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 Terrapin Landing. We will continue with Furthur while making music at Terrapin Landing when we are at home," the website posts states.
An article in today's Marin Independent Journal sites rumors the building could end up being the Good Earth site on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. in Fairfax.
Good Earth announced last November its intentions to move from its Sir Francis Drake location and open in October 2011 in the Fair-Anselm Plaza, taking over the now-empty building that once was the home for Albertson's.
Further.net is the online home for the band with Lesh and Bob Weir (one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead), along with a number of other musicians including Jeff Chimenti, John Kadlecik, Joe Russo, Sunshine Becker and Jeff Pehrson.
How could there be a better alternative than Fairfax? Fairfax has historically been the stomping grounds of some of the world's greatest musicians and artists and their families. (Remember when you used to be able to walk into the record store run by Van Morrison's dad and have a chat about the state of the music business with him?) I am certain that your concerns of noise, trash, and traffic could be minimzed with good planning. Even if it is just a rumor, turning down this amazing opportunity would be a huge change in the character and fabric of Fairfax. Can you imagine what a great thing this would be for the merchants of Fairfax? And what an awesome thing it would be for the people of Ross Valley and San Geronimo Valley to be able to enjoy incredible world class musicians performing in our neighborhood! Terrapin Landing would be an incredible asset and enhance the magic of beautiful Fairfax.
I am a very big fan of music and the merchants of Fairfax, from your reply I did not express this enough. I almost solely shop in Fairfax and visit all of our current local night life and restaurants several times a week. While I appreciate your opinion, I am guessing you are not a resident on the same street as this new proposed venue. We have had issues for years with the current Good Earth and down town visitors; lounging in our yards, leaving their trash behind, parking in or blocking our driveways, waking our children at all hours of the night and terrorizing our dogs. While I agree with good planning this could be great. But Our (residences of Claus circle & Drive ) have not had luck in the way of “good planning”. With an amazing opportunity like this to attract double to triple the amount of people our current night life attacks I am frightened of how it will affect our lives. Yes, very dramatic but you have to consider this will affect us day in and day out not just driving by on the way to your home or causing you to allow extra time to park for dinner. We as a group are all big fans of Fairfax and what it means to live her, heck most of us have seen the Grateful Dead live but don’t want to live in an everyday concert. In the spirit of keeping it in Fairfax what about the Marin Town & Country Club Property, tons of space that is not in use!
Richard Pedemonte
Good grief people, you chose to live 1 or 2 blocks from a bustling and vibrant downtown. There is a trade off between having the convenience of being able to walk downtown for eating, shopping, socializing. That trade off is, traffic and noise inconveniences. (I live on SFD Blvd., so please don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about). Build it! I'm not even a Dead Fan. Fairfax needs more business- we have enough empty space as it is. Fairfax needs more Fairfax-like culture- This is perfect. - With proper acoustics and soundproofing insulation, sound outside the current building would be negligible. - With some proper "chaperoning" of guests, impacts to the neighborhood would be way, way less than Good Earth. - Good Earth has consistent in-and-out traffic all day long into the evening. A music venue would only have significant traffic during starting and finishing of events. - Phil Lesh is not Lady Gaga. It's a different, older, more sophisticated crowd altogether. - This is exactly the type of "business" that Fairfax needs to be in.
Too many stakeholders and neighbors would rally against any public or private use of that space, and the costs imposed by the city would drive out any entrepreneurs. Any proposed project would take years of litigation, hundreds of thousands in attorneys fees, hundreds of thousands in environmental studies of obscure salamander mating habits, and miles of bureaucratic red tape. (Just look at the proposed 680 trail outside Fairfax if you have any doubts. It could be built almost exclusively with volunteer labor, but is projected to cost over $600K due to administrative costs run amok). Sadly, it's best use is probably a business loss tax write off. Too bad, I'd love to see just about any use of the T&C Club besides run down, ramshackle buildings.
a recording studio, parking, some other little supporting businesses like bakery, coffee shop, healthy little restaurant or snack bar, a bike shop, and a bed and breakfast, Fairfax style. Re-furbish and keep some of the original buildings for these businesses to keep the history. A nice little park and vegetable and flower garden, some other outdoor rec space. Simple low key. Add your own wish list. This would be perfect. We can dream can't we? Please come to Fairfax Terrapin Landing!!
In my opinion, it would be a privilege to have Terrapin Landing in Fairfax. Can the people of Fairfax turn such an amazing possibility down? Surely there are intelligent ways to protect the nearby residents, with soundproofing, buying the "gas station" next door and thereby dealing with parking and other practical needs. . If we all work together to made it a win-win result, it can be done. This is not a Target store wanting to come in, after all. Fairfax is already the most fun town in Marin County. It would be in the spirit of Fairfax to welcome such a unique venue. Surely a sound wall behind the building would help to mitigate any disturbing noise that would affect the neighbors. Fines could be made on people parking or otherwise disrespecting the privacy and safety of the neighborhood. Come on people. Put on your thinking caps on how to say YES and still have all your needs met. I'm pretty sure that Phil Lesh would have the funds needed to create and environmentally friendly building there. .... Just think of the impact that having a real recording studio in town, on the local kids? They could be inspired to join the arts, be an engineer, etc. School groups could take tours once in a while. I would be a community resource. Think of the fundraisers that could be held there! Are you all really going to turn down this opportunity, because you can't see a way in which it could all be designed to work??
Well said! It would be a privilege and an incredible opportunity for Fairfax. A gift, even. I agree there are ways to make this a great thing for everybody, including the close neighbors.
How were you with the supermarket that was there before the Good Earth? Was that OK with you? Earlier you said you "signed up" for living near a grocery store. At my house I "signed up" for living with a lovely open hill in my back yard. For 9 years it remained a lovely open hill and I had privacy there. Then several houses were built adjacent to my back yard, and I have no more privacy there. That is the the nature of the ever changing world we live in. You say Good Earth is zoned residential which surprises me, given that building has always been commercial, and all the adjacent land on SFD is commercial. You choose to live directly adjacent to a business district. There are obviously things that come with that... parking issues,traffic issues, noise issues, people issues. If it is already as bad as you say in your neighborhood, maybe this change could be an opportunity for you to address your current issues to the city and make things better for your neighborhood than they are now!
I personally was not here prior to Good Earth but many of the neighbors have been. I am sure if you had the option to fight the homes moving in behind you would have. It is funny everyone I mention the new venue to all say what a great thing then I tell them the location and the distance to my home and they say I AM SORRY. I was shocked to find out it was residentially zoned too but recently a neighbor moved in and had a sound engineer come out and test the noise and said it was significantly higher than allowed. When this neighbor present it to the city they said they have been checking for Commercial not residential all these years. Needless to say the noise has been improved in recent months!
Thank you Mr. Brad