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Free 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…

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Member Spotlight : Malugani’s Tire Shop

Malugani's Tire Shop

You know them for their donuts and beards, butĀ Malugani’s Tire Shop does much more for our community than keeping our cars running safely. Kendal, John, Mike, and Ken grew up in large Italian families in Mill Valley, and they are the 3rd generation to run the shop. With over 75 years in business, the shop remains a trusted local stop for tires, brakes, suspension, and much more. Its impact goes far beyond the garage.Ā 

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Planting the Future: The Outdoor Art Club Gets Ready for Its Next Century

Planting the Future

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.

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The Grateful Dog Marin: Bobby Weir’s Former Doggy Daycare is Fighting to Stay Afloat After the King Tide Floods

flooding from king tide floods

Yet The Grateful Dog has always been built on community, connection, and a little bit of Marin magic. Our story is uniquely tied to the cultural fabric of this region. Before we even officially opened, members of the Grateful Dead — including Marin’s own late Bobby Weir — spotted our large sign from a distance. As the story goes, Bobby saw the name ā€œThe Grateful Dogā€ and said, ā€œWell, fuckin’ A, man!ā€ It was one of those unforgettable moments — spontaneous, heartfelt, and rooted in shared love for music, community, and dogs. We will continue to honor him. Like so many great business ideas, Karla Rivera-Cervantes and her husband Ernie conceived the concept behind their The Grateful Dog doggie daycare facility out of personal need.

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On the Heels of Multiple Planning Commission Study Sessions, City Council Will Dictate the Road Ahead for Loosening the Rules on Land Use

Key Issues Discussion

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 ā€œgood neighbor policyā€ 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.Ā 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.”

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Councilmembers, 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.Ā 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.

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One Year After Its Mill Valley Comeback, The Hivery Thrives as a Women-Fueled Hub for Community, Creativity, and Growth!

The Hivery

ā€œThis space is our comeback kid and a testament to the resilience of women-owned business. We fought for years to bring this concept back into a brick-and-mortar offering, and it took tenacity and courage to make that happen. We did this because of our belief in the impact of women supporting women and spaces that celebrate women’s brilliance,ā€ says Grace Kraaijvanger, Founder of The Hivery. The light-filled space includes open coworking and inspiration areas, private nooks, dedicated event space, and a sunlit backyard lounge. Built largely with upcycled and curated materials, the design reflects The Hivery’s commitment to sustainability and intentional beauty. Over the past twelve months, The Hivery has welcomed hundreds of women from across Marin, San Francisco, and the greater Bay Area for weekly community lunch and discussion gatherings, creativity sessions, professional development workshops, restorative retreats, mentorship circles, networking events, coworking, and its signature 12-week Incubator Program.

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Dick 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 ā€œbefore tax,ā€ and ā€œafter taxā€ 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.

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Good Earth Natural Foods Announces Plans for 3rd Location in Terra Linda!

Good Earth Rendering

ā€œWe’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,ā€ noted Good Earth Natural Foods co-owner and longtime food activist, Mark Squire. ā€œI’m pretty stoked we are going for it! We have incredibly dedicated staff in both stores now and they deserve this 3rdĀ 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 OrganicĀ 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,ā€ said Al Baylacq, Good Earth Natural Foods co-owner.

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