According to a recent report from the National Park Service, the national parks in Marin bring close to $445 million per year into the regional economy. This makes the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), Point Reyes National Seashore and Muir Woods National Monument virtual cash cows for the hospitality, retail and transportation industries.
The GGNRA had 14.5 million visitors and generated $290 million in 2011. Point Reyes brought in about $93 million off 2.1 million visitors and Muir Woods’ 897,000 visitors spent about $62 million. In terms of jobs, the three parks have 3,438 associated with them, according to the report.
Nationally, 48 percent of the spending went for accommodations and meals while transportation accounted for 21.4 percent. Retail was next with 12.7 percent of the take while recreation and entertainment grabbed 9.7 percent and 8.1 percent went for groceries.
The importance of parks and open space has long been debated in Marin, with different viewpoints and interest groups coming at the issue from polar opposite places. On one hand, housing advocates will point out that with more land dedicated to parks or open space, there’s less land on which to build workforce housing. Along the same lines, housing near open space and parks is worth more, assuring it’s less likely to be redeveloped for more dense housing.
Development fans have long held that too much land is set aside, making the creation of market rate housing along with commercial or retail development even more difficult. And those of an environmental bent point out that parks and open space improve the quality of life in significant ways.
Those National Park Service numbers may take a hit if the planned closure of Drakes Bay Oyster Co. takes place. The business is slated to get the boot, and with it 30 jobs, not to mention the dollars generated by payroll, taxes and visitors slurping the product. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court granted Drakes Bay an emergency injunction that will keep the oyster operation in business until an appeal is heard. Owner Kevin Lunny has brought a lawsuit over the Nov. 29, 2012 decision by the Interior Dept. to shut the business down. The 9th Circuit is expected to take up the injunction the week of May 13.
I see dollar signs
Butch Cassidy once complained to Sundance, “Boy, I got vision and the rest of the world wears bifocals.” The folks in Novato’s economic development office may know how Butch felt. While the rest of us see a cement plant, an undeveloped hillside and empty space at Hamilton Field, the economic development staff sees better than $3 million in revenues per year.
According to a presentation to the Novato City Council, the two largest revenue drivers in town are sales tax and property tax, which together generate almost $20 million per year. The city is shopping for ways to bump revenues from Measure F, which expires in March 2016. The measure is currently backstopping the city’s revenue shortfalls.
Discussions are underway with businesses looking at Redwood Boulevard (cement plant) and Hanna Ranch (undeveloped hillside), which could jumpstart the needed revenues. Hanna could generate about $770,000 if plans for retail and office space along with a hotel and restaurant come to fruition.
City Hall is also bracing for a loss of sales tax from Target shoppers who have traditionally traveled north in Marin and south from Sonoma County. With new stores being built in San Rafael and Petaluma, the Vintage Oaks’ location is bound to leak dollars.
Your Marin moment
Marin is famed for wanting it all now. Indeed, NBC did a documentary in 1978 that went by that handle, almost, “I Want It All Now.”
But times change. Now it’s hip to go minimalist, especially where gluten is concerned. With that in mind, here’s a nod to a couple businesses making it happen for people who either don’t want to or can’t eat wheat.
A year ago, I wouldn’t have known gluten from glue, but my lovely wife Cindy is a font of information on many things, nutrition being no exception. Now I realize I feel better if I skip wheat where possible.
Flour Craft Bakery in San Anselmo is Marin’s first gluten-free bakery. It opened on San Anselmo Avenue in March, and has become an instant destination for folks desiring a treat without the wheat. In addition to a daily variety of fresh breads, a selection of pies, cupcakes, cookies and pastries can be had because man does not live by bread alone. In addition to losing the wheat, the bakery also leaves out the corn and soy and, of course, it’s all organic.
While no one can argue that Flour Craft isn’t already on the cutting edge, it lined up financing for its opening by tapping into yet another trend by raising $20,000 using a crowdfunding approach with 97 “investors” pitching in over a month’s time.
Owner Heather Hardcastle was schooled at Napa Valley’s Culinary Institute of America in pastry and now is showing off her gluten-free creations. She was already something of known entity in Marin, having sold her baked goods at Marin’s Farmer’s Market. Her granola is also a mover at Woodland’s Market, Good Earth and Whole Foods. For those of you in Sonoma and Napa wanting a taste, try Sunshine Foods in St. Helena, Cal Mart in Calistoga and Whole Foods in Petaluma and Santa Rosa.
Another store spreading the gluten-free love is Sans Gluten Free Grocery on B Street in San Rafael. The store is run by a pair of siblings, Marisa and Chad North, and stocks pasta, breads, cookies, pizza dough, crackers and all manner of things without wheat.
