Skip to content

The shuttered former Lucky’s grocery store in Larkspur, Calif. on Thursday, July 23, 2026. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)

In 10 days, ballots for the Nov. 3 election go in the mail. In all 11 of Marin’s cities and towns the terms of many council members are expiring. In Belvedere and Mill Valley incumbents are unopposed and guaranteed another four years.

At IJ editorial board candidate interviews and when chatting with candidates, it’s apparent to me that voters in Larkspur, Ross, Sausalito and Corte Madera are focused on one prominent issue each. The other five cities have multiple disputed topics.

In Larkspur, the issue is the long vacant Lucky supermarket on Magnolia Avenue at Dougherty Drive. Despite an “available” sign on the building, the owner, Albertsons Companies Inc., appears to be making little effort to lease the property.

Residents want a full-service grocery store at the site. Retailers, restaurateurs and galleries complain the lack of activity at the old Lucky decreases downtown foot traffic. Since the site is private property, the city’s options are limited. One idea is to enact a vacancy tax on commercial property that’s been empty for more than six months.

Ross’ council election is about the town’s firehouse. The 100-year-old Town Hall and adjacent fire station must be rebuilt. Should it include space for one fire engine and its crew? The question arose after the Ross Valley Fire Department decided that Ross can be safely served by fire engines stationed in San Anselmo.

In any event, paramedic service will remain. That’s crucial as across Marin, where 71% of 911 calls are medical emergencies that lead to an ambulance response. The debate is about construction costs, fire engine response times and who pays for a 24/7 fire engine crew. The four council candidates are divided on the issue.

In Sausalito, the pivotal question is the future of Marinship, the neighborhood that was once the site of a World War II shipyard. Since the 1950s, Marinship has been devoted to marine-related businesses, boat harbors, artist studios and properties filled with derelict vehicles and open-air storage.

The debate centers on Measure X. That ballot proposition would repeal a 40-year-old law governing Marinship. It requires that changes to the neighborhood’s land uses be decided in public referendums. Measure X will change that process by allowing the City Council majority to approve new businesses, increase land use density and prepare for and fund sea-level rise mitigation.

The fear is that any change will be negative. That ignores the real possibility that change could be for the better. Few want to alter Marinship’s funky vibe but it’s impossible to fix every locale permanently in its halcyon era. The proper goal is to make change beneficial for all Sausalitans. That’s the issue voters will decide.

Corte Madera’s election is about their fractious Town Council. It concerns allegations concerning Councilmember Pat Ravasio and the related parting of ways with Town Manager Adam Wolff.

Town officials are hiring an independent law firm to investigate whether Ravasio violated state law by disclosing confidential information over the fate of a ridgeline estate once owned by concert icon Bill Graham.

I’ve heard that Wolff was on thin ice since he already had two council members allegedly favoring his termination. When he asked Marin District Attorney Lori Frugoli to prosecute Ravasio, Wolff lost his third vote. It emerges that Frugoli has opted not to charge Ravasio unless new evidence emerges.

The council wisely authorized the independent investigation. That’s the proper way to resolve conflicts and clear the air. The IJ reports Ravasio welcomed the investigation. “She also called for an investigation into potential Brown Act violations by other council members involving a closed session … when the council voted to refer the alleged misconduct by Ravasio to (the DA),” the story reported.

Fair enough. Any investigation needs to be comprehensive. When Pandora’s Box is opened, no one knows what will emerge.

In my next commentary, I plan to look at Novato, San Rafael, Tiburon, San Anselmo and Fairfax, where multiple issues divide council candidates.

Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley writes on local issues Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at spotswood@comcast.net.