Long-time San Rafael staple, the Seafood Peddler, will be shutting its doors in the Canal district at the end of the month. But, the music and food will go on thanks to Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh. Under an agreement announced today, Lesh and his wife, Jill, will be purchasing the historic restaurant and turning it into an expanded version of his Terrapin Crossroads project that was previously proposed in Fairfax. “It will no longer be the Seafood Peddler,” said Seafood Peddler General Manager Richard Mayfield. “We’ll be moving to another location in Marin.” The arrangement will go into …

A community music venue proposed by Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh won't be pursued in Fairfax. Lesh and his wife Jill had submitted a proposal for Terrapin Crossroads to hold 500 people for concerts with Lesh's band and his friends, as well as youth music events and workshops, earlier this year. It had been scheduled to go before the Fairfax Town Council for an initial introduction and decision on the scope of the traffic analysis in mid-August. But after oppositions signs were posted around the Leshes' neighborhood and flyers on cars at St. Rita's, the Leshes decided to put the proposal on…

No Fairfax Town Council Member or Planning Commissioner has publicly expressed an opinion about the Phil Lesh-backed Terrapin Crossroads project. At the Chamber-sponsored meeting on the project and in a number of public statements, council members and commissioners have said that if they expressed an opinion before the item came in front of them on an agenda, then they would no longer be unbiased and would be forced to recuse themselves from voting on the project. But, that’s not completely, exactly true. “Legislators are perfectly free to express views and state how they will vote on an …

After two days, 596 people have voted in our poll on Phil Lesh's Terrapin Crossroads music venue proposal. As of Thursday night, 62 percent of the voters said they were in support of the Terrapin Crossroads project; five percent said they were in support, but had some concerns; 29 percent were opposed to the proposed project; and 2 percent wanted to wait for the analysis process. It should be noted that there is no way to tell where the voters are located. Additionally, people were able to vote more than once -- though that was discouraged. The poll is still open on the 500-person venue …

Phil and Jill Lesh's proposed music venue Terrapin Crossroads, at the empty gas station next to Good Earth, is currently on hold. The Leshes pulled the proposal from its first public hearing in August at the Town Council after negative flyers were posted around their neighborhood in Ross. But, they have said they would reconsider moving forward with the submitted project at the end of September/October - once more outreach was done with the community. That time is nearing, so what do you think: should the Leshes move forward with the proposed project to the town and begin the formal review …

A resolution condemning anti-Terrapin Crossroads signs placed along Phil Lesh’s morning walking route became a controversy itself Wednesday night, as the Fairfax Town Council split over whether or not the resolution would make the debate on the project more divisive. “It sets a bad tone,” said Mayor Larry Bragman. The resolution called for the debate to be “civil in tone, respectful of the applicants’ and public’s rights, and remain free of all acts of intimidation.” However, it also specifically called out opponents of the Terrapin Crossroads project as using tactics that would make Phil and…

In the second part of this video from the community meeting on Terrapin Crossroads on Thursday night, Bruce Burman -- the project manager -- discusses the proposal and vision for the project. Watch the first part of the video, in which the town manager and planning director discuss the process for the application. Did you go to the meeting? Did the presentations answer your questions?

There are a number of questions about the proposed Phil Lesh-backed music venue next to the Good Earth building on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. These are the most common of those questions. Most of the answers came from the community meeting, hosted by the Fairfax Chamber, on Sept. 1. You can watch the videos (Part I and II) from that meeting. If we're missing a question, let us know, and we will add to this as we go forward. -- What is the size and capacity of the project? Read the full Terrapin Crossroads project description. There is a 500-person performance capacity in the three-story …

At a community meeting Thursday night, sponsored by the Fairfax Chamber, Town Manager Michael Rock, Planning Director Jim Moore and Bruce Burman of Jazz Builders, the project manager for the proposed Phil Lesh-backed music venue, made presentations and answered questions. This is the first of two videos of the presentations from the community meeting for those who were not able to attend the meeting -- or for those who would like a reference. In this video, Rock and Moore explain the process the proposal has to go through for approval by the Planning Commission, Design Review Board, and Town …

Although no public meetings have yet been held on the proposed Phil Lesh-backed community music venue on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Fairfax, that doesn't mean the community hasn't been debating the project endlessly. That community will have one more opportunity to discuss the pros and cons and, more importantly, to get the facts about the proposed project, tonight at the first public meeting, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, at 6:30 p.m. at the Pavilion. The meeting is not an official town meeting, though Fairfax Town Manager Michael Rock will be in attendance. The formal process for …

