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Gerstle Park & the West End, San Rafael: Older Homes Guide

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Gerstle Park is a residential neighborhood of the City of San Rafael, just south of downtown, named for the city park on San Rafael Avenue that was once the Gerstle and Sloss families’ estate. Because it is inside city limits, San Rafael’s building records report, its planning and historic preservation rules, and its city transfer tax all apply to a sale here.

The city’s neighborhood directory lists Gerstle Park and the neighboring West End separately, and buyers usually look at them together for the same reason: older houses on hillside streets a short walk from Fourth Street, the downtown SMART station and the bus transit center. This guide covers the history, the housing, the preservation and hillside rules, the hazard checks, and what a seller here should prepare. For the city as a whole, start with our San Rafael real estate guide.

Gerstle Park homes for sale

Gerstle Park market report

Gerstle Park at a glance

Item	Gerstle Park
Jurisdiction	City of San Rafael, Marin County
ZIP code	94901
Namesake park	Gerstle Park, San Rafael Avenue; open daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Next-door directory listing	West End
Rail and bus	SMART San Rafael station, 680 3rd Street; Bettini Transit Center one block away
Required at sale	City Report of Residential Building Record before close of escrow
Transfer tax	Marin County $1.10 per $1,000 plus San Rafael $2.00 per $1,000 (Measure W could raise the city rate)
Historic resources	City Historical/Architectural Survey, last updated 1986

From family estate to city park

In 1881 the families of business partners Lewis Gerstle and Louis Sloss bought a 4.6-acre parcel in San Rafael nicknamed “Violet Terrace” for $15,000, according to a 2014 J. Weekly report on a family reunion held at the park. The families built three houses there, with 36 bedrooms between them, plus orchards, vineyards and a pavilion among the redwoods.

The same report says that after Hannah Gerstle’s death in 1930, the family gave the grounds to the City of San Rafael, and that none of the original structures remain. The park today has picnic areas that the city lists for groups of up to 100, barbecues, a basketball court, a tennis court and a playground, and it is still shaded by the redwoods that gave the estate its setting.

Homes and streets in Gerstle Park and the West End

Expect mostly older detached houses, with some duplexes and small multi-unit buildings on the blocks nearer downtown. The city counts the West End and Gerstle Park among its hillside areas, so lot size, slope, parking and sun can change quickly from one block to the next. Check the assessor’s year built and the permit record for any specific house rather than relying on the listing.

The West End, around West End Avenue, holds two of the city’s designated landmarks: the Isaac Jessup House at 10 Sentinel Court / 241 West End Avenue and the Jessup/Dunand House at 14 Sentinel Court. Their listing means exterior changes or demolition go to the Planning Commission.

For a buyer, the age of the housing stock shapes the inspection list more than anything else:

Foundations and drainage. Older houses on sloping lots can have original or partial foundations, retaining walls and drainage that need a closer look. Our guide to geotechnical reports for hillside homes explains when a soils engineer is worth hiring.
Electrical, plumbing and the sewer lateral. Ask how much of each has been replaced and whether the work was permitted.
Lead-based paint. Federal rules require sellers of housing built before 1978 to disclose what they know about lead-based paint and to offer the buyer a ten-day inspection opportunity, which the parties can change or waive in writing. The disclosure form and pamphlet are part of any sale of an older house here.
Additions and second units. Converted basements, garages and back cottages are common in older neighborhoods. Check each against the city’s permit record before you count it as living space or rental income.

Diamond may refer you to partners we work with; you’re free to choose any provider.

Historic preservation rules

San Rafael’s Historic Preservation Ordinance is Chapter 2.18 of the Municipal Code. The city’s Historical/Architectural Survey, prepared to State Office of Historic Preservation standards and last updated in 1986, covers 305 sites and ranks their significance. The city says structures on the survey are presumed significant unless evidence shows otherwise.

