Council approves 150-unit senior care complex at the old Best Western — pond stays private, heron roost goes

The week's one big decision came Tuesday night, when the Council voted 4-0 (Council Member Beckman absent) to approve a 150-unit residential care facility for the elderly at 56 Madera Boulevard — 118 assisted living units and 32 memory care units, about 176,575 square feet on the 5.53-acre site now holding a Best Western and a former restaurant. Every existing structure comes down. The 0.81-acre on-site pond stays and gets enhanced. The Council adopted Resolution 30/2026, finding the project exempt from further CEQA review under Guidelines Section 15183 as consistent with 2009 General Plan density. The Planning Commission had already approved it on June 9.

“It's a big safety concern... it's private property and it's really hard to open that up and take on that liability and risk for our residents.”— Carissa Savant, for the applicant, on public access to the pond

The arc of the evening was about how little discretion the town had. The application came in under SB 330, and the applicant sought seven waivers under State Density Bonus Law — including floor area ratio of 0.93 where 0.34/0.40 is allowed and height of 44 feet 4 inches where 35 feet is allowed, plus parking setbacks. After a long recitation of what the Council legally could not require, Council Member Ravasio asked the obvious question: "We've heard a lot about what we can't do tonight... My question is, is there anything that we do have an opportunity for?"

Public access to the pond was the sharpest fight. Ravasio noted public works crews already reach the area for pump maintenance and asked whether a passageway could be conditioned. The applicant's attorney, Chris Bert, answered that "prescriptive easements are ultimately very complicated... the council doesn't have discretion to demand that at this point in time." Applicant representative Carissa Savant called access a liability risk. Resident David McPherson took it straight to the dais: "Does our town attorney agree with the applicant's attorney that the town does not have any right... to impose public access to the pond as a conditional use?"

Barbara Salsman of the Marin Audubon Society objected to losing a heron roost — "It feels to me like the applicants just don't want to do it... with some creative thinking we think it could be retained." Ruven Galvan of the Carpenters Union raised area-standard wages, citing an active councilwide labor dispute. Patty Stolier urged more room for residents to move and gather. Council Member Andrews pressed on the fire-only northwest entrance — the fire department wants it kept for its own use — and asked whether the project's $1.9 million in-lieu affordability fee could someday help Corte Madera residents move in. Vice Mayor Casissa said he could support the project but remained worried about the effect on Town Center during construction and after. Ravasio asked engineering to keep checking how design changes affect flooding on Highway 101.

Ravasio, facing a closed-session action, tells the room she won't resign

Late in Tuesday's meeting, during council member reports, Council Member Ravasio addressed head-on a closed-session action the Council has initiated against her. She said she disputes the allegations and wants the facts examined in the open.

“I strongly disagree with the allegations and I welcome an independent review of the facts. I am confident that once those facts are fully examined, I will be exonerated... I won't be resigning and I will be running for reelection.”— Council Member Ravasio, during council reports · ▶ Watch this exchange

The signal came earlier in the night, too. On the consent calendar, Ravasio asked the town attorney and town manager to confirm that Brown Act reporting requirements had been met after a prior closed session; the town attorney said what happened there was direction to staff and therefore not reportable. Minutes from the June 16 closed session, held on potential litigation exposure, record that Ravasio recused herself — not from bias toward any applicant or project, the minutes say, but because her advocacy for open space was determined to be grounds for recusal.

Nothing further is scheduled publicly. With the July 21 meeting already cancelled, the next chance for any of this to surface in open session is August 4.

IT contract sails, financial reports don't — a column showing 4,195% sends the numbers back

The Council voted 4-0 to authorize a three-year managed services agreement with Marin IT not to exceed $529,672 (a $481,520 base plus $48,152 contingency). Council Member Andrews, citing a ransomware incident at his own workplace, asked how backups work; the vendor described hourly snapshots stored locally and in the cloud, including an encrypted immutable copy it says even Marin IT cannot decrypt. Ravasio asked about cyber insurance and about getting better emergency information — road closures, sandbags, charging stations — to residents; the town manager said the infrastructure exists but the town leans on county systems like Alert Marin and Nixle, and that it is largely a staffing question. Public commenter Roy Wolford asked how the town is using artificial intelligence to cut costs.

The April and May general fund and recreation fund revenue-and-expense reports did not fare as well. Vice Mayor Casissa flagged a column reporting a 4,195% change; staff conceded the year-over-year percentages were misleading, said the report would be reformatted and republished, and the item was continued to the next meeting. On paper, revenues were tracking at 87% and expenditures at 73% of budget through May.