5 Road. Council members said they will not wait out an 18-month design timeline with king tides due at Thanksgiving. A county briefing on a possible Super El Niño and steady public pressure over Pelican Harbor and Measure X made clear that the waterfront dominates City Hall's agenda this fall.
- $250,000 emergency reserve authorized for Gate 5 interim flood fixes, 4-0
- Marin County lays out four-phase Super El Niño plan, with king tides expected at Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's
- Pelican Harbor tenants press for enforcement as the city issues an audit demand letter to the harbor's owners
- Council backs Option 2 for the aging Turney Street dock, but construction money is unsecured
- Residents line up against Measure X, citing drafting flaws and flood risk
Gate 5 Gets Emergency Money and a Deadline
Why it matters: Gate 5 and the Marinship area have flooded for years. Each high tide now costs the city money, and the permanent fix is at least 18 months away.
The basics: A tide gate blocks bay water from pushing up a canal at high tide. A pump station with a wet well collects stormwater and pumps it out.
Where things stand: Engineering firm WSP's Sept. 1 report blamed the flooding on tides, storms, subsidence and sea level rise. The report recommended three fixes: raising Varda Landing Circle, installing a tide gate at the end of a 1940s-era canal and building a stormwater pump station with a wet well. The canal's corroded sheet piles are under review by Martin and Martin.
The interim math is punishing. "The cost of renting pumps is about $15,000 to $20,000 each time we have a high tide," said Public Works Director Kevin McGowan. Buying pumps would cost at least $150,000. Staff put the tide gate at roughly $600,000, and WSP estimated about $4M for the pump station and gate together. Staff estimated design and permitting would take at least 18 months.
Staff also relayed WSP's finding that "removing sediment from the canal would not affect the current flooding characteristics in the neighborhood," McGowan said.
Speed was the fight: No council member opposed spending the money. The tension was over timing, and two members rejected a March approval date.
"I'm just a little bit alarmed by the March date," said Vice Mayor Melissa Blaustein. She added that Gate 5 property owners "are committed to working together and even to contributing funds to moving forward a solution."
"March is going to be too late," said Councilmember Jill James Hoffman, pointing to known tide dates.
Councilmember Joan Cox questioned whether spending public funds on private land could amount to a gift of public funds. She also pressed staff to make sure interim work isn't thrown away once permanent infrastructure arrives. "Can you coordinate those 2 efforts so that the immediate mitigation efforts are not just wasted money and effort," she asked. Mayor Steven Woodside praised how quickly the public-private response came together and rejected the gift-of-funds concerns.
Interim City Manager Brandon Phipps said the city will create a separate fund account that can accept transfers and private donations.
The public's push: Robert McCullough, a mechanical engineer and Gate 5 office tenant, backed Reason Bradley's plan to "put the tide gate on the eastern side of the bridge that the marina has going over there" and fill Varda Landing. "It's something we need to fix in the next 60 days," he said. He also cited a 2011 study and warned "there might be some legal liability" after 15 years of inaction.
Casey Peterson called the effort a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership. "We have agreed to take on the cost of filling in Varda Landing Road," Peterson said on behalf of property owners. Sandra Bushmaker supported treating the flooding as an emergency and said it shows the folly of Measure X density.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The amended motion directs staff to prioritize the design and construction of interim mitigation against king tides and Super El Niño. It runs WSP's engineering and procurement work in parallel and caps reserve spending at $250,000. Vote: For: 4 (Woodside, Blaustein, Cox, Hoffman), Against: 0, Absent: 1 (Sobieski).
Gate 5 businesses and property owners gain near-term protection and a channel to co-fund it. The city's reserve absorbs the first-dollar risk.
What's next: Council directed the city attorney to explore emergency fast-track options. Staff will work with the county and BCDC, the regional agency that permits Bay shoreline work. McGowan said he would rather work on emergency measures "from now until the end of October," when he plans to return to the council.
County to Sausalito: Get Ready for Winter
Why it matters: Compound storms, king tides and a possible Highway 101 closure could cascade into emergencies. The county says solutions will take real resources, beyond a few million dollars.
Where things stand: Assistant County Executive Chris Zapata of the County of Marin outlined four phases of readiness: pre-event, during-event, post-event and long-term. "The purpose of all this is to protect life," he said. The county's plan includes weekly interdepartmental meetings, LiDAR-based mapping of low spots, Alert Marin notifications and a Nov. 15 countywide tabletop exercise. Zapata urged residents to prepare go-bags, check their insurance and avoid watering before storms.
Cox asked whether the county could help secure a governor's emergency proclamation. "Yeah, the county has made that ask," Zapata said, adding that he expects it soon. The county has also asked the governor to streamline permitting.
Zapata pointed to the $600,000 Corps of Engineers/EDA study for Gate 5 as groundwork for larger funding. "That sets you up for the big ask," he said, and he recommended a countywide request.
Hoffman raised hillside landslide preparedness. McGowan described drain cleaning and contractor staging.
