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Manager’s Newsletter
December, 2025
A Look Back, A Look Ahead
2026 is around the corner! The passing of the year is always startling—I don't know where the time went, but I certainly understand whence it came.
Within Seadrift, it came from moments of good company and play, highlighted by our refurbished tennis courts and the exciting addition of new pickleball courts. It arose from a renewed focus on something bigger than us, sharing a concern for the environment and establishing our role in a world that is always changing. It came from the simple joy of living in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and the generosity of welcoming many new neighbors into the fold.
We also draw strength from the pride and shared sense of purpose evident as many among us took on leadership roles in community, volunteer, and political organizations. For those diligently investing in their families, it comes from a deep well of love and tradition. And for those who have struggled or experienced loss, it comes from finding strength together in the present and sustaining a profound belief in continuity and respect.
There is truly much to celebrate in a look back. From the 4th of July festivities, to private gatherings and reunions; the joy of radiant sunsets and sunrises; of stormy days and perfect calm; of good breaks, good dinks, and uplifting projects; of gatherings around the family table, and cherished traditions like the Firemen’s Ball—there is so much we celebrate together.
Please continue to enjoy a safe and celebratory holiday season. I am happy to be able to celebrate it with you, entering my third year with Seadrift. Thank you to this wonderful community, staff, and Board. I look forward to many more years celebrating our collective gifts and future.
Cheers to 2026—here’s to new beginnings!
– Jean Gould
Reminders, Safety, & Seasonal Prep
Have you hung your outdoor holiday lights? Get ready! The Stinson Beach Fire District will hold its annual Holiday Lights Drill Wednesday December 10th. Seadrift’s Disaster Corps members will be canvassing the neighborhood, noting which addresses have holiday decorations. If your house is reported, you can expect a visit from a Stinson fire engine and its firefighters, who will be delivering a special holiday treat! It doesn’t get better than that!
Holiday Lights Drill December 10
Holiday Fund: A Note of Appreciation for Our Staff
This time of year, we might take pause to appreciate those dear to us and celebrate with giving. In doing so, please keep in mind our security and office staff who endeavor daily to support the quality of life and safety at Seadrift.
As in past years, the Seadrift Association Board of Directors has established an employee Holiday Fund for those who wish to show appreciation for our staff with a monetary gift.
Donations to the Holiday Fund of course are voluntary. You can use this link or scan the QR Code for Venmo contributions.
By check, please make payable to Seadrift Association (“Holiday Fund” memo) and send to:
Seadrift Association
P
Seadrift Association
P.O. Box 128
Stinson Beach, CA 94970
Your annual holiday gift means a great deal to our staff and is very much appreciated.
Batten down the hatches…and the chairs, SUPs, kayaks…
With winter comes all too familiar wind and rain - and some fine looking flotsam that security retrieves from the Seadrift lagoon and elsewhere. The “Boneyard” behind the office will hold these treasures for a time - stop by if you find something has gone missing. Most importantly, bring in or batten down anything that can fly off a deck or dune. At the moment there are just a couple lily pads and SUPs in the yard, but likely more to come. (eh-hem, Lily Pads are prohibited in Seadrift Lagoon - see Seadrift Rules A.12.).
Plan your travel! Please allow the January 1-4 King Tides time to come and go before you drive Calle del Arroyo. The tides will peak between 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM that week, so plan your trip in and out of Seadrift a couple hours on either side of that.
King Tides
Dark Skies
Let’s help preserve the night sky in our environmentally rich and uniquely biodiverse region, and help others enjoy the night sky experience as well. Please consider these tips:
Check your timers - light timing should be intended to meet your needs. Daylight savings may require an adjustment to minimize light spill.
Inform renters and people servicing your home to ensure lights are turned off when the house is not in use.
Use dimmers and shades to minimize light spill, particularly on the lagoon.
New details on the Seadrift Homeowner Google Group
A number of you have asked about setting up an email distribution list for homeowners. I'm happy to share that a number of homeowners, Caitlin Pardo de Zela, Freddy Kerrest, Victoria Thorp and Jim Migdal have set one up. It's an opt-in thing so - no pressure on anyone to join. If you're curious, below is the FAQ about the group. If you want to be added, email jimmigdal@gmail.com with your seadrift address, name and email address you'd like to use for it.
FAQs
What is the Seadrift Google Group used for?
This group is an email distribution list for Seadrift Homeowners intended to connect neighbors. It’s not about HOA governance, and it’s optional. It’s only for homeowners - not assistants or property management folks.
Who can see the group and emails/info?
Only members of the group
Who is on the list?
Here’s a link to the people in the group with their names and addresses. If you’re in the group and don’t see your name - just add yourself with your Seadrift address. You can put your phone number here if you want - the page is only accessible to members of the google group.
How do I join the Google Group?
To be added to the group, you need to be a Seadrift homeowner and to write to one of the group managers - Jim Migdal, and he will add you. Just send the email you want to have added with your name, seadrift address and email.
Do I have to have a gmail account to access?
