Climate
Marin IJ: Mill Valley Speeds Green Building Code Update
The council directed Cusimano and city planners to move forward. “Mill Valley has had a history … of going above and beyond when it comes to climate action,” said Vice Mayor Max Perrey. “I was just so impressed with our climate action plan and our community members that contributed to such a significant and thoughtful report,” said Councilmember Caroline Joachim. “We have the opportunity to really take advantage of this time and make the most of it before that six-year moratorium hits.” AB 306 has some exemptions that city staff believe Mill Valley could qualify for, Cusimano said. “But we want to leave no stone unturned and we don’t want to be sitting here a year from now regretting or assuming something that’s not the case,” he said.
Read MoreCouncilmembers, Planning Commissioners, Staff and Residents Dove Deeply Into a Major Possible Reconsideration 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 MoreWhere to Shop Plastic-Free in Marin—For Your Health and the Health of the Planet!
We’re in Week 4 of Plastic Free July—and if you’ve picked up some new tips and have taken just one action, you’re already making an impact. This week, we’re focusing on one of the most important shifts you can make: Avoiding plastic isn’t just an environmental choice—it’s a health decision. Here’s why: 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels, and it contains harmful additives like BPA, phthalates, and PFAS. These chemicals leach into our food, drinks, and personal care products, especially when exposed to heat or oil. Exposure has been linked to serious health issues: Hormone disruption; Infertility and reproductive harm; Early puberty; Immune system suppression; Certain cancers (breast, prostate, testicular)
Read MoreSF Chronicle: Could This Plan Actually Save California’s High-Speed Rail project?
The Rail Authority would draw its $1 billion a year in state funds from a climate emissions program that pays for a wide range of clean energy goals, from public transit to electric vehicles. If it secures that bedrock support from the government, high speed rail officials will try to entice private financiers to cover the remaining costs, giving the bullet train a fighting chance of success.
Read MoreMarin IJ: Transportation Authority of Marin Approves Sea-Level Plan
Capping a two-year effort, the board governing the Transportation Authority of Marin voted unanimously to accept the 200-page document at its meeting on June 26. Approval enables the agency’s staff to begin working with officials in the county’s 11 municipalities to implement policy changes and start developing projects, including elevating roads and restoring marshlands. “This is really intended to be more than just another study that sits on the shelf,” Anne Richman, executive director of the Transportation Authority of Marin said at the meeting. “There’s a lot of technical data behind the actual report, and we really want it to be useful to the jurisdictions.”
Read MoreFox KTVU: Outcry as Tamalpais Union High School District Rejects a Petition and Pleas That Sought to Maintain Services for Black Students at the School at Tam High
Some parents thought it would be deeply harmful to roll back this progress and that their removal would not only send a demoralizing message to Black students and families—it would also contradict the district’s stated commitments to equity and inclusion. At a time when many students are still reeling from the trauma of those incidents, continued investment in their success and well-being is not optional—it is a moral and educational imperative.
Read MoreKron 4: Petition Started to Keep Support Services for Black Students at Tamalpais High School
KRON4 asked Deberry if she thinks there’s any correlation between the national narrative and her local school board vote. “I hope that isn’t it because what we’re dealing with here is active acts of racism. We aren’t even having a conversation about wanting to increase the population of African American or Jewish students on campus,” Deberry said. “We’re saying that we would like them to feel safe from racist incidents that are happening at the campus.”
Read MoreDick Spotswood: Marin Cities Need Stronger Say in Design as Housing Approvals Flow
Encourage new housing only near freeways. Fortunately, most of the housing described above is close to Highway 101. Fairfax is the obvious exception. As Corte Madera Councilmember Eli Beckman said, “Our town is meeting its housing mandate by locating new units near the freeway.” That limits in-town traffic increases and preserves most of the small-town character. To make even these modest improvements to current state housing laws, our North Bay state legislative delegation and those in other suburban counties need to get aggressive on our behalf.
Read MoreMarin IJ: Mill Valley Offers Funding for the Mt. Tam Community Land Trust to Address Affordable Housing Possibilities
There’s buy-in not only from our city but also potential big donors in the community, philanthropic donors, MCF, the county,” Vice Mayor Max Perrey said. This is a really important step,” Mayor Stephen Burke said. “The city’s commitment will lead to getting the county’s commitment” and others. Councilmember Urban Carmel struck a cautionary note, saying the city’s affordable housing trust funds are needed for its 45-residence project on Hamilton Drive. Carmel also said the trust has to meet with the city’s Housing Advisory Committee, which would issue recommendations to the council. “Signing the MOU, I’m certainly in favor,” he said. “It doesn’t commit the city to anything, but shows that the city is very interested in the CLT and wants to make sure the CLT succeeds.”
Read MoreThe New York Times Created a Spectacular, Multi-Media Piece Around the History of Coyotes in San Francisco and Marin County – It’s Well Worth Your Time
They walk along busy San Francisco streets. In Chinatown plazas. Across the paths of Muni buses. One was found dozing in a laundromat. Many people simply wonder where they all came from in the first place. Scientists found that the DNA of the first arrivals did not match that of coyotes to the south. Instead, it matched the DNA of coyotes found to the north, beyond the strait and bay that separate the city from Marin County. “Did they walk over the Golden Gate Bridge?” asked Christine Wilkinson, a carnivore ecologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “That’s my top theory.”
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