Marin Park Readies For Facelift

SAN RAFAEL, CA – One of Marin’s most popular county parks is about to get a facelift.

Crews next month will repave the McNears Beach Park parking lot, county officials said.

The project is expected to take several months and will present some inconveniences in the short term including a temporary suspension of area reservations, but the repaving work figures to enhance visitor experiences I the long run, county officials said.

Marin County Parks first paved the McNears parking lot in the 1970s.

The project upgrades will include fresh asphalt and wider entries to both the main and overflow lots. The project plans approved in June factored in upgrades to stormwater drainage, including bioretention planters, and irrigation systems and new low-water plantings of shade trees and shrubs.

McNears draws several thousand people per week during busy seasons. It features bayside recreational areas, picnic sites and sweeping views.

The 55-acre park at 201 Cantera Way has easy carry-in access for kayaks and canoes, tennis courts, a swimming pool (closed during the pandemic), an accessible fishing pier, and is a designated trailhead on the San Francisco Bay Area Water Trail. It is surrounded by trees, turf areas, and a beach.

The Marin County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 10 approved a construction contractor bid from Bauman Landscape and Construction for $683,683.

Measure A funds were used to secure $480,201 in grant funds from California Proposition 68, officially known as the California Parks and Water Bond Act of 2018.

Signage about the project will be posted at McNears and online, county officials said.