You don't need a Gmail account, but you must have a Google Account associated with the email address you used to join the group. If you've never created a Google Account with that email, go to the Google Groups sign-in page and follow the prompt to create an account using your existing email.
How do I change my groups like how often I receive emails?
On your desktop computer, go to the Google Groups Website and find the Seadrift group. Click "My Settings" icon (usually a gear or three dots) in the top right. Here you can change your subscription settings (e.g., receive every email, a daily summary, or no email updates).
How do I change the way my name appears to other members?
You have to go into your Google account under personal info and modify your name.
Sending Messages & Etiquette
How do I send a message to the entire group?
Simply send an email to the group's email address: seadrift@googlegroups.com. This will send your message to all members.
Who should I reply to when I get a message?
"Reply" (or just clicking the reply button) sends your response only to the original sender (private reply). "Reply All" sends your response to the entire group. Double-check before sending to ensure your reply goes to the intended audience. If in doubt, reply only to the sender.
What kind of messages are appropriate for this group?
The group is for the kinds of things you’d ask of a neighbor in person:
if you needed to borrow a ladder or tools, or a cup of flour
If you were giving away a deck chair or some sand toys
If you were looking for recommendation for a repair person (see form)
If you needed a good plumbing, electrical contractor
If you wanted to compare notes on insurance coverage/brokers
You need a recommendation for a caterer
You're selling a grill or a kayak
You want to borrow the crab pot Jim Migdal has never used... :)
What kind of messages are not appropriate?
HOA governance related issues
Commercial solicitations for services (e.g. real estate, investment advice etc)
Political messages
Fundraising
Spamming/Excessive thank yous/one-word replies
Attaching kayak
Where can I find a list of contractors people have used and how can I recommend one?
The list of recommendations is in this google sheet, and if you have someone to recommend, use this form. (these links are only accessible to members of group)
Where can refer or find a referral for …
Babysitters, hairdressers, dogwalkers, surf instructors, house sitters. Refer someone here and see referrals here. (these links are only accessible to members of group)
Moderation & Troubleshooting
Are the messages moderated by anyone?
No - messages are not moderated/approved by anyone before you send them. If you feel that someone is not following guidelines, let Jim, Caitlin or Freddie know and one of them will have a look.
I think I am being unsubscribed from the group or not receiving emails. What should I do?
Check your Spam/Junk folder. * Check your Gmail 'Promotions' or 'Updates' tabs if you use Gmail. * Go to yourGoogle Groups Settings and verify your Subscription setting is not set to "No email."
Environmental Stewardship
Look out back!
Have you considered a rainbow an optical illusion? As real as they seem, rainbows are refracted light dependent upon the viewer’s position, making it a unique spectacle for any single viewer. I wonder if the tree service crew making the open space behind the Association office firesafe on November 17th knew the sun was smiling through the foggy mist, framing their efforts with such beauty!
Keep an eye out for more work in the next couple of weeks. Action on the vegetation management project is moving to the season’s conclusion. This critical work will be completed in the next couple of weeks, as all operations must stop for bird nesting season starting around February 1st.
The next step you will see is ladder fuel reduction: thinning vegetation and limbing-up trees. This grant-funded work is vital; it creates a gap that separates ground vegetation from the tree canopy, significantly reducing fire risk. To ensure responsible completion, the work areas have already undergone rigorous study across biology, environmental science, and anthropology to minimize unintended consequences.
Separately, the new MWPA grant-funded portable sirens have arrived! Testing will be scheduled and commence soon.
This fire mitigation work coordinated by the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) and funded through Measure C will proceed along our Dipsea Road open space in the coming weeks. Thank you to the Stinson Beach Fire Protection District and MWPA (and All Stars Tree Service)!
On Friday, November 7th the Bolinas Lagoon Advisory Council met. There was a good turn out from Seadrift in attendance. Council agencies reported on matters such as monarch counts, pelicans sticking around for anchovy and herring runs, South Shoreline Restoration Project right here in Seadrift, and high numbers of sea lion pups feeling safer from coyotes in the Bolinas Lagoon than elsewhere. County Parks reported on completion of the Bolinas Wye Restoration Project, the culmination of 8 years of planning.
And in May 2026, plan to attend the State of the Lagoon Conference, organized collaboratively by the BLAC and San Jose State University/Central Coast Wetlands Group. This event showcases projects that impact the health of the Bolinas Lagoon. The last in person State of the Lagoon Conference was held in the “before days,” June 23, 2021. There is much to learn.
Bolinas Lagoon Advisory Council
Community Updates & Civic Affairs
Gate Card Audit - In the Books
The gate card audit is complete but for just a handful of homeowners’ inventory we are still actively reconciling.
Thanks to Heidi’s Herculean efforts (pictured here hitting the books on Halloween), backed by Bob at the keyboard diligently updating computer records, nearly 1,000 cards were purged from the system. The audit bolsters our community's security by removing unauthorized cards, and provides customer service to ensure all reported cards are active in the system.
As always, if you have any questions or experience difficulty with a card, give the office a call (415) 868-9043 or ask for help at the gate.
