City Council
Islands: One Of California’s Friendliest Cities Is An Artsy, Bustling Gem That Resembles A European Village – You Only Get One Guess!
No matter the time of year, Mill Valley is buzzing with activity. The small, yet vibrant town is a paradise for artsy souls, from film fanatics to theater lovers. In fact, the town hosts an array of annual artsy events like the Mill Valley Film Festival. Taking place each October, this 11-day event draws in thousands of cinephiles, screening creations from over 200 filmmakers in the town’s local theaters. Furthermore, if you visit during the summer, you can catch the Mountain Play, an outdoor musical production put on by the local theater troupe. This annual play is set on the Cushing Memorial Amphitheater stage against a breathtaking mountain backdrop.
Read MoreMill Valley Celebrates 125 – Save the Date for the 125th Anniversary Celebration!!
Our intent for the celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the Incorporation of the City of Mill Valley is to bring our community together for a common awareness and commitment to this special town and surrounding community. As part of that effort, the Mill Valley 125th Anniversary Committee is sponsoring a series of articles by noted local historian and author Joyce Kleiner. These articles are intended to foster understanding, and pride, in Mill Valley’s history, and will focus on some of the people and events that shaped Mill Valley’s spirit of stewardship, volunteerism, and community involvement. Our efforts will culminate in a wide range events on Labor Day, Monday, September 1, 2025, including an historically-themed parade, live music, an ice cream social, screenings of historical videos, and tours of the Old Mill.
Read MoreNew Bay Area Fire-Hazard Maps: Is Your City Among Those Seeing Striking Increases? ‘Zone 0’ Regulations Coming for Highest-Severity Level
On the heels of former Mayor John McCauley and a number of figures within Mill Valley and beyond concerned about fire danger as city and county officials seeks to build more housing, word came this week about new Bay Area fire-hazard maps, with the obvious question being: Is your city among those seeing striking increases? Cal Fire’s Fire Hazard Severity maps for local jurisdictions, issued in 2011, are being updated, with Bay Area maps released Monday. While the old maps showed only areas deemed “very high” hazard, the new ones show that category, with “high” and “moderate” below it. Homeowners who live in areas now deemed at very high hazard on the maps will have to comply with “Zone 0” regulations expected to take effect at the start of next year that include a mandated five-foot zone around every house free of flammable materials vulnerable to flying embers.
Read MoreRoCo Dance and Studios’ “Classes with Mary” Kick Off in March, with Pilates, Sculates, Stretch & Refresh and More!
One of the many performers who helped make it such a beautiful success was, as has long been the case, was Roco Dance & Fitness. As you likely know, Roco Dance & Fitness does much more throughout the year than just participate in Winterfest. That includes “Classes with Mary.” “Mary has been teaching at RoCo Dance for 20+ years,” says RoCo Dance Artistic Director Sadie Carhart.” “She is an incredible instructor and human.”
Read MoreGet Ready for the Spring Faire on March 29th, With More to Follow – Re-Sourced Market April 27th, PRIDE Kick-Off June 7th & Mill Valley Freedom Festival on June 14th!!
City of Mill Valley Tees Up a Quartet of Fantastic Events: Spring Faire March 29th, Re-Loved and Re-Sourced Market April 27th, PRIDE Kick-Off June 7th & Mill Valley Freedom Festival on June 14th!!
Read MoreGuest Editorial from Former Mill Valley Mayor John McCauley Advocating Allowing Local Jurisdictions to Override our State Mandated Building Codes Regarding Development Levels in High Fire Risk Zones
1500 cars of the 3300 cars with occupants in the combined neighborhoods of Cascade, Summit and Warner Canyon are not expected to reach a safer area within two hours. These neighborhoods represent only 20% of the total population, but 42% of the remaining cars that are at higher risk. These neighborhoods have greater density of cars, challenging road conditions, and are farther up in the canyons, in high fire hazard severity zones. While existing conditions are difficult to change, common sense would suggest that these three areas are the LAST place to expand housing, making things worse.
Read MoreMill Valley-Based Thompson Dorfman Submits Key Belvedere Files for Housing Redevelopment Plan
Thompson Dorfman plans to split the three-parcel complex into 12 lots to assist in the development of streets and other infrastructure. Mallard Road would become a 20-foot-wide, two-lane private access drive without sidewalks. The private drive would have textured pavement, traffic calming devices and street signs to reduce vehicle speed, according to Markwick. Under the state’s housing mandate, Belvedere must allow 160 new residences over the eight-year planning cycle ending in 2031.
Read MoreSteve Goldman, Who Splits His Time Between Mill Valley and Winter Park, Fla., Has Created a Scintillating Paean to the Wonders of the 94941!
“This is not a money-making project, this is a money-spending project, Goldman said to the City Council with a laugh earlier this week. “The goal was just to get as many people to witness the video and understand what an incredible place Mill Valley is. I just want to share it with as many people as possible. Mill Valley is a great model, in my opinion, for what an ideal town would be.”
Read MoreIn a Small But Significant Step Forward Toward Mill Valley’s Housing Goals, Planning Commissioner Backs Steve Geiszler’s Five-Unit, Two-Story Town Homes at 20 Sunnyside Ave.
“As a community, the challenge we have is accepting more housing and accepting more density of housing, and to not have that development to be all based on the automobile,” said Greg Hildebrand, a member of the commission. “This is in a perfect place to walk everywhere. You can get to everything in this location. It’s right downtown. We’re going to need to add housing. Even if it’s housing of any scale, we need more units. This is one of these projects that Bruce Dorfman noted, this is kind of the future of how to develop a site to get as much housing as possible without having a building and extra land to park cars.
Read MoreMarin IJ Editorial Board: With Sympathies for LA, Marin Prepares for Next Wildfire
The voter-approved formation of the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority has advanced long-needed work to create and maintain so-called “fuel breaks” in hopes of giving fire crews a fighting chance to save neighborhoods. Crews have been working to create large fuel breaks in Ross Valley and Novato. Reducing vegetation along evacuation routes has been another priority.
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