Traffic, trash and toilets were top among concerns voiced at a gathering of over 50 West Marin business leaders and stakeholders who met Monday morning at the Dance Palace to discuss issues exacerbated by the explosion of visitors to Point Reyes Station. With staff and owners of around 40 businesses present, it was the first time in over two decades that such a large gathering of local business people had taken place in town, according to meeting’s organizer and bookstore owner, Steve Costa.

“[Point Reyes Station] is at a tipping point,” Mr. Costa said. “It’s important that we start a conversation, because there’s a lot of change happening.” 

Access to affordable housing, pedestrian safety and security rounded out the list of concerns, the latter heightened by the armed robbery at Point Reyes Jeweler last month.

As the largest gateway town to the Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station bears the brunt of hosting close to three million visitors a year. These individuals, who help the local economy thrive, also tax the town’s infrastructure. Traffic funnels through Main Street and there are just a handful of trashcans, one public restroom and a scattering of port-potties.

“The bike people, the people on weekends: these are my customers,” said Gary Fine, the store director at the Palace Market. “How do we find that balance of supporting these folks who come into town and who shop at my store, without overwhelming the community?”

Debbie Daly, who teaches at Yoga Toes, said the increase in septic pumping at the public restroom on Toby Street disrupts the studio’s classes. “For about 10 or 15 minutes, it kind of ruins the class,” Ms. Daly said. “It used to be once or twice a month. Now, it happens every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”

Others cited the pedestrian safety threat caused by the hordes of bicyclists and cars that descend on weekends. Little signage or control measures along the half-mile downhill stretch leading south into the heart of town might one day cause tragedy, many feared.

“Does there need to be a fatality before something is done about the confusion?” asked Bridget Devlin of Bovine Bakery. “Because that’s going to happen soon.”

Madeline Hope, director of the Tomales Bay Youth Center and a waste educator, suggested the town coordinate with Shoreline Unified School District to provide student-led parking services at West Marin School, an idea that was tested during last month’s busy Western Weekend. 

Ms. Hope said school staff and community members have been meeting with Caltrans, the Marin County Department of Public Works and representatives of Safe Routes to Schools to identify strategies to improve traffic on Highway 1.

Some attendees emphasized a need for affordable housing for the town’s employees, while others worried that plans to develop the Grandi Building would worsen the town’s infrastructure woes. The building’s owner is seeking permit approval from the county for a 34-room hotel and 60-seat restaurant, along with 110 parking spaces, 22 of which are street parking (and 13 on Main Street).

“I’d like to see the county make commercial projects live within the limitations of their site, and not break parking rules, septic rules,” said Fred Rodoni of Coastal Marin Real Estate. “The current Grandi proposal—the size and scale of that—if that materializes, that’s kind of like a death blow to Point Reyes.”

Supervisor Steve Kinsey attended the breakfast meeting. He noted that the county has set aside funding for consultants to address parking and toilet needs from Muir Woods to Marshall. “We will have an engaged process that will give opportunities for the community to have input,” he said. “And coming out of that, my goal would be to identify what we need to be investing in over the next period of time.”

Absent from the meeting were representatives from the seashore, Caltrans and the Sheriff’s Office. Lieutenant Doug Pittman was slated to appear as a representative of law enforcement, but was a no-show. Mr. Costa suggested that business owners meet again in September, with those stakeholders present.

On Wednesday, he told the Light: “[The meeting] was very powerful: having all those businesses in the same room being able to reflect on both their concerns as well as beginning to offer ideas or solutions to some of the issues that we face.”