Business
On the Heels of Multiple Planning Commission Study Sessions, City Council Will Dictate the Road Ahead for Loosening the Rules on Land Use
In prior hearings, food and beverage service remained focused on the possibility of Food Trucks. The updated code provides specific regulations that would apply to all food and beverage service businesses, even those without a use permit. These regulations codify the “good neighbor policy” that is often required as a CUP condition of approval for restaurants. By codifying these regulations, the intention is to reduce the need for CUPs and also provide clear guidance to businesses and staff. City Staff recommended 5,000 square-foot threshold for larger spaces like the former Rite Aid space, but not setting it too high. The Planning Commission felt that the size threshold should be 3,000 in downtown downtown commercial districts. Mill Valley Chamber: “There remains interest in and discussion of food trucks, though none more than Zorba’s at Goodman’s. Mill Valley currently has two very large, very empty historic restaurants, and maybe there is a business that might be interested in giving a food truck a shot and potentially eyeing it for a future brick & mortar business. Maybe that’s backwards thinking…but we should be thoughtful and not restrictive and keep our options open.”
Read MoreCouncilmembers, Planning Commissioners, Staff and Residents Continue Their Efforts to Dive Deeply Into a Reconsidering of Up Dated Parking Regulations – MV Will Eliminate Parking Requirements for New Businesses Downtown
Councilmember Joachim mentioned possible underutilized parking lots, particularly the private lot adjacent to the Depot Plaza. “Requires a willing property owner,” she noted. “We do have these private lots that are underutilized. The discussion concluded until later in the fall, but teased the possibility of dealing with formula businesses by identifying businesses above the 5,000 foot threshold, which applies to the larger buildings that are part of the downtown core area – not Miller, not Safeway. You could apply for a conditional use permit to have no parking if you are doing a non-expansion renovation or change of use to a building that was more than 5000 sq feet.
Read MoreGood Earth Natural Foods Announces Plans for 3rd Location in Terra Linda!
“We’ve always strived to grow in a way that feels thoughtful and authentic to who we are. We never want to rush our growth, because we want to ensure that our stores are living up to our customers’ expectations for quality, selection, and service,” noted Good Earth Natural Foods co-owner and longtime food activist, Mark Squire. “I’m pretty stoked we are going for it! We have incredibly dedicated staff in both stores now and they deserve this 3rd store opportunity. I’m super proud that we can continue to not only provide upward mobility for key staff, but we also get to bring more Organic to new friends and families! I’m beyond excited to see what we can create in this new space, and we welcome the community’s input every step of the way,” said Al Baylacq, Good Earth Natural Foods co-owner.
Read MoreOn the Heels of a Community Workshop in 2025, EHS Has Unveiled an Evolving Program to explicitly encourage business success and foster a “One Marin” mindset—balancing safety standards & a commitment to the economic vitality of the local food community
Today, the program is evolving to explicitly encourage business success and foster a “One Marin” mindset—balancing appropriate safety standards with a commitment to the economic vitality of the local food community. This report details how EHS will work within the CalCode to identify solutions that navigate regulatory requirements in a more engagement-centric and expedited manner to foster business growth and sustainability.
Read MoreCity Hall Has Nearly 60 Projects It Wants to Accomplish – Vitality, Branding Mill Valley as a Destination, Signage, Farmers Market… Councilmember Urban Carmel: “It’s More Like a 5-Year Plan.”
In the latter part of 2025, the Mill Valley City Council, led by then-incoming Mayor Max Perrey, made it clear that the intentions for the City of Mill Valley were bold. That has become increasingly clear in 2026, with Perrey and the rest of the City Council unveiling a Work Plan that spans nearly 60 projects it seeks to accomplish or launch over the next two years. The to-do list includes building a public works complex and multimillion-dollar renovations at the golf course clubhouse and library. It includes creating a recurring “Miller Nights” event series where streets would be closed for music, dining and kids’ activities. The list also includes extending local taxes and raising new revenues, developing affordable housing, updating traffic signals and transit options, making progress on sea-level rise and wildfire protection, further streamlining the permit process and expanding neighborhood and community-wide events.
