City of Mill Valley
Earth Day Marin, 2026 – Sunday, April 26, 2026 | 12 – 3pm | Mill Valley Community Center
Earth Day Marin 2026 Sunday, April 26, 2026 | 12 – 3pm | Mill Valley Community Center Celebrate Earth Day with us and help create a better world! Join us at Earth Day Marin, our 5th annual environmental celebration on Sunday, April 26, 2026, from 12 to 3pm, at the Mill Valley Community Center in…
Read MoreFree E-Waste Collection Day!
Event Details: Upcoming Dates: Friday, March 27, 2026Friday, July 31, 2026Friday, November 13, 2026Time: 10am-2pmLocation: Mill Valley Community Center Parking Lot180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley These are drive-thru events. No appointments/reservations required. All are welcome! Please Note: No hazardous waste or household appliances will be accepted. For a full list of e-waste items accepted and not accepted, please visit…
Read MoreMarin IJ: Marin County Executive Derek Johnson is Proposing the County Create a New Strategic Plan, Its First Since 2001
When asked an open-ended question regarding the most serious issue facing Marin residents that county government could address, 31% cited housing, 17% homelessness, 11% traffic/congestion, 10% infrastructure/roads/street maintenance, 9% cost of living/inflation and 8% growth/development/overpopulation. “A notable share of respondents raised concerns about growth and overdevelopment, and I think this highlights an ongoing tension in Marin, strong concern about housing affordability, alongside a concern about how growth is managed,” said Linn Walsh, a deputy county executive. County supervisors’ current top six priorities are addressing affordable housing/homelessness, disaster preparedness, county infrastructure, advancing race equity, climate resiliency and community/economic vitality.
Read MorePlanting the Future: The Outdoor Art Club Gets Ready for Its Next Century
If you’ve walked past the shingled building tucked behind the wisteria-covered gate at 1 West Blithedale Avenue lately, you may have noticed something: the Outdoor Art Club has been busy. In fact, over the past three years, the Club — one of the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce’s longtime members — has quietly undertaken a once-in-a-century effort to preserve and renew one of downtown’s architectural gems. The club has hosted generations of civic gatherings, performances, celebrations, and community conversations – but few people remember that in the 1930s it narrowly escaped demolition when the City proposed turning the site into a parking lot. Now, the Club’s members have once again rolled up their sleeves to care for this landmark — this time by ensuring it meets modern safety and health standards while preserving its historic character.
Read MoreOn 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 MoreDick Spotswood & Mill Valley Councilmember Stephen Burke Brainstormed on the Difficulty Building Housing, Unveiling
Tax incremental financing. Use it now to finance workforce housing: A developer selects a site and applies for permits to build multi-unit homes. Half would be market rate to generate profit; the remainder will be affordable for our workforce, including first responders and teachers. That initial development, like all that follows, will need to be subsidized. Those dollars will need to come from an existing public sector source. The incremental difference between the amount of the “before tax,” and “after tax” determined once construction is complete is reserved. Designated local governments then use that sum to fund the next affordable project, and on and on. Applying tax incremental financing to fund workforce housing is another example of thinking outside the box resulting in new, if yet untested, approaches to housing finance.
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 MoreFree Westminster Events & Outdoor Art Club Host a Thought-Provoking Conversation About the Future of Public Health With Marin County Health Officer Lisa Santora & Ross Town Councilmember Teri Dowling – March 8th, 3-5pm
Free Westminster Events & Outdoor Art Club Host a Thought-Provoking Conversation About the Future of Public Health With Marin County Health Officer Lisa Santora & Ross Town Councilmember Teri Dowling – March 8th, 3-5pm.
Read MoreNYT Reporter Conor Dougherty Has Long Educated Marin & Larger Bay Area About How Best to Navigate Housing, Whether its ‘Abundance,’ Affordability, Now He Suggests ‘America Needs New Cities – a Whole City from Scratch. It’s Been Done Before & Might Solve the Housing Crisis
In the United States, where real estate is ultimately about profit and loss, the best way to bend the paradigm is to prove something different can be lucrative. But first you have to build it.
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