Chris Harrington speaks with Arianne Dar, Emeritus Executive Director of BCLT
Chris Harrington
August 23, 1943 - September 26, 2025
For the past eight years, the Bolinas Community Land Trust has had the privilege and honor of working closely with Chris Harrington, founder of the Stinson Beach Affordable Housing Committee (SBAHC), beloved community member and long-time resident of Stinson Beach.
Together, BCLT and SBAHC worked together to successfully pass Measure W - providing an income stream in perpetuity for affordable housing in West Marin; the BCLT’s purchase of a 5-unit apartment complex in Stinson Beach; and the creation of the first “tiny home” ADU in Marin County.
Chris passed away on September 26th after a long battle with cancer. His legacy is immense and he will be sorely missed by all of us. We express our deep condolences to his wife Sandy Cross and their entire family.
To honor Chris and his work, the BCLT has launched the Chris Harrington Fund. All proceeds will support Chris’ vision: the creation and preservation of affordable housing in Stinson Beach and Bolinas. Thank you to the anonymous donors who have made lead gifts in Chris’ honor. You can join them by designating your year-end gift to the BCLT “in honor of Chris Harrington.”
A celebration of Chris’ life will be held at the Stinson Beach Community Center on November 23, 2025 at 2:00 pm. All are welcome.
To give an online gift in Chris’ memory, select the “Dedicate this Gift” checkbox on our donation form and add “Chris Harrington” in the “In Honor Of” field.
District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni embraces Chris Harrington
We wish to share Supervisor Dennis Rodoni’s comments at the October 21, 2025 Board of Supervisors meeting, honoring Chris’ legacy:
“The County of Marin joins the Stinson Beach and Bolinas communities in mourning the passing of Chris Harrington, a deeply respected community leader, housing advocate, and co-founder of the Stinson Beach Affordable Housing Committee.
“For more than three decades, Chris worked tirelessly to ensure that West Marin remains a place where everyone, regardless of income, can live, work, and belong. As a real estate broker and former owner of Oceanic Realty, he used his professional experience to promote equity and inclusion in housing. He also served with dedication as coordinator, secretary, and treasurer of the Stinson Beach Village Association, and as a board member of the Stinson Beach Fire Protection District.
“Chris’s vision and leadership brought lasting progress to West Marin’s housing landscape, including:
The passage of Measure W, which created dedicated funding for affordable housing through the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)
The preservation of two multifamily affordable housing properties in Stinson Beach
The development of an innovative, climate-resilient ADU design endorsed by the California Coastal Commission
The formalization of the West Marin Housing Collaborative, which continues his mission to strengthen collaboration and collective capacity across the region
“Chris Harrington’s legacy is one of compassion, collaboration, and community spirit. His work will continue to shape Stinson Beach and West Marin for generations to come.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who were fortunate to know and work alongside him. His dedication reminds us that lasting change is built not only through policy, but through care for one another.”
Christopher John Harrington
August 23, 1943 - September 26, 2025
Surrounded by the love of family and friends, Chris passed peacefully into the next world after a life well lived despite a five-year struggle with cancer. He was born in London in 1943 during the blitz to a life path that was far from predictable. When he was two his widowed mother brought him to Albuquerque, New Mexico and ultimately into the large and boisterous Harrington clan and numerous youthful adventures. They moved to California in his early teens. He graduated from Cal-Berkeley and joined the Marine reserves during the Vietnam war. He worked as a route driver for Pepsi Cola before getting his real estate and broker licenses. He practiced commercial real estate while working for Walter Shorenstein in San Francisco and then moved to Stinson Beach to work for and eventually own Oceanic Realty. After retiring from his successful career as owner/broker at Oceanic Realty he devoted himself to creating affordable housing for residents of West Marin. To ensure that tourist dollars would support housing needs, he spearheaded the successful creation of Measure W; was a founder of the Stinson Beach Affordable Housing Group; and through collaborations with the Bolinas Community Land Trust and the Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM), he navigated the purchase of properties in Stinson Beach that are now preserved as permanent affordable housing. He is survived by his wife and partner of more than 40 years, Sandra Cross; his daughter, Melissa Crawford; the granddaughters he adored, Ella and Haley; his brothers Scott, Gerri and Gene, and their families; his several nieces and nephews in the Harrington clan; and many cherished friends. Contributions to the Chris Harrington Fund can be made to the Bolinas Community Land Trust. A celebration of life will be held at the Stinson Beach Community Center on Sunday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m.
Chris Harrington with members of the Stinson Beach Affordable Housing Committee