Read MoreThe Mercury News: Are California Businesses Overregulated? This Researcher Compared Requirements Across States
For decades, business leaders have complained that California’s regulatory climate has overburdened companies across the state, blaming a morass of rules, permits and paperwork for pushing businesses and jobs out of state and holding back economic growth. To help measure the impact of the regulations, the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank, sought to compare the number of business requirements in the state with those in other parts of the country. In a new report, researchers with the PPIC found that while California is not an outlier nationwide when it comes to state and local business regulations, it has by far the most specific constraints on businesses — defined as regulations containing the words “shall,” “must,” “may not,” “required” and “prohibited.” Researchers found states with more of these types of strict regulations — ranging from environmental standards to consumer safety protections — tend to see fewer new businesses forming, though the report stopped short of establishing a definitive causal relationship.
Read MoreScenes from Marin Sanitary Service in San Rafael: New Report Lays Out Just How Bad California’s Recycling System Is – Will New Legislation Change Anything?
California acts as a model for environmental legislation across the country, spearheading strict regulations and pushing the boundaries on climate action. Even still, its recycling rates remain dismally low. A recent report from CalRecycle, the state agency that oversees recycling and waste disposal in California, estimates just how few of our milk cartons, peanut butter jars and takeout containers actually end up being properly recycled. Spoiler alert: The results are enough to make any concerned citizen feel miserable about the prospect of their yogurt container getting new life. Despite California’s best efforts, no material category came in anywhere near a recycling rate of 100%. The biggest offenders were aseptic and gable-top cartons — the common containers of milk, juice and broth — with less than 1% of those materials recycled.
Read MoreMarin IJ: Marin Transit Adopts Bus Yard Environmental Assessment, Takes a Major Step Forward and Satisfies CEQA Requirements at a Former Auto Dealership at 1075 Francisco Blvd. in San Rafael for a Bus Storage lot for Marin Transit
Marin Transit’s plan to construct an electric bus yard in San Rafael has taken a major step forward. The board governing the agency voted Monday to adopt a study that satisfies requirements set by the California Environmental Quality Act. The adoption was needed for Marin Transit to advance the plan at 1075 Francisco Blvd. East, a 3.5-acre property in the Canal neighborhood. Board member Maribeth Bushey, who sits on the San Rafael City Council, said city officials still have reservations. “The city of San Rafael remains concerned and impacted by the decision to remove this site, this freeway frontage site, from its potential to be a high tax-generating site for the city of San Rafael,” Bushey said. “This has implications for our general plan as well as, most pointedly, for our general fund.”
Read MoreThe Outdoor Art Club Hosts an Extraordinary Season of Deep Dives into the Arts, Local Politics & the Natural World, From Grammy-Nominated Legends to World-Class Climate Scientists!
The OAC’s public speaker programs for 2025-2026 begin in September. We hope you will join us for an engaging year of speaker programs and public events. Be sure to note the location for each program. Our Clubhouse will be closed from January through May as our kitchen undergoes a major renovation. Programs during that period will be at various locations.
Read MoreMarin-Based Professional Photographer Michelle Susoev Was Presented with the 20th Annual Black and White Spider Awards First Place in the Category of Portrait at a Photo photo Show Earlier This Month!
Professional photographer Michelle Susoev of Marin County, United States was presented with the 20th Annual Black and White Spider Awards First Place in the category of Portrait at a prestigious Nomination & Winners photo show that streamed Saturday, December 6, 2025. The Photo Show will remain on rotation until December 21 and Michelle’s winning work will be showcased on the walls of the virtual winners gallery opening December 21. The live online gala was attended by industry leaders and the photography community from around the globe who logged on to watch the climax of the world’s premier event for black and white photography.
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