Point Reyes Light- September 17, 1998
Zenlike bridge proposed for the Inkwells
A bicycle-and-equestrian bridge spanning the Ink Wells in Lagunitas should be designed with "Zen-like simplicity" or not at all.
That was the consensus on Monday of San Geronimo Valley residents who brainstormed with architects hired by the county to design the bridge.
Members of the Berkeley-based firm Design, Community, and Environment attended the San Geronimo Valley Planning Group meeting to gather opinions about the proposed bridge before creating a conceptual drawing for the County of Marin.
Future meetings will be scheduled in October and November to review alternative designs and refine the preferred choice.
Above all, group members said, nothing should be built that might spoil the cascading stretch of San Geronimo Creek - even if it means re-routing hikers, bikers, and equestrians over the foot of Mount Barnabe to reach the old North Pacific Coast Railroad right-of-way through Samuel P. Taylor State Park.
"To me, by far the best way is to stay on the north side of the creek," said Willis Evans, a former Fish and Game biologist who urged planners to follow the historic railroad right-of-way and not build any unnecessary structures across the creek.
Former Planning Group chairwoman Jean Berensmeier recalled that the original plan for the county trail followed the railroad right-of-way but was scuttled by residents north of the Ink Wells who opposed having foot, horse, and bike traffic through their yards.
The architectural firm's principal planner, David Early, noted that any bridge from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to the railroad grade across the creek would have to go near the Ink Wells because the banks are close together and roughly the same height.
It is also a logical site, he added, because trails leading to both Kent Lake and Samuel P. Taylor State Park converge with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard there.
"We're afraid if you want a bridge, this is really one of the only places," he insisted. "It's the confluence of two creeks, and people are looking to go all three ways."
After separating into three smaller groups, the evening's crowd of about 30 Planning Group members and non-members further discussed their thoughts about the Ink Wells and the proposed bridge, then reported back to the larger assembly.
There was a general consensus that any bridge should cover, and perhaps disguise, Marin Municipal Water District's pipeline that crosses the Ink Wells.
It was further agreed upon that the bridge should accommodate foot, bike, and horse traffic, that it should be built from natural-looking materials, and that it should blend in with, or maybe even complement, the existing scenery with a simple design.
There was, of course, some dissent. "We had a minority opinion that would prefer a ferry or a tunnel," reported Brent Harris, the Planning Group's vice chairman.