Posts Tagged ‘Mill Valley’
Miller Nights in Downtown Mill Valley!
Depot Plaza, Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941 This summer, Mill Valley comes alive with Miller Nights — a laid-back evening series designed for the community to gather, unwind, and enjoy the best of downtown. Join us June 12 and August 21 from 5–8 PM at Depot Plaza, where there will be a partial street closure on…
Read MoreMt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church Is Hiring!
We’re hiring for a new position with our respite program we hope to be launching this fall. Could we have an article in the chamber blog? We have a tight turn around for advertising for the position, so I’m not sure if it works to share this (depending on when the next blog comes out).…
Read MoreMarin IJ: Another View: Our Digital Lives Have Hidden Costs
Every time we stream a movie, upload photos, send emails or ask artificial intelligence to answer a question, the action feels effortless. The internet appears weightless — floating somewhere in an invisible “cloud.” But the cloud is not weightless at all. Behind every digital activity lies a vast physical infrastructure of data centers, servers, cables…
Read MoreA Shout out to the Rotary Club of Mill Valley as They Celebrated their 100th year of Service Above Self! They Celebrated at Boyle Park!
Our members not only volunteer to support many worthy organizations, in 2025-26 we were able to contribute a total of $54,650 in grants to the following: The Redwoods Redwoods Alzheimers Walk The Kern Project (Dog Rescue) Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery Rotaplast (Child Cleft Palate/Lip Surgery) RYLA – Rotary Youth Leadership Painted Bins Next Steps Liaison…
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 MoreThe Grateful Dog Marin: Bobby Weir’s Former Doggy Daycare is Fighting to Stay Afloat After the 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 “The Grateful Dog” and said, “Well, fuckin’ A, man!” 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.
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 MoreOn the Heels of a Community Workshop in 2025, EHS Has Unveiled an Evolving Program to explicitly encourage business success and foster a “One Marin” mindset—balancing safety standards & a commitment to the economic vitality of the local food community
Today, the program is evolving to explicitly encourage business success and foster a “One Marin” mindset—balancing appropriate safety standards with a commitment to the economic vitality of the local food community. This report details how EHS will work within the CalCode to identify solutions that navigate regulatory requirements in a more engagement-centric and expedited manner to foster business growth and sustainability.
Read MoreCity Hall Has Nearly 60 Projects It Wants to Accomplish – Vitality, Branding Mill Valley as a Destination, Signage, Farmers Market… Councilmember Urban Carmel: “It’s More Like a 5-Year Plan.”
In the latter part of 2025, the Mill Valley City Council, led by then-incoming Mayor Max Perrey, made it clear that the intentions for the City of Mill Valley were bold. That has become increasingly clear in 2026, with Perrey and the rest of the City Council unveiling a Work Plan that spans nearly 60 projects it seeks to accomplish or launch over the next two years. The to-do list includes building a public works complex and multimillion-dollar renovations at the golf course clubhouse and library. It includes creating a recurring “Miller Nights” event series where streets would be closed for music, dining and kids’ activities. The list also includes extending local taxes and raising new revenues, developing affordable housing, updating traffic signals and transit options, making progress on sea-level rise and wildfire protection, further streamlining the permit process and expanding neighborhood and community-wide events.
Read More