The other side: Public commenters questioned whether local preparedness is keeping pace. "I do believe the city needs to reactivate the Disaster Preparedness Committee," Bushmaker said. Babette McDougall called emergency response disjointed and urged neighborhood-by-neighborhood planning. John DeRay said planning more waterfront development under Measure X is ludicrous given sea level rise and subsidence.
Woodside responded that the committee's "function has been reassigned to our own police department to convene as needed."
What's next: The county's tabletop exercise is set for Nov. 15. The council took no action on the item.
Pelican Harbor Tenants Want Action, Not Letters
Why it matters: Speakers say tenants fear retaliation and that the harbor's maritime character is slipping away. The dispute tests the city's code enforcement capacity.
Where things stand: Phipps said staff, code enforcement and legal counsel are investigating Pelican Harbor. The city has issued an audit demand letter to the owners and is awaiting a response. Woodside said a city attorney response to a separate demand letter would go out shortly. "Our intent is to have a public session where we address the issues," the mayor said.
What residents reported: Allison Deal described unpermitted floating docks and called them dangerous. "There are 3 Airbnbs on our property," she said, including two sailboats.
Alice Merrill said tenants are afraid to speak. Chris Langton described pressure on the harbor's 10% liveaboard limit. "The spirit of Sausalito that has been at Pelican is evaporating," he said. Speakers also described a workaround of the council's water lease decision.
Residents "deserve to see the city council take some action on what's happening with Pelican Harbor," said Andy Greer. Skip Klager asked about the response to the Hanig demand letter and requested a workshop on the limits of enforcement, citing Bridgeway.
What's next: The council has promised a public session on Pelican Harbor but has not set a date.
Measure X Draws a Wall of Opposition
Why it matters: The measure would shape waterfront development. Opponents cite legal-review findings, financing assumptions and flood risk.
Where things stand: Several public commenters urged a no vote, and no supporters spoke. Ginny Irwin cited independent reports finding conflicting and vague provisions, including language that "could make existing uses and structures throughout Sausalito nonconforming." She said the vague provisions extend to the ICB building and Arquette Shipyards.
DeRay questioned the revenue from an infrastructure financing district and Southern Marin Fire's share. "I think somebody needs to run the numbers," he said. "Please, people, vote no on Measure X," Bushmaker said. McDougall said the measure has at least focused attention on the waterfront, but warned, "Our town is maxed out."
What's next: New resident Don Russo asked council members to explain their positions on the measure. The council did not respond substantively.
Turney Street Dock: A Design, Not Yet a Budget
Why it matters: Picking a preferred design keeps the grant-funded work moving. However, no construction money exists, and dredging could trigger environmental review.
Where things stand: Staff and consultant Anchor QEA said the 60-foot launch ramp is more than 60 years old and past its design life. The ramp's abutment is cracked, the Humboldt Street timber bulkhead has failed and the floats near the Joinery have gone unused for 15 years.
Option 1 rebuilds the facility in kind, with a longer ramp and a hand-launch beach. Option 2 adds a low-freeboard kayak dock and relocates the boarding float. "There's about a $300,000, a 10% difference between the 2 options," said Fred Masepke, a professional civil engineer with Anchor QEA. Roughly a third of the cost sits in the bulkhead.
On funding, "we have $170,000 from the Fish and Wildlife," said Resiliency and Sustainability Manager Katie Thao Garcia. The city has added about $104,000 of its own money. Construction funding is not in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Council members reached consensus on Option 2, which staff recommended. No vote was taken. "I think option 2 is a great one," Woodside said.
Cox asked the consultant to add high-voltage warning signs near the overhead lines to the design scope, and Anchor QEA agreed. She also flagged possible CEQA review if dredging is needed. Phipps raised the possibility of an RFP for a private partner and pursuing grants. No public comment was offered.
What's next: Design advances toward 65% completion.
Minor Items
- Consent calendar passed 4-0. It includes resolutions supporting Regional Measure 3 grants for the Bridgeway Improvement Project, waiver of the second reading of Ordinance 09-2026 on the sign ordinance, the city's response to the Marin County Civil Grand Jury report on MCE and an IT manager job description.
- Nov. 3 Election Day meeting canceled, 4-0. Phipps will work with the clerks on possible special meeting dates.
- Parking: Yoshi Tomei said Caledonia Street restriping happened without outreach. Ines Pogny, speaking for the DSA, proposed limited free holiday parking.
- Daylighting delay: Kieran Culligan said red curb paint promised by Aug. 1 is overdue on Caledonia Street.
- Closed session: The council took no reportable action. Councilmember Ian Patrick Sobieski was absent due to a death in his family.
Looking Ahead
Community meetings on the MLK housing site and Corporation Yard proposals begin Sept. 22. The Working Waterfront Coalition will screen a Marinship documentary on Monday, Sept. 21, at 6:30 at the Edgewater Room. Gate 5 interim measures are due back to the council by the end of October. The council adjourned in honor of Chris Majora.