After the heated dispute over the proposed music venue from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh resulted in the initial traffic analysis being pulled from the town council's agenda, a number of residents have been arguing over the pros and cons of the project. Rather than simply dispute who has more supporters, local musician Cathey Cotten has started a facebook poll to measure the number of supporters and opponents. Take the facebook poll on the Terrapin Crossroads project. Though Cotten is an admitted ardent supporter of the project, and named her poll "Is Fairfax Ready to Become the Music …

Although Phil and Jill Lesh pulled the traffic study for their proposed music venue off the Fairfax Town Council agenda last night, Aug. 17, it didn’t stop residents from commenting on the proposal for an hour-and-a-half. People who spoke at the meeting were relatively evenly split over whether or not they were supportive of the proposed project, but council members cautioned people from forming an opinion before going through the whole environmental review process and urged residents to remain civil and orderly. Everyone would have an opportunity to share their concerns and thoughts …

Phil and Jill Lesh are pulling a request for a traffic study for their Terrapin Crossroads community music venue off tonight's Fairfax Town Council agenda after angry signs denouncing the project were posted around the Leshes' neighborhood in Ross and outside a funeral at St. Rita's. According to Jill Lesh, signs saying "Stop Terrapin" were posted directly along Phil's morning walking route and anonymous flyers against the project were posted on cars at St. Rita's for a child's funeral. The flyers around their neighborhood in Ross followed Phil's morning coffee walk directly, she said, …

Now that Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh has submitted plans for a music venue and community music center on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard next to the Good Earth building, residents are weighing in, discussing pros and cons, and rallying supporters on both sides. But, before too many lines are drawn, Lesh and his wife, Jill, want to make sure the community understands their vision for the project. Terrapin Crossroads, as the project will be known, is modeled after the Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles in Woodstock, NY. Helm turned his barn, about a mile from the downtown of Woodstock, into an …

As promised, plans for a Phil Lesh-backed music venue at the site of the empty gas station adjacent to Good Earth on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard were submitted to the town last Monday. At right, you can view the plans, description and see a rendering of what the project will look like when completed. (The project plans are not loading right currently. If you can't see them, click here to be taken to the plans on the town's website.) You be the judge. Let us know what you think of the proposal in the comments. Key aspects include: The building will be three floors, with an approximately 8,250 …

A music venue, backed by Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead, won’t be coming to Good Earth after the natural food store moves into the old Albertson’s building in the fall. But, it could be coming to the former gas station and car repair shop right next door. Plans for the music venue are moving forward at the property next to Good Earth, between the grocery store and Fairfax Market, confirmed Al Baylacq, one of the partners at Good Earth. Baylacq, Mark Squire, and Edwin Cariati, all partners at Good Earth, co-own the property that Lesh is considering, which is currently used for excess parking …

Last month, to surprising response, I questioned the value of bringing a large-scale music venue into Fairfax. Would the town of 7,319 have the capacity to absorb enough of the traffic, noise and other potentially negative impacts to balance the benefits the new concert hall might bring? How bad would it be for residents of Claus Circle, the residential street closest to the new hall. The issue produced a lively back-and-forth among commenters, who seemed to be divided into three camps: the Claus Circle residents, who were understandably concerned, having purchased a home in the shadow of a …

At first blush, the news that former Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh hopes to purchase a building in Fairfax, remodel it “to feel like an old barn,” call it “Terrapin Landing” and open it for a full slate of jam bands, improv music nights and other groovy fare seems like a no-brainer. Other than 710 Ashbury St. and maybe some parts of Vermont, there are very few geographic locations more amenable to the Grateful Dead, its offspring and its loyal fans than Fairfax. And the 71 year-old Lesh, now a Ross resident, lived in Fairfax for many years, so he’s basically a local. Word on the street …

Former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh posted to a website this week an indication he may be opening a new music venue in Marin County. A post apparently signed by Ross resident Lesh on Further.net, indicates he is buying a building to be able to have "a vibrant community gathering place: beautiful, comfortable, welcoming - for members of the community to commingle and enjoy good music." "We’re taking the first steps to make a long time dream- a permanent musical home- come true. We are purchasing a building in Marin, and plan on remodeling it to feel like an old barn; we ‘re calling it …