Group of San Anselmo homeowners to decide if bridge demolition plan moves forward

By John Ramos

A controversial plan to demolish a bridge in the town of San Anselmo may be coming to an end.  

The federal government said unless homeowners downstream consent to it, the removal of the bridge cannot go forward. Meanwhile, residents opposed to the demolition say it’s time to stop trying to fight Mother Nature.

Downtown San Anselmo sits above San Anselmo Creek. But on New Year’s Eve, 2005, the creek was above the downtown area. A swollen river of muddy water roared through the business district, prompting Marin County to establish a flood control district to create a solution to future flooding.  

It focused on a controversial plan to remove a bridge along San Anselmo Avenue, which is said to restrict the natural flow of the creek.

“This has been a restriction since 1945 when it was built,” said Ross Asselstine, who opposes the demolition. “The problem is taking it out does very little and causes harm to people downstream. They need to be treated fairly. They’re getting a voice now.”

The “people downstream” are a group of 12 homeowners on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, whose yards back up to the creek and would face increased flooding with the removal of the bridge.  

Now, after years of fighting over the plan, FEMA has ruled that the demolition cannot go forward without the unanimous consent of those homeowners.

“I’d put every dollar I have on the fact that that’s not happening,” said Philip Chigos.

Chigos owns commercial properties in downtown that would be harmed during another huge flood. But he’s also a pragmatist and said it’s time for the county to stop pretending that they can control the forces of nature.

“The way weather patterns are going, we’re never going to control the water,” he said. “Water goes where water wants to go. So, my opinion, let the water go where it’s going to go, and then after it recedes and leaves, we clean up and move on.”

What opponents say really angers them is the tens of millions of dollars that have been spent studying the project for 20 years.

“If we had taken all the money that had been spent and put it into a fund and generated interest on it in preparation for ‘one day’ when it does flood, we’d be able to help all the businesses and property owners to remediate after the flood,” Chigos said. “We could have taken care of it for the next hundreds of years.”

“The idea of ‘fixing floods’ in San Anselmo is over in San Anselmo, in terms of fighting Mother Nature,” said Asselstine.

FEMA reportedly issued its edict in November, but the county didn’t announce it until late last week.

CBS News Bay Area requested comment from Marin County on Tuesday but got no response.  

The community recently voted to withdraw from the flood control district, which is also facing financial issues.

But there is one silver lining for San Anselmo. A plaza that sits atop the bridge had become a popular gathering spot during the pandemic. It was closed by the county for the demolition, but now, if the bridge remains, residents hope that, with a little work, it can be revived.

“Absolutely,” said Asselstine. “And I look forward to the first party on top of it.”