Health Center Project
History of Community Success
The communities of West Marin share a long tradition of success in developing services, facilities, and necessary institutions to serve community needs. Below is a partial list covering a 60 year period.
Tomales Bay State Park. The Park was opened in 1952 after several years of effort to establish the park initiated by local residents who were concerned about losing access to beaches on the west side of the bay. There were many trips to Sacramento and over a 5 year period the first land purchase was made followed by a second purchase a few years later.
Pt. Reyes National Seashore. Clem Miller, Congress member, had a summer home in Inverness and local residents went to see him in the late 1950s to begin planning for what we know as the Seashore. Rep. Miller carried the legislation in the House of Representatives.
Marin Agricultural Land Trust. MALT was the first agricultural land trust in the country and local residents, environmentalists and Ag property owners, were crucial in the formation of this vital local organization.
Dance Palace. The community center serving our coastal communities is located in Pt. Reyes Station., It began in a rental space in 1971. Now, the Dance Palace and Papermill Creek Preschool are on a site bought from the Catholic Church in the ‘80s. Much of the architecture and construction was completed by volunteers.
Coastal Health Alliance. Dr. Mike Witte had a private practice on 3rd Street in Pt. Reyes Station in a small house that became overwhelmed with patients and suffered from a lack of space. A non-profit was formed and the fund raising began to build the Point Reyes Clinic now located across from the Dance Palace in Pt Reyes. The clinic is one of an alliance of three sites with the Bolinas Family Practice and the Stinson Beach Medical Center.
West Marin Senior Services. 25 years ago, Jean Burroughs, local resident, realized that with our ageing population there was a need to provide services locally, e.g., transportation, meals, light home care, etc. She started what we now see as a crucial local service provider, incorporated as a non-profit with a small staff. In addition, WMSS manages Stockstill House, an assisted living facility, funded by Lillian Stockstill’s bequest.
The West Marin Medical Center. Dr. Michael Whitt’s private medical practice, was in danger of closing until local residents stepped in to provide bridge funding to keep the practice open and hire another doctor to work with Dr. Whitt. The business is now operated by the Marin Heath Care District with three primary care physicians.
Affordable Housing. The Community Land Trust of West Marin which works in Pt. Reyes Station and Inverness (CLAM) owns approximately 10 rentals. The Bolinas Community Land Trust has affordable rentals for local residents and offers other support as well. EAH, a non-profit housing provider sponsors three affordable housing projects in Pt. Reyes. These include a subsidized senior housing center, Walnut Place, the 28 affordable rentals on Mesa Road and the 10 home owner builder projects adjacent to Walnut Place.
The Bolinas Museum, the Jack Mason Museum in Inverness and the Tomales History Center, all three vital local institutions with significant collections of local history materials and broad community support, were created and funded by volunteer efforts.
The communities of West Marin share a long tradition of success in developing services, facilities, and necessary institutions to serve community needs. Below is a partial list covering a 60 year period.
Tomales Bay State Park. The Park was opened in 1952 after several years of effort to establish the park initiated by local residents who were concerned about losing access to beaches on the west side of the bay. There were many trips to Sacramento and over a 5 year period the first land purchase was made followed by a second purchase a few years later.
Pt. Reyes National Seashore. Clem Miller, Congress member, had a summer home in Inverness and local residents went to see him in the late 1950s to begin planning for what we know as the Seashore. Rep. Miller carried the legislation in the House of Representatives.
Marin Agricultural Land Trust. MALT was the first agricultural land trust in the country and local residents, environmentalists and Ag property owners, were crucial in the formation of this vital local organization.
Dance Palace. The community center serving our coastal communities is located in Pt. Reyes Station., It began in a rental space in 1971. Now, the Dance Palace and Papermill Creek Preschool are on a site bought from the Catholic Church in the ‘80s. Much of the architecture and construction was completed by volunteers.
Coastal Health Alliance. Dr. Mike Witte had a private practice on 3rd Street in Pt. Reyes Station in a small house that became overwhelmed with patients and suffered from a lack of space. A non-profit was formed and the fund raising began to build the Point Reyes Clinic now located across from the Dance Palace in Pt Reyes. The clinic is one of an alliance of three sites with the Bolinas Family Practice and the Stinson Beach Medical Center.
West Marin Senior Services. 25 years ago, Jean Burroughs, local resident, realized that with our ageing population there was a need to provide services locally, e.g., transportation, meals, light home care, etc. She started what we now see as a crucial local service provider, incorporated as a non-profit with a small staff. In addition, WMSS manages Stockstill House, an assisted living facility, funded by Lillian Stockstill’s bequest.
The West Marin Medical Center. Dr. Michael Whitt’s private medical practice, was in danger of closing until local residents stepped in to provide bridge funding to keep the practice open and hire another doctor to work with Dr. Whitt. The business is now operated by the Marin Heath Care District with three primary care physicians.
Affordable Housing. The Community Land Trust of West Marin which works in Pt. Reyes Station and Inverness (CLAM) owns approximately 10 rentals. The Bolinas Community Land Trust has affordable rentals for local residents and offers other support as well. EAH, a non-profit housing provider sponsors three affordable housing projects in Pt. Reyes. These include a subsidized senior housing center, Walnut Place, the 28 affordable rentals on Mesa Road and the 10 home owner builder projects adjacent to Walnut Place.
The Bolinas Museum, the Jack Mason Museum in Inverness and the Tomales History Center, all three vital local institutions with significant collections of local history materials and broad community support, were created and funded by volunteer efforts.