That matters in three ways:

Designated landmarks and historic districts need Planning Commission review for exterior changes or demolition. The city’s three named historic districts are Victorian Village (1623-27 Fifth Avenue), the French Quarter (901-911 Irwin Street) and 1811-1817 Grand Avenue; none is in Gerstle Park.
Surveyed buildings that aren’t landmarks can still be treated as potential historic resources. The city notes that a project to demolish or significantly change one may require a full environmental impact report under CEQA.
Everything else follows ordinary zoning and design review.

Before you buy a house planning to replace it or add a second story, ask the Planning Division at City Hall, 1400 Fifth Avenue, whether the address is on the survey and what review would apply. Ask at the same time whether design review applies to the work you have in mind.

Zoning, hillside lots and remodeling

San Rafael’s Hillside Development Overlay, marked -H on the zoning map, is Chapter 14.12 of the Municipal Code. Under Section 14.12.020 it applies to every lot with an average slope of 25% or more and to lots with a Hillside Resource Residential or Hillside Residential General Plan designation. A lot over 25% average slope that the map does not show as -H must still meet the chapter’s rules.

The chapter’s stated purposes include reducing seismic and landslide hazards, keeping natural hillside features and making sure emergency vehicles can get through, which is why it requires on-site parking. Section 14.12.030 adds standards on top of the base zoning: building stepbacks and setbacks, a natural-state area, gross floor area limits, ridgeline limits, parking, street and driveway grades, and design review. On a steep Gerstle Park or West End lot, ask Community Development for the base zoning district and whether the -H rules apply before you price in an addition.

The city’s resale report, described below, is often where older permit gaps surface. The city says it can legalize unpermitted work that predates the current owner and was never flagged in a prior report through retroactive permits, with normal permit fees and penalties waived. Work already flagged in an earlier report or enforcement case is treated as a current violation. For a buyer, the report on the house you are buying is one of the most useful documents in the file.

Fire, flood and hazard checks

Fire. The City of San Rafael says many properties in the city fall within the Local High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s map viewer rather than relying on an older report. Selling in a High or Very High zone triggers the AB 38 defensible-space inspection; San Rafael Fire schedules it and asks sellers to book early. If the paperwork can’t be delivered by closing, the buyer and seller can agree to deliver it within a year. Our guides to fire hazard severity zones in the North Bay and the AB 38 inspection explain both.

The hillside streets are also evacuation routes. The city has run roadside vegetation clearance in the West End and Gerstle Park, overseen by the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, which is funded by Measure C, a special tax Marin voters approved in 2020, to improve visibility, emergency access and evacuation. Check how a house’s street connects to the main roads out.

Flood and other hazards. The neighborhood sits between downtown and the hills, so check each parcel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, especially on the lower blocks, and read the natural hazard disclosure report the seller provides. Our North Bay flood zone guide and natural hazard disclosure guide explain what each entry means.

Sewer and water service

Sewer. The San Rafael Sanitation District describes its service area as central San Rafael south from the top of Puerto Suello Hill, plus unincorporated land within that area. It maintains 32 pump stations and about 132 miles of sewer pipeline and sends wastewater to the Central Marin Sanitation Agency for treatment. Ask the seller about the age of the private sewer lateral and any video inspection, and ask the district whether anything is required for your sale.

Water. Marin Water (the Marin Municipal Water District) serves central and southern Marin, from the Golden Gate Bridge north to southern Novato, and gets most of its supply from its reservoirs on the Mt. Tamalpais watershed. Confirm the account and any meter or backflow items on the property’s own bill.

Getting around

Downtown is the draw. SMART’s San Rafael station is at 680 3rd Street; it has no park-and-ride lot, but there is a drop-off zone and public parking nearby. The Bettini Transit Center, one block from the platform, is the hub for Golden Gate Transit, Marin Transit, the Marin Airporter, Greyhound and West Marin service. From many Gerstle Park and West End blocks, both are within walking distance.

Highway 101 runs along the east side of downtown. Street parking on older blocks can be tight, so count the off-street spaces a house really has, and check whether a garage still holds a car or has been converted.

