Posts Tagged ‘Climate Change’
Dick 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 Taps $500K for Wildfire Defense Buffer – Home Sellers in Risky Areas Must Give Prospective Buyers Fire Inspection Reports, and Cities Must Update Building Standards to Qualify for for State Fire-Protection Grants
“We have a very robust program with the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority, where we do a lot of projects of fire fuel removal and fire fuel reductions, and public education and inspections,” Hilliard said. “So we need to know where the state says, these are high priority areas that you should also be looking at.” The state continues to impose fire-protection mandates for homeowners and municipalities, Hilliard said. Sellers of homes in risky areas must give prospective buyers fire inspection reports. Cities must update building standards to qualify for state fire-protection grants.
Hilliard said the state’s new fire maps do not influence decisions by insurers on who can obtain coverage. The insurers use other data.
Curated News You Can Use, From Mill Valley & Beyond – Week of May 25th
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Read MoreMarin IJ Earns Statewide Awards For News Coverage, Photos, Opinion Section & Much More!
The Marin Independent Journal has been a beacon of top-notch journalism for decades, and this year has been no different.The organization earned 20 awards — including five first-place honors — in an annual statewide journalism contest. The California News Publishers Association announced the results of its California Journalism Awards at a gala in Universal City on May 17. The association, which distributes awards by circulation division, includes hundreds of publications. The judges honored the IJ with a first-place award for in-depth reporting for a six-part series on President Trump’s impact on Marin. The paper also took the top prize for outstanding local news coverage of the November 2024 elections.
Read MoreWith an Eye on Updating Parking Regulations Within City Limits, the MV Planning Commission Hosts a Study Session on the Subject – More to Come in the Months Ahead
City planners are working to update the City’s parking regulations, which have not been updated in decades. The City hired Walker Consultants to assist the City in collecting parking data and best practices to update the regulations. The parking update will mainly focus on commercial parking regulations, which at times have hindered changes in uses, infill development, and broader economic development. City planners invite and welcome public comments on the draft parking study and offer feedback to staff on proposed parking regulations at the May 27th Planning Commission Study Session (6:30pm; Mill Valley City Hall, 26 Corte Madera Avenue).
Read MoreThe Mercury News: California’s Insurance Crisis Continues, As State Farm an Insurance Rate Hike of 30%, Soon After the Company Won Emergency Approval for a 17% Rate Increase After the LA fires
While the insurance industry faces headwinds, State Farm, for instance, is now seeking to boost California home insurance rates by 30%. The company last week won emergency approval for a 17% rate increase after the Los Angeles fires. A week after winning emergency approval to raise Californians’ home insurance premiums, State Farm is seeking to boost that rate hike even higher to 30%. On May 13, the state’s largest insurance company got the OK from regulators to increase rates by an average of 17% starting next month. State Farm secured the expedited rate hike after asserting it was in financial distress and expected $7.6 billion in claims arising from the deadly Los Angeles wildfires in January.
Read MorePG&E Hosted an Open House for Mill Valley Customers at the Mill Valley Community Center on Thursday, May 15. It Didn’t Go Well.
Staffers put up easels and posters on topics ranging from safely digging on one’s property to safer power grids. But in the lobby, residents whose homes overlook a big power station had their own easels and posters to protest PG&E’s local track record. Gary Batroff pointed to before-and-after photos of PG&E’s Alto substation on a bare hill above Hauke Park. He said the utility turned a green landscape into a barren one. “They cut down 130 trees in like two days,” Batroff said. “Some of them were redwoods, which are supposed to be protected.” Batroff pointed to another easel holding an illustration created by the utility five years ago showing what the substation’s landscaping was supposed to look like.
Read MoreMarin Voice, Via Dave Perron: Social-Service Organizations Deserve Our Support
All of us are impacted in different ways by actions on the national scale. You can help us sell out our upcoming benefit on May 29 at The Sweetwater in Mill Valley. We plan an outstanding concert titled, “Lebo and Friends Play Dylan.” Those joining us will experience the joy of a talented collaboration playing iconic acoustic and electric tunes by Bob Dylan interpreted through their own unique lens.
Read MoreCurated News You Can Use, From Mill Valley & Beyond – Week of May 17th
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://millvalley-captivate.growthzonecms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2622/2023/04/News-You-Can-Use-image.jpeg” title_text=”News You Can Use image” _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}”] If you want to support this Enjoy Mill Valley Blog, including all of the News You Can Use below, you can make a tax-deductible…
Read MoreCurated News You Can Use, From Mill Valley & Beyond – Week of May 11th
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,3_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https://millvalley-captivate.growthzonecms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2622/2023/04/News-You-Can-Use-image.jpeg” title_text=”News You Can Use image” _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” global_colors_info=”{}”] If you want to support this Enjoy Mill Valley Blog, including all of the News You Can Use below, you can make a tax-deductible…
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