Expecting the ‘old way’ to stay the same does no good
One of the least productive comments coming from anyone in government is, “We've always done it that way.” Its corollary are Marinites when facing a new reality, exclaiming, “Don't do it. We like things the way they are now.”
The dilemma is that everything in life changes. Adapting to different circumstances is a necessity. Closing our eyes to developments we'd rather not face isn't a practical option.
The impact of the pandemic, coupled with the rise of sophisticated technology, changed aspects of American life long taken for granted. Marin communities must now deal with the revolutions in retail shopping, how and where we work, play and even how we bank.
We took for granted our downtowns would be filled with prosperous independently owned shops selling unique goods and our shopping centers would be anchored by bustling department stores representing national retail brands.
The migration of retail shopping from brickand-mortar outlets to online accelerated during the pandemic. Many national chains are either bankrupt or nearly insolvent. The days of Macy's anchoring The Village at Corte Madera or Kohl's at Northgate in San Rafael are fading. Likewise, small town retail stores are making a valiant against-the-tide struggle.
We need to look for better long-term sustainable models for old shopping centers that are both economically visible while beneficial to the community. Don't expect old malls to remain like they were. That model is dead. Their reuse will include midsize upscale retail, restaurants and private gyms complemented by substantial new multiunit residential structures.
Don't like the changes? Worried about more traffic? The alternative is the bleak phenomenon of ghost malls which does no one any good.
More housing is coming to Marin, like it or not. The chances of litigation overturning stateimposed regional housing mandates is a longshot. Nor are legislators going to put a stop to what they've already passed with bipartisan supermajorities. That's because many Californians find the high cost of housing their No. 1 complaint.
Far more practical is for voters to use the political process to accomplish something achievable, not just to vent anger — no matter how justified. Do it by flooding state legislators with a torrent of demands that housing mandates be changed so that the preponderance of new residences are built for those who really need assistance, our workforce. California is already overloaded with million-dollar homes.
Vacant banks in almost every Marin town aren't ever going to be reoccupied by financial institutions now that much banking is online. Old bank buildings are expensive to convert to restaurants. The choice may be demolition versus empty dead spots. True architectural imagination is needed to develop viable alternatives.
Marin has a surplus of shuttered movie theaters. Mill Valley is fortunate the California Film Institute proposes converting the old Sequoia Theater into a four-screen home for specialty films and a rooftop pavilion. The building's 1929 façade will remain.
The Smith Rafael Film Center is also secure, but Marin is losing much of the remainder. Are communities open to dramatic new uses for old theaters or will we hope in vain that the days of the great movie palaces will return?
Outdoor dining spawned by the pandemic proved popular. Now some want them removed to free up parking. The cry is: Marin isn't Paris or Florence, so shut the outdoor parklets. European cities can teach us a lesson or two on keeping downtowns vital via a vibrant café culture combined with nearby multiunit apartments. Without well-patronized eateries, surviving retailers will face deserted downtowns.
Change can be both good and bad. It's often temporarily painful for those most impacted. The first job for elected officials, as well as leaders of businesses and nonprofits is positing Marin's towns to adapt and successfully emerge from this era of rapid change even better than before.