Our Post Office
Marin County is currently reviewing preliminary plans for an updated Stinson Beach Post Office as part of a larger development plan for 15 Calle Del Mar and 108 Arenal Avenue. It's a long way from preliminary application to shovels in the ground (2 years minimum), with a string of approvals required along the way, but click through this link to the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) to read more about the preliminary plans to construct six residential units and a mixed-use building with a Post Office on the lower level. As described in the application materials, the application will seek authorization pursuant to Government Code Section 65915–65918 (commonly known as State Density Bonus Law) and the County’s Density Bonus Regulations (Sec. 22.24.030.5(G)).
CDA Director, Sarah Jones, spoke to this project at Supervisor Rodoni’s November 17th community meeting, expressing support in moving it forward. From the County’s perspective, the project represents a welcome addition to housing stock that is not involved in short-term rentals. Sensitivity to the travails of the Bolinas Post Office closure was given, with plans to minimize disruption in the construction process assiduously addressed.
The Point Reyes Light covers the story in its November 19th edition.
Rodoni Community Meeting
Some forty Stinson Beach residents, about 16 from Seadrift, attended Supervisor Dennis Rodoni’s Community Meeting November 17th. The meeting was hosted by the Stinson Beach Village Association (SBVA), and was preceded by a SBVA Long Range Planning Committee meeting with the supervisor. The SBVA Long Range Planning Committee, chaired by Fire Chief Jesse Peri and formed to ensure collaboration with the county and other entities on issues including sea level rise planning, is composed of representation from the SBVA, Stinson Water, Seadrift, the local business community, and at large members with local technical expertise.
Many important issues were discussed at Rodoni’s Community talk, including county staffing and organizational updates, plans for collective wastewater treatment, preliminary review of a new post office, roadwork on Panoramic Highway and Highway 1, and the Marin Rapid Response Network. Replete with updates from staff, notably absent was an effective response to one of the town’s primary concerns; namely, how Stinson is served in the County’s Sea Level Rise Adaptation planning, and specifically what the County will do about Calle del Arroyo flooding.
Coastal Commission Strategic Plan 2025-2030
The Coastal Commission recently released a draft strategic plan outlining its five-year strategy for coastal management. Its stated priorities: 1) public Access to California's coastline for all residents and visitors; 2) mitigate the impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystems and communities; and 3) pursue environmental justice, promoting diversity and inclusion in coastal management practices and decision-making processes.
Seadrift Association Board President, Dyer Grote, submitted a letter during the comment period to the Coastal Commission Strategic Plan 2026-2030 draft, with these main points: 1) managed retreat should be a last resort; and 2) limits to shoreline armoring could potentially conflict with the terms of Seadrift’s settlement agreement.
In The News
Update from Cedric Chao, Legal Committee Chair
We are highlighting two recent articles on Stinson Beach, sea level rise, and real estate values.
The first linked article quoted extensively from Marin County's environmental study consultant, ESA, who based their research on 2024 OPC ocean level projections for 100 years through 2130. The San Francisco Chronicle cited these same predictions, where by 2085, the ocean here would be 3.3 feet higher than in 2000. The ESA study also stated that at 3.3 feet, much of Stinson Beach would be washed away. The article concluded by quoting a Berkeley professor who stated, in effect, that taxpayer funds should not be spent on Stinson Beach repairs if houses would be washed away in the end.
There then followed a Chronicle article highlighting the top ten national zip codes for real estate purchase prices, with Stinson Beach having the 7th most expensive sales price. Recently, the writer, Tara Duggins, reached out for comment in connection with an article exploring the paradox of our community having high real estate values yet being at risk for ocean rise.
We responded, hoping that our input might generate a more balanced portrayal of Seadrift. We suggested two Seadrift residents, Seadrift president Dyer Grote and longtime resident Vicki Sebastiani. Our talking points were that the pace of ocean rise is highly speculative, that the pace of ocean rise is unlikely to be as dramatic as ESA projects, that Seadrift residents will be studying proposals for protecting their homes, and that Seadrift has a detailed settlement agreement with Marin County and the California Coastal Commission that spells out our and other stakeholders' rights and obligations.
Also linked is the November 22, 2025 Chronicle article. Vicki was quoted that after residing here for 20 years, she has not seen appreciable ocean rise. By Vicki raising the question of the pace of ocean rise, and by others pointing to long term solutions such as constructing an off-site sewage plant, we achieved a more balanced article. Seadrift, and Stinson Beach more generally, are planning for the future.
Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, Nov 22, 2025 “Bay Area’s ultra wealthy keep buying homes in this beach town - despite doomsday forecast.”
Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, Jun 30, 2025: “Stinson Beach gets its first-ever price tag for coping with sea level rise — and it’s gigantic.”
Seadrift Merchandise
Are you considering Seadrift Merchandise for holiday gift giving? Stop by the Seadrift Office if you would like to see samples. And keep in mind the following order deadlines for holiday orders:
Standard and Express shipping order deadlines:
December 10, 2025 for Apparel
December 10, 2025 for Home & Living and Accessories