Selling a home in Gerstle Park

Buyers here compare houses by age, condition and permit history as much as by size. An original pre-war house with old systems and a fully permitted renovation on the same street attract different buyers, so price from sales of similar houses nearby rather than a citywide figure. Gather these before listing:

The city resale report. San Rafael’s Report of Residential Building Record must be requested and completed before close of escrow. Fees effective July 1, 2025 are $383 for a single-family home or condo and $766 for a duplex. The city aims to call within seven business days to schedule, inspects about ten business days later and targets the report three business days after that. It stays valid for six months, with one three-month extension on written request.
Permits for every addition and second unit, and a plan for any expired permits, which the city says must be renewed and inspected. Open items pass to the buyer after transfer, which buyers price in.
Historic survey status for the address, if a buyer may want to remodel.
The natural hazard disclosure report and, in a High or Very High zone, the AB 38 inspection.
A transfer tax estimate. A sale inside San Rafael currently pays Marin County’s $1.10 per $1,000 and the city’s $2.00 per $1,000. Measure W, on the November 3, 2026 ballot, asks voters to raise the city rate from 0.2% to 1%, or $10 per $1,000; it needs a simple majority and would take effect ten days after the City Council certifies the result. As of late October 2026 the result is not known, so the rate may change before your closing. In Diamond’s North Bay markets the seller customarily pays transfer tax, but it is negotiable and local custom varies, so write it into the contract.

Our Marin County selling requirements page compares San Rafael’s rules with other towns, and our California transfer tax guide explains how the tax is figured.

This is general information, not legal advice; for a specific Gerstle Park house, confirm survey status, zoning and permits with San Rafael’s Community Development Department, and talk to a California real estate attorney about the contract.

Questions people ask

Is Gerstle Park part of the City of San Rafael?

Yes. Gerstle Park is a neighborhood inside San Rafael city limits, listed in the city’s neighborhood directory, so city building, planning and transfer tax rules apply.

How did Gerstle Park get its name?

From the Gerstle family, who with the Sloss family bought a 4.6-acre estate there in 1881. After Hannah Gerstle died in 1930, the family gave the grounds to the city, and they became Gerstle Park on San Rafael Avenue.

Is Gerstle Park a historic district?

Not a designated one. The city’s three historic districts are elsewhere. Individual buildings may be on the city’s 1986 Historical/Architectural Survey, and the city presumes surveyed structures significant, so ask Planning about a specific address before major exterior work.

Do I need an inspection from the city to sell a house in Gerstle Park?

Yes. San Rafael requires a Report of Residential Building Record, a permit records check and physical inspection, before close of escrow. The fee is $383 for a single-family home as of July 1, 2025.

What transfer tax applies to a Gerstle Park sale?

Marin County’s $1.10 per $1,000 plus San Rafael’s $2.00 per $1,000. Measure W on the November 3, 2026 ballot would raise the city rate to $10 per $1,000 if it passes, effective ten days after certification.

Is Gerstle Park in a fire hazard zone?

Many San Rafael properties are in the Local High zone, according to the city. Check the specific address on the State Fire Marshal’s map; a sale in a High or Very High zone needs the AB 38 defensible-space inspection.

How close is Gerstle Park to the SMART train?

The downtown SMART station at 680 3rd Street and the Bettini Transit Center are within walking distance of much of the neighborhood. The station has no SMART parking lot.

What is the West End in San Rafael?

A separate neighborhood in the city’s directory, next to Gerstle Park around West End Avenue. It includes two designated city landmarks on Sentinel Court, and the city treats it as one of its hillside areas for roadside vegetation clearance.

If you’re weighing an older house in Gerstle Park or the West End, we can pull the resale report, permits and hazard maps with you before you write an offer, and compare it with other San Rafael neighborhoods such as Terra Linda. Selling? Start with a home valuation, or see how we handle a Marin County home sale.

Sources & notes

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.