Roads and Disasters

When will Sausalito provide basic infrastructure maintenance ?

Sausalito landslides are legendary. In January, 1982, Sally Baum was killed by a slide which destroyed houses on Sausalito Boulevard and Crescent Ave. 

1982 Woman Killed in Sausalito Mudslide

Thirty-seven years later on February 14, 2019 another mudslide demolished homes in the same area. A Sausalito Blvd resident miraculously survived as her house slid down the hill while she was sleeping.

 2019 Woman Trapped in Home in Sausalito Mudslide

Landslides in Sausalito- Preventable Disasters?

Landslides throughout the City of Sausalito are occurring more frequently:

1982, 2006, 2017, 2019.

And BTW even if you survive, your homeowner’s insurance generally doesn’t cover damage from a landslide!

2006 Mudslide, Bridgeway Apartments Red-Tagged

2017 Four Mudslides in Sausalito

2017 Mudslides and Broken Sewer Lines in Sausalito

In 2019, the City Council approved the formation of a “Landslide Task Force” which made eighteen recommendations to the Council, seven months after that slide. These recommendations included a city-wide and geologic mapping of hillsides using modern technology. Recommendations were “referred to staff” and to our knowledge, none have been implemented.

September 2019 City of Sausalito Mudslide Task Force

Sausalito Roads and Stairs-Escaping a Disaster??

Sausalito roads are a joke.

They are cracked, bumpy and many have gravel remnants of mini-slides. Sometimes they get an occasional coating of cosmetic slurry, particularly in an election year. Vegetation along the roads often impede a driver’s view of traffic signs.

The Sausalito stairs, which could provide a viable means of egress during a disaster, are not maintained by the City. Recently a group of residents have been clearing the overgrown steps with no support from CIty government. Given our narrow, poorly maintained, and often jammed roads, these stairs are crucial to evacuation. The 2019 mudslide on the North Street steps which are primary to hillside egress is finally being repaired after two and a half years.

Status of the North Street Steps

“Local government is a gamble that can have disastrous consequences when it fails”

Joyce Reid